But is there really a market for such an expensive electric car?

by Wallace Wyss –

Lotus, now owned by the Chinese, believes there is no ceiling on exotic car prices. Hence their latest offering the Evija, is an over-the-top car on the theory that those who buy in the La Ferrari and Bugatti type market are not deterred by price.

Only 130 will be built. The Chinese are banking on the fact that engine sound is not important anymore. That’s because the Evija is all electric rated at 1,972 horsepower (2,000 metric hp). They boast it will go from 0 to 186 mph, 8.6 seconds faster than a Bugatti Chiron.

The price is over $2 million or about the price of 18 new 2020 mid engine Corvettes (to me the new standard for comparison in high performance sports cars).

The car is all new, from its carbon-fiber structure that boasts a semi-active and Multimatic-supplied inboard suspension that bolts directly onto the tub. Would you be surprised that the carbon fibre monocoque tub comes from the homeland of exotic cars, Modena Italy, where it’s built by C.P.C. Srl .The whole frame weighs just 284 pounds.

The power source is a 2,000-kW lithium-ion battery—developed together with Williams Advanced Engineering. Now I don’t know if a battery is that exciting as an engine but they’ve got it on display behind the passenger part of the cockpit. Down below out of sight is the four electric motors supplied by Integral Powertrain Limited. Each wheel gets its power, independently, which could lead to all sorts of torque-vectoring opportunities.

Lotus promises that the 3704 lb. car can go more than 200 mph, 0-60 in less than 3 seconds.

Now how long to charge it they say 18 minutes with a 350-kW charging station, and predict the range is 270 miles on the NEDC cycle.

There is a choice of driving modes—from mild to wild ‘y might say: Eco, City, Tour, Sport, and Track. The EV powertrain is liquid cooled.

DESIGN ANALYSIS

SIDE: Reminiscent of 2020 Corvette, but alas no removable roof as in the Corvette. With dark roof edges it emphasizes how forward the canopy is. Carved out body side to feed side scoop seems to be too big.

But the vent to let air out that has been through brake cooling scoops (or auxiliary radiators) is good; innovative in that they were able to have both a vent to vent out hot air and a scoop to take in cold air in the same four feet or so of side body. It seems lift up doors are the standard in the over one million dollar cars, though there is always the problem of opening the side windows.

FRONT: There is little you can do to separate a new mid engine car design from other supercars, but this approach is somewhat novel, an air intake on each side of the hood. The stacked headlights are at least confined to a narrow space, not spreading out all over.

REAR: I can’t believe that having just the outer ring of red taillamp is sufficient to meet the law but it may be. It is certainly a novel approach. No rival can copy it without having a similar shaped rear end. The Vee-shaped boat-tail roof seems to be all too common. There’s no engine to see as in the 2020 Corvette coupe which loses the chance to sell an onlooker who is engine-oriented. (Engine What’s that?)

INTERIOR: Shades of the 2020 Corvette again, with the rectangular steering wheel, and a tall inclined vertical element containing switchgear.

The seats are very purposeful, you wonder what the hole/vent is for at the middle of the leading edge of the seat cushion (perhaps for 4-point shoulder harness?). The textured pedals are great, so there’s less chance of losing your shoe sole’s grip. The one color trim piece that surrounds the interior adds a feeling of continuity.

IN SUM…It’s an interesting supercar, but methinks Lotus is reaching too high in price, when you consider the car does not have an internal combustion engine too. Nothing about its styling says “Lotus.” And I’m afraid the price is now, in the light of recent events, going too high when you consider you can buy a 175-mph mid-engine Corvette for 1/18th the price…a car that comes, in coupe form, with a lift off top.

Let us know what you think in the Comments.

 
 
 
 
 
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss will have art on the Lotus and other exotics at his Art & Books booth at Concorso Italiano August 17th during Monterey Car Week.

 
 
 

 

 

Photos compliments of Lotus.