Lotus is fully focused on an all-electric future and has launched its third EV in the form of the Lotus Emeya four-door electric GT car. Following the Evija hypercar and the Eletre SUV, Lotus describes the Emeya as a “four-door hyper GT”, pitching the car as a rival to everything from the Porsche Taycan Turbo S to the Tesla Model S Plaid.
The British brand says that the Emeya line-up should follow that of the Eletre relatively closely and has published specifications for the range-topping variant, which is powered by a 102kWh battery. The brand hasn’t confirmed exactly how much range the Emeya will deliver, but it has announced that up to 893bhp and 985Nm of torque will be available from a dual-motor powertrain, giving the Emeya four-wheel drive. The unit mounted on the front axle features a single-speed gearbox, while the rear drive unit gets a two-speed transmission, similar to the spec on Porsche‘s fastest Taycan saloon.
With all-wheel drive traction and launch control, Lotus claims the Emeya will accelerate from 0-62mph in 2.78 seconds, while top speed is “more than” 155mph. Lotus’s intelligent torque control will help boost dynamic ability, too.
The Emeya’s impressive claimed performance extends to its charging tech too, with recharge capability of up to 350kW for a 10 to 80 per cent recharge in 15 minutes; Lotus says the Emeya can add up to 93 miles of range in just five minutes when hooked up to a 350kW feed.
Active aerodynamics for 215kg downforce
As with the Eletre, the Emeya features many active aerodynamic devices to boost its efficiency, helped by the four-door model’s relatively sleek shape and lower profile when compared with Lotus’s SUV. There’s a 280mm-wide active rear spoiler – 100mm wider than on the Eletre – which alone contributes more than 215kg of downforce. Lotus says that combined with the Emeya’s active rear diffuser the aerodynamic package helps to deliver stable handling at high speeds.
There’s an active front grille, first seen on the Eletre, and an active air ‘lip’ to further boost downforce. When closed, the grille helps to reduce drag and it opens when battery and/or brake cooling is required.
Another Eletre-inspired feature of the Emeya is what Lotus calls ‘porosity’ – a factor that will define many of the brand’s designs in the future, too. This means that air flows through eight specially designed channels in the GT’s body to help cool the brakes, motors and battery.
Lotus’s designers have worked hard to manage the airflow over and through the car’s body to strike a strong balance between aerodynamic efficiency and downforce too boost the car’s high-speed performance, while low and mid-speed agility will be helped by a chassis set-up that features adaptive air suspension, with the system able to read the road ahead up to 1,000 times a second to deliver a balance of comfort and dynamism depending on driving conditions.
Interior design and ‘55-inch’ augmented reality display
There’s a similar focus on sportiness and comfort when it comes to the Emeya’s interior. Infotainment is similar to the Eletre, while the Emeya also features a 55-inch projected augmented reality head-up display giving info on “crucial external environment details”, according to Lotus. The tech combines real-time road information with sat-nav and driver assistance data, displaying obstacle warnings, lane departure, forward collision alerts and blind-spot monitoring.
Lotus’s KEF stereo set-up with Dolby Atmos 3D surround sound also features, while the cabin is trimmed in plenty of premium-feeling materials, Lotus claims, including PVD aluminium, Alcantara, Nappa leather, and Ultrafabrics; there’s also a new “luxury thread made from repurposed fibres from the fashion industry”.
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“This is a Lotus like you have never seen before,” said vice president, Lotus design group, Ben Payne at the Emeya’s unveiling in New York City. “We’ve built on everything Lotus has achieved so far”, he added. “We’ve created a luxury performance car for the drivers, designed to inspire confidence, exhilarate with raw emotion and pure joy – connecting them to the road.”
Production of Lotus’s new Emeya range flagship is expected to begin next year as part of the company’s vision to become a global luxury performance and lifestyle brand by 2028 – a factor in the car’s name, which still conforms to the brand’s convention of models beginning with E; the brand says ‘Emeya’ was chosen “to embody the ambition and commitment which Lotus has for this new vehicle.” It references the acronym EMEA, which stands for Europe, Middle East and Asia, highlighting the brand’s aspirations for global sales.
More details – probably including further technical data, such as driving range, as well as more info on models in the line-up and pricing – will be revealed towards the end of the year with the Lotus Emeya due on sale in 2024.
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