Reverse everything for Lotus which renounces becoming a 100% electric brand. After unveiling a hybrid version of the Eletre SUV, the English manufacturer is now anticipating the future Esprit, which will receive an electrified V8.
Going all-electric is a strategy that is as laudable as it is risky. This choice is even more perilous at the high end, where customers are looking for a real automotive experience. Porsche paid the price by deciding to reverse course on total electrification. Jaguar, visibly confident, is on the contrary attempting a comeback by focusing only on electric vehicles, whatever the consequences. For a brand already at a standstill, the strategy is suicidal.
Why Lotus is abandoning 100% electric for 2030
Lotus, for her part, finally seems to open her eyes. While the manufacturer announced a few years ago that the Emira would be its last thermal engine car, it is back with a hybrid model announced for 2028. This would even be part of a long line, since the brand hopes to achieve a balance of sales between electric and hybrid vehicles. The Eletre SUV announced this shift half-heartedly in its X Hybrid version with a range extender developing 952 hp.
Lotus Type 135: the return of a legend called Esprit?
It will officially be joined by a V8-powered hybrid supercar. Code name: Type 135. The latter will be positioned above the Emira and could take up the legendary Esprit name. Lotus has already published a first image of the car in a teaser. We notice the stern of a particularly low and wide machine reflecting its sportiness. The refined lights add a touch of character while the flared lower part accommodates two exhaust outlets.
986 hp: the explosive technical sheet of the future hybrid unit
They will be connected to a 986 hp hybrid V8 without further details. It is still unclear whether it will be a standard hybrid model or a plug-in hybrid. The origin of the engine has not been confirmed either, but the expected candidate would be the 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 of AMG origin that we find at Aston Martin in the Vantage and DB12. Geely, which owns Lotus, also has shares in Mercedes and Aston Martin. It would therefore not be surprising to find a German block on this future hybrid supercar.
Target 30,000 sales: Lotus revises its expectations downwards
With its plan called Focus 2030, the brand has set itself the objective of reaching 30,000 copies sold annually to break even. This is much less than the 150,000 sales initially forecast. The future Type 135 should be produced at the Hethel factory in England. The car will respect the brand’s sporting heritage by multiplying the nods to the past. Daniel Li, vice-president of Geely, confirms that his group is “ committed to providing Lotus with the resources needed to compete at the highest level ».
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