Lotus Evija is official with 400 km of range and 2000 ps of target motor power

As promised, Lotus unveiled the Evija - an all-electric hypercar. The press release says this is "is the most powerful series-production road car ever built." The car's project code is Type 130 and no more than 130 units from it will be built. Production will set off during 2020 in Hethel, close to the historic city of Norwich in the east of England, UK, which has been the home of Lotus since 1966.

The Lotus Evija features a one-piece carbon fibre monocoque chassis with fully adjustable race-style seats and a multi-function steering wheel. It includes an integrated air diffuser which extends from under the B-pillars to the rear. The absence of traditional door mirrors plays a part in reducing drag. Cameras integrated into the front wings are electronically deployed on unlock, while another camera built into the roof provides a central view. Images are displayed on three interior screens. With a target weight of just 1,680 kg, it will be the lightest pure-electric hypercar ever to go into series production.

The electric powertrain is made by Williams Advanced Engineering, a famed for success in motorsport, from Formula One to electrifying the first four seasons of Formula E. The Lotus Evija is ftted with in-line axial arrangement of four high-power density e-motors with integrated silicon carbide inverters and epicyclic transmission on each axle of the four-wheel-drive powertrain. The motors and inverters are supplied by Integral Powertrain Ltd. The target power output is 2,000 ps with 1,700 Nm of torque.

Four compact, light and highly efficient single-speed, helical gear ground planetary gearboxes transfer power to each driveshaft. Measuring a mere 100mm in depth, each gearbox comes packaged with the e-motor and inverter as a single cylindrical Electrical Drive Unit (EDU). With a target power of 500 PS per e-motor, this is the most efficient and elegant engineering solution to deploying so much power with precision.

The 70 kWh battery pack is mid-mounted immediately behind the two seats. Thanks to the partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, the battery has the ability to accept an 800 kW charge even though there are no commercially available chargers that can supply that. Using a 350 kW DC unit, the Evija's battery can charge to 80% in 12 minutes and to 100% in 18 minutes. The vehicle offers a WLTP range of 250 miles (400 km).

The Evija has five driving modes - Range, City, Tour, Sport and Track. It can race from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in under three seconds and accelerate to a top speed of more than 200 mph (0-320 km/h). The Lotus Evija is the first production road car in the world to feature laser lights for both main and dipped beams. Produced by Osram, the lighting modules are very compact and will provide an outstanding view of the road or track ahead.

Evija's suspension features three adaptive spool-valve dampers for each axle manufactured by Multimatic, specialists in developing high-performance suspension technology for on-road, off-road and motorsport applications including Formula 1.

Magnesium wheels provide optimum lightness and strength, and are sized 20 and 21 inches at the front and rear respectively. They are shod with Pirelli Trofeo R tyres, developed specifically to achieve ultimate performance. To deal with the Evija’s extreme performance, the car is equipped with a forged aluminium AP Racing braking system with carbon ceramic discs front and rear.

Lotus Cars CEO Phil Popham said: "The Lotus Evija is a car like no other. It will re-establish our brand in the hearts and minds of sports car fans and on the global automotive stage. It will also pave the way for further visionary models." He added: "This is another amazing moment in the history of our company. The Evija is a true Lotus in every sense - it has been developed with an unwavering passion to push boundaries, to explore new ways of thinking and to apply ground-breaking technologies."

Russell Carr, Design Director, Lotus Cars, said: "We studied how Le Mans race cars use air flow creatively to go over, under and around the vehicle, but also through it. This concept of 'porosity' is key to the Evija and has enabled us to create a timeless design with exceptional amounts of downforce."

Matt Windle, Executive Director, Sports Car Engineering, Lotus Cars, said: "Every element of the Evija has been meticulously analysed and validated. Precision engineering is nothing without human engagement, and that’' why technology with soul is the benchmark for this and every Lotus."

The Evija is priced from £1.7m plus duties and taxes. A £250,000 deposit secures a production slot. Order books are now open through www.lotuscars.com. Source