Evija

Make
Lotus
Segment
Coupe

The Lotus Evija aims to push the boundaries of modern hypercar technology. The British sports car company is going full electric for the drivetrain and claims it's building the most powerful production car on the planet. Also on the menu for the Evija is a crazy fast-charging system, race car styling cues, leading-edge aerodynamics, butterfly doors, and an interior packed with style and technology.

The world has been put on notice that Lotus isn't just a sports car manufacturer anymore, and that it plans on taking on the big guns in the electric hypercar arena. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming Lotus Evija.

The Name Evija: What Does It Mean?

Evija is pronounced "eh-VIE'-ya" by Lotus and, according to the sports car maker, means 'the first in existence' or 'the living one.' It refers to the triple-threat of the Evija being Lotus's first electric car, first hypercar, and it's the first car produced under its new corporate overlords, Geely. According to an origin of names website, Evija is a Latvian girl's name with Hebrew origins.

Powertrain and Performance: All The Power

The Lotus Evija's crazy power figures come courtesy of four electric motors and a mid-mounted 70 kWh battery pack. The drive technology is provided by Integral Powertrain, who also provided technology for Volkswagen's I.D. R project. The numbers are staggering, with Lotus claiming the Evija makes 1,972 horsepower and 1,254 ft-lb of torque

Torque vectoring technology is a given, but according to Lotus, the Evija's all-wheel-drivetrain is capable of being pushed at wide-open throttle without a reduction in power for at least 7 minutes in Track mode. That means there's no need for a Qualification drive mode to go with Range, City, Tour, Sport, and Track. The Evija will hit 186 mph in under nine seconds after sprinting to 62 mph in under three seconds before reaching e a top speed of over 200 mph.

Chassis: Pure Lotus

Throughout its history, Lotus has put most of its focus on handling over raw power. Lotus's founder Colin Chapman's most famous quote is to "simplify, then add lightness," with the company pioneering the stressed monocoque chassis in race cars. Lotus road cars have also been subjected to this mantra, and the Evija will be no exception. According to Lotus, the electric hypercar weighs just 3,700 lbs. For reference, that's close in weight to a current Ford Mustang GT, while a Tesla Model S weighs between 4,883 to 4,941 lbs. Also, according to Lotus, at 3,700 lbs, this will make the Evija the lightest EV hypercar ever when it enters production.

Style: Practical Aesthetics

Everything about the Evija says it's a hypercar, but there's some amazing practical design built into the sleek jet-fighter aesthetic. Both rear-quarter panels make use of Venturi tunnels using airflow through the bodywork to its advantage, and the exits are ringed with red LED lighting for that dramatic effect. Exterior wing mirrors create drag, so Lotus is using cameras that automatically raise out when the doors are unlocked and send the images to screens inside. The rear spoiler sits flush with the bodywork until it's needed and becomes active to adjust itself to how the car is being driven.

The Evija sits at just 4.1 inches off the ground on staggered magnesium wheels. The rear wheels are 21-inch discs while the fronts measure 20 inches. As for lighting, Lotus claims it will be the first production car to use laser lights for its primary and dipped beams.

Interior: Retro Hypercar

The Evija is a two-seater, with the cabin accessed through remote-controlled handleless doors. The doors are then closed via a button placed overhead. A concession to weight is made through electrically adjustable seats, which are based around a carbon-fiber shell with thick padding underneath the microfiber surface material. The interior is clearly influenced by the 1960's era Lotus racing cars, but the technology is pure 21st century. There's a full digital display for the driver set into the bare-bones yet beautifully sculpted dashboard, and the race-style steering wheel is fully adjustable. Standard belts come with the Evija, but there's an option for four-point harnesses instead.

Range & Charging

Lotus hasn't made any specific claims about range yet based on national standards, but we're expecting about 200 to 250 miles when being driven like an average car. The fascinating thing is that Lotus says charging will take about as much time as drinking a cup of coffee at the gas station. The technology is claimed by Lotus to allow the Evija to be charged to 80 percent in just 12 minutes, while a full charge will take 18 minutes.

Trim: One Trim Level To Rule Them All

For the money Lotus will be asking for the Evija, customers will expect everything as standard. That will include Bluetooth connectivity, Android Auto and Apple Carplay, and an extensive infotainment system. It will also include wireless connectivity and a smartphone app that will allow owners to check on the status of the vehicle in terms of location, battery charge, charging times, and available range.

Price & Availability: Expensive & Rare

Lotus only plans to build 130 examples of the Evija. However, the first year's allocation limit has been reached, and it won't be street legal in the US. That won't stop people from ordering one to play with on the track or lock away in a collection over here, though. To get one, customers will need to have $322,000 handy for a deposit and around $2.3 million in total to part with when the hypercar is ready for delivery. Lotus has a new manufacturing plant next to a Formula 1 test track that's ready for production. Lotus planned to have the first deliveries of the Evija go out in the summer, which is unlikely as things stand at the time of writing.