The Lotus Eviga

On Tuesday in London, Lotus took the wraps off its — and Britain’s — first purely electric hypercar: the Evija (pronounced “E-vi-ya”). With a power output of about 1973 hp and 1254 ft-lb of torque accelerating the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds and to a top speed over 200 mph, the Evija presents Tesla’s Roadster and Pininfarina’s Battista with fierce competition.

Beneath its smooth, highly-aerodynamic body whose design was inspired by “rocks that had been carved by nature over the centuries” is a 100% electric four-wheel drive powertrain. The 2,000 kW battery — which can be fully recharged in nine minutes using an 800 kW charger — delivers energy to four e-motors.

Currently, charging technology on the market maxes out at 350Wk. Using a charger with this capacity will fully charge the Evija in 18 minutes; when 800 kW chargers become commercially available, the car will be able to revive enough energy in nine minutes to drive 250 miles.

Like the Battista, only a small number of units will be produced, making the hypercar hyper-exclusive. Because each one can be massively personalized, each of the 130 models will be unique to every client, accentuating its exclusivity.

The extremely-stylized luxurious interior was inspired by Lotus racing models from the 1950s and ’60s. Several cabin surfaces have been finished with carbon fiber as have the shell seats. The dash is outfitted with a digital display — the only screen found in the model.

The Tesla Roadster can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, reach a top speed over 250 mph, and has a range of 620 miles. When the model is released next year, it’s expected to put owners back between $200,000 and $250,000, a fairly modest price compared with those of the Evija (about $2.1 million) and Battista (about $2.5 million).

Lotus is 51-percent owned by Chinese auto giant Geely, plans an initial sale of only 130 of the supercars, which will each cost about £1.7 million ($2.1 million, 1.8 million euros).

“Electrification is absolutely part of our future,” said Lotus Cars chief executive Phil Popham. “In the not-too-distant future, all of our cars will offer electrification.”

Lotus’ plant in Hethel, eastern England, will see a £100-million investment over the next five years as it ramps up its sports car range with financial firepower and technical knowhow from Geely, which bought its majority stake two years ago.

Etika Automotive of Malaysia holds the remaining 49 percent of Lotus.

The company has recently re-entered the Singaporean market under Wearnes Automotive.

The Lotus Evija will be available for purchase starting in early 2020.

 

Images: Lotus