Lotus confirms Evija electric hypercar

BRITISH sportscar manufacturer Lotus has revealed the name for its first full-electric model, with the Type 130 announced at the Shanghai motor show in April to be officially called the Evija.

With its production run due to begin in 2020, the Evija marks the first model from Lotus to be produced with the backing of new parent company and Chinese automotive giant Geely, and it could point towards a more electric-oriented future direction for the brand.

It is also the first hypercar from Lotus, suggesting power and performance at a level so far uncharted by the brand.

Announced at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, fans at the Lotus stand will be given a sneaky glimpse of the Evija via a light show, ahead of a full unveiling in London later this month.

The light show suggests the Evija will take the shape of a mid-engined coupe with pronounced flanks and a low, aerodynamic profile.

The Evija – pronounced ‘ev-eye-a’ – means ‘the first in existence’ or ‘the living one’ and continues the theme of Lotus cars beginning with E, including the current line-up of Evora, Exige and Elise.

No details have been released on the full-electric powertrain underpinning the Evija, however with Geely’s backing, Lotus can draw on a wealth of product and development from the Chinese conglomerate.

Geely’s experience in EVs includes the Volvo sub-brand Polestar, whose current product portfolio includes the 300kW/660Nm full-electric Polestar 2, which has a 78kWh battery pack and a targeted driving range of 500km.

The most powerful offering in Lotus’ current range is the Evora coupe, which employs a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 pumping out 321kW/440Nm, meaning the Evija will likely boost those numbers in order to achieve ‘hypercar’ status.

Its underpinnings are also unclear, but it could ride on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform shared with models such as the Polestar 2 and Volvo XC40.

Lotus Cars chief executive Phil Popham said the Evija is the first of multiple “visionary” models to be released by the company in the future.

“Evija is the perfect name for our new car because it’s the first hypercar from Lotus, our first electric offering and is the first new model under the stewardship of Geely,” he said.

“The Evija is a Lotus like no other, yet a true Lotus in every sense. It will re-establish our brand on the global automotive stage and pave the way for further visionary models.”

Being a “true Lotus in every sense” means the brand will likely try to minimise the Evija’s kerb weight, which is often a challenge with electric vehicles with heavy battery packs and electric motors.

Mr Popham’s comments also suggest more full-electric or electrified Lotus models could be on the way in the future.

Geely acquired a 51 per cent stake in Lotus in 2017 from Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom as well as 49.9 per cent of Malaysian brand Proton.

Through the first half of the year, Lotus has sold 32 vehicles, including 21 examples of the Exige, three more vehicles than the 29 it managed to the same point last year.