A new era for the British sports car maker has begun.
This week, Lotus lifted the wraps off its first-ever hypercar, the all-electric Evija. To say that it exceeded our expectations is an understatement. With two electric motors producing a combined output of 1,972 horsepower and 1,253 lb-ft of torque, the Evija is the world's most powerful production road car, surpassing Rimac C_Two and Pininfarina Battista electric hypercars.
It's a significant step for Lotus, considering the company hasn't made a new model since the Evora in 2008. Now that the company is owned by China's Geely, Lotus is ready to embark on an exciting new era.
Autocar quizzed Lotus CEO Phil Popham to find out more about the inspiration behind the Evija and what the future holds for Lotus. "We believe that if you want to make ripples, you have to make a splash," Popham said when asked why Lotus decided to make an ultra-expensive and exclusive hypercar. "If you want to be on the map, you have to make a mark. This car shows what our future can be like. It shows what we can do, and it paves the way for future visionary Lotus models."
Don't think, however, that electric hypercars like the Evija will dominate the Lotus's lineup in the future. Popham emphasized that, while the Evija will cost an eye-watering £1.7 million ($2.2 million), its new core models will still have a price range of around £50,000 ($62,000) - £100,000 ($124,000).
Lotus is only planning to build 130 examples of the Evija. After that, the company will focus on rebuilding its core sports car range. Popham confirmed a new combustion-powered sports car will debut "towards the end of next year" and will go on sale in 2021. The real revelation, however, is that every Lotus after that will have a fully electric version, regardless of the segment. This also means Lotus could skip hybrids altogether. "That is certainly an option," Popham said.
Lotus has previously confirmed it's planning to replace the Exige or Evora with an all-new sports car in 2020. The Evija will also enter production the same year, and the company's first-ever SUV is expected to arrive in 2021.
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