Lotus Gets Evora 414E Prototype on Track

Jul. 03, 2012 9:47 AM ET by Phillip Harbor / 17 Comments

The hybrid-electric concept first seen at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show has hit the track for some heavy-duty testing.

These days even supercars are going hybrid. Ferrari, Bugatti and Porsche are all adding electric motors to their next supercars, and Lotus isn't about to sit it out. The Electric and Hybrid Vehicle group which the British firm set up in 2008 developed the Evora 414E hybrid show car which it unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Lotus showed it off again this past weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and has now begun track-testing the prototype.

414E packs a pair of electric motors that drive 414 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque through an Xtrac transmission to the rear wheels, propelling the hybrid Evora from 0-60 in under 4 seconds and on to a top speed of 130 mph. A three-cylinder internal-combustion engine doesn't power the wheels directly, but extends the prototype's range from 30 miles in pure electric mode to over 300 miles in hybrid mode. The Evora 414E benefits from the British government's REEVolution Project that has also subsidized the development of similar projects at Jaguar and Land Rover, among other electric prototypes.

Lotus Gets Evora 414E Prototype on Track

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Lotus Gets Evora 414E Prototype on Track

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