Lotus Wants To Beat Porsche At Its Own Game

Apr. 18, 2022 9:33 AM ET by Gerhard Horn Electric Vehicles / 10 Comments

First with an SUV and then with an EV sedan.

After more than a decade of not going anywhere, Lotus finally seems to be gathering momentum.

First, it launched its future halo model, the Evija, followed by the introduction of the Porsche 911 rival, the Emira. This is usually where Lotus is at its very best, but if it wants to make the most of Geely's cash influx, it also needs the recently launched Eletre SUV. The idea is that this model will have the Cayenne effect, which opens the doors for more models.

The rumor mill suggests that the next model will be an EV saloon (rumored to be called the Type 133) to rival the Taycan.

Instead of just taking on the 911, Lotus will be taking on the entire Porsche range. And why not? The business model worked beautifully for the German brand.

In an interview with Autocar, Lotus' director of attributes and product integrity Gavan Kershaw stated that the Eletre was the benchmark of its EV platform. In other words, it was designed with other models in mind from the start.

Kershaw also mentioned that Lotus's new suspension technologies were "package protected for everything we want to do." This suggests that the Eletre's skateboard design can just as easily house another body style and that the suspension and chassis technology would not have to be designed from scratch.

The other good news is that Lotus' main aim remains driver involvement. Its new lifestyle positioning will not impact how the cars feel, yet that remains to be seen.

Lotus' managing director also told Autocar that 592 hp is where it's starting at, referring to the power output of the twin electric motor setup in the launch edition of the Eletre. That's roughly the same amount of power as the latest member of the Taycan clan, the GTS. On overboost, the Taycan Turbo produces 750 hp, so it's good news that Lotus is merely starting at 592 hp.

Lotus will likely follow the same route as Porsche and introduce a RWD-only single electric motor model at a more affordable price.

And though it's still a few years away, the Type 134 will seemingly be a crossover, which makes complete sense. As much as we'd like Lotus to stick to two-door sports cars, SUVs and crossovers are the real moneymakers.

Production of the Evija started recently, and deliveries will begin this summer. The Emira will follow shortly after, followed by the Eletre in 2023.