The final Lotus Elise, a Elise Sport 240 Final Edition, is one of 35,124 built over 26 years.
Lotus built its last the last Elise, Exige and Evora sports cars today in Hethel, Norfolk, U.K. The end of production for the three sports cars comes as Lotus readies its assembly lines for the upcoming Emira, which is expected to roll off assembly lines in the spring.
“We will miss them, but a bit like Christmas, once it’s over, the excitement for the next one starts to build,” said Russell Carr, design director, Lotus Cars, in a statement. “And that’s what’s happening now at Lotus with the Evija, Emira and forthcoming Type 132. 2022 is going to be a great year as a new Lotus generation swings into action.”
End of an era
During the cars’ 26-year run, 51,738 cars were built. Combined, they represent almost half of the total production of the 73-year history of Lotus. From 1996 to 2000, the first-generation Elise and Exige sports cars were built alongside the Lotus Esprit. But the company revamped its assembly operations when the Spirit ended production. Now, the current assembly lines will be dismantled and revamped, allowing for an addition 5,000 units of capacity.
A Lotus Exige Cup 430 Final Edition, the last of 10,497 units.
The final cars will be a yellow Elise Sport 240 Final Edition, the last of 35,124 cars; a Heritage Racing Green Exige Cup 430 Final Edition, the last of 10,497; and a Dark Metallic Grey Evora GT430 Sport, the last of 6,117 built.
The Evora is the only Lotus model currently sold in the United States, with a base price of $99,150. Its supercharged Toyota 3.5-liter V-6 makes 416 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque with the 6-speed manual transmission, or 332 lb-ft with the 6-speed automatic.
The final models of the Elise, Exige and Evora models will not be sold. They will be placed in Lotus’ heritage collection.
“(C)ustomers have given our ‘three Es’ true cult status — usually reserved for long-out-of-production classics,” said Matt Windle, managing director, Lotus Cars. “As we say farewell to the last few cars, we look forward to the Emira and Evija.”
The three models are being replaced by the all-new Emira, its name derived from ancient languages meaning “commander” or “leader.” The car will be Lotus’ last gasoline-powered sports car, with a design inspired by the Evija. All future models are promised to be 100% electric powered. Like previous Lotus models, the Emira will employ lightweight construction and massive horsepower, with a bonded aluminum chassis that’s strong, yet lightweight.
It will house one of two engines, the first being an AMG-tuned turbocharged 4-cylinder mated to a dual-clutch gearbox that sends 360 hp to the rear wheels. The other is a supercharged Toyota V-6 with either an automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual. The AMG engine will not be offered with a manual.
The Evija will hit 186 mph more than 3 seconds faster than the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport.
The company is also planning to release the Evija, a new hypercar and its first electric model. Punching out nearly 2,000 hp through all four wheels, it promises a 0-186 mph time of 9 seconds, making it the quickest vehicle on the road. But expect to pay $2 million for the privilege.
But that’s just the start of a line of new Lotus EVs that will include the Type 132 electric crossover, recently teased at the 2021 Gangzhou Auto Show as well as on YouTube. It’s also slated to be released in the Spring. The company is also planning to release the Type 131, the first of Lotus’s three new electric sports cars.
Group Lotus is owned by Chinese automaker Geely, which bought the British automaker in 2017, and Etika Automotive, a Malaysian conglomerate, which owns the remaining 49 percent.
NHTSA says the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV’s battery pack, located under the rear seat, can potentially catch fire.
General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are urging owners of previously recalled 2017-19 Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles to once again park their cars outside and away from houses after two recalled and repaired cars caught fire.
The company hasn’t said what sparked the fires. NHTSA says the recall involves the high-voltage battery pack underneath the backseat cushion. The packs can potentially smoke and ignite, spreading to the rest of the vehicle.
The company issued the latest advisory “out of an abundance of caution,” instructing Chevrolet Bolt owners to park their vehicles outdoors immediately after charging and not leave their vehicles charging overnight.
Despite the recommendation, GM says customers should continue to getting their Bolts fixed under the recall while they continue investigating the incidents. The fix limits the battery pack’s charging capacity to 90% until a permanent solution is determined. The batteries were manufactured at LG Chem’s Ochang, South Korea factory.
A continuing problem for Chevrolet
Chevrolet Bolts, shown charging, use LG Chem batteries that are at risk of catching fire.
NHTSA opened an investigation into Chevrolet Bolt fires last October, which was followed by a recall in November. The action affected 69,000 Bolts from the 2017-2019 model years, approximately 51,000 of which were sold in the U.S. The company said at the time that Bolt, resulting in two injuries from smoke inhalation. The fix limits the battery pack’s charging capacity to 90% until a permanent fix is determined. The batteries were manufactured at LG Chem’s Ochang, South Korea factory.
Owners of Chevrolet Bolts, or any GM vehicle can see of their car, truck or SUV is being recalled by visiting a special GM website and entering their vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN.
Lithium Ion batteries trial by fire
Hyundai is recalling about 76,000 Kona EVs built between 2018 and 2020.
But GM isn’t the only automaker facing lithium ion battery fires. Hyundai Motor Co., Ford Motor Co. and BMW AG have faced similar recalls in recent months.
In February, Hyundai recalled 82,000 battery-electric vehicles worldwide for lithium ion batteries that could catch fire. Vehicles affected include approximately 76,000 battery-electric Hyundai Kona EVs built between 2018 and 2020, with the rest consisting of Hyundai Ioniqs and city buses. Hyundai replaced the batteries rather than resolving the issue through software updates. The recall, which cost Hyundai $900 million, comes after at least 15 Konas reportedly caught fire.
LG Chem, which produces the cells, claims the automaker incorrectly applied recommendations about fast battery charging management. Hyundai advised vehicle owners to limit charging to 90% of the battery capacity until the cells can be replaced. Nevertheless, the battery supplier assumed 70% of the recall cost.
The 2021 BMW 330e was recalled in September 2020 for a risk of fire.
BMW issued a recall in September of its plug-in hybrid models after they were found to be at a risk for catching fire. The car’s batteries, made by Samsung, had welding debris left inside the pack that could create a short between modules. The recall covered 4,509 plug-in hybrid BMW or Mini vehicles in the U.S., and 26,900 vehicles worldwide.
Vehicles recalled include: the 2021 BMW X5 xDrive 45e; 2021 BMW 745Le xDrive; 2020-21 BMW 530e, 530e xDrive, 530e iPerformance; 2020-21 Mini Cooper Countryman All4 SE; 2020-21 BMW X3 xDrive30e; 2021 BMW 330e, 330e xDrive; and 2020 BMW i8.
The growing number of fire-related recalls in battery electric vehicles illustrates the challenges involved with managing flammable lithium-ion batteries that have previously caused fires in laptops, tablets and other electric devices.
Long seen as a laggard in the electric vehicle market, Stellantis revealed a $35 billion program to bring at least 55 plug-in hybrids and pure battery-electric vehicles to market by mid-decade – a list that will include a BEV Ram pickup and an all-electric muscle car that will be the fastest and most powerful ever produced by the Dodge brand.
The automaker – formed by a merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group early this year – outlined its plans to go electric during a nearly three-hour presentation Thursday morning. During that time, Stellantis executives announced a procession of new plug-ins and BEVs, while also laying out the company’s accelerating shift away from gas and diesel engines. The virtual event was intended to quash concerns that Stellantis was lagging the industry’s race to electrify.
“We are already in the race,” declared the automaker’s CEO Carlos Tavares. “We are on a rolling start and we are now accelerating.”
“We are committed”
While the European side of Stellantis has been active in the battery-car market – it was second-largest by sales volume last year – the U.S. side has been reluctant, at best. When the old Fiat Chrysler Automobiles launched its first BEV, the Fiat 500e, in 2013, the late CEO Sergio Marchionne declared he wanted no one to buy it car because each one lost the company about $14,000.
FCA began to shift direction with the launch of its first plug-in, the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan. And it has scored a runaway hit with the debut this spring of the plug-in Jeep Wrangler 4xe. It has become the best-selling PHEV in the U.S. market, accounting for 20.1% of the compact SUV’s sales over the past several months.
Now, Jeep will have to prove that’s no fluke. The plan announced Thursday will see the brand add 4xe versions of every product in its line-up by 2025, with a version of the next-generation Grand Cherokee coming for the 2022 model-year.
“We are committed to zero emissions,” said Christian Meunier, the Jeep brand’s CEO.
Four new EV platforms
The automaker’s other light truck brand has big electrification plans, as well. Ram is working up an all-electric version of the familiar 1500 full-size pickup which will reach market by 2024, announced brand boss Mike Koval.
That will bring the division into the fast-growing EV pickup segment later than key competitors Ford, Chevrolet and GMC, as well as upstarts like Rivian and Tesla. But Koval defended the late arrival by declaring Ram’s entry will be “the right product at the right time.”
The goal, he added, is to “push past” the competition with a mix of a radical new design and enhanced features. Among other things, the platform the electric Ram will be based on could offer range of as much as 500 miles per charge.
In all, Stellantis is developing four new architectures for its electric vehicles, one each for small, medium and large passenger cars and SUVs, with a fourth using a body-on-frame structure for use with pickups, such as the electric Ram 1500, as well as commercial vehicles. The familiar Ram ProMaster is one of the trucks that will go electric, while Stellantis also plans to launch a hydrogen fuel-cell powered van before the end of this year.
Dodge gets an electric muscle car
The smallest of the new platforms will be used for products like the next-generation Fiat 500e. The Italian automaker will effectively go all electric in the years ahead. Most of its plans target Europe, but some battery models will come to the U.S. And Fiat also will enter the Chinese market with pure BEVs.
2019 Fiat 500e
The new STLA Large platform will find numerous applications within the Stellantis line-up, underpinning bigger SUVs – as well as the first electrified Dodge model.
The upcoming muscle car – which TheDetroitBureau.com first reported on in June – will be faster than any product the muscle car marque has ever before offered, launching from 0 to 100 kmh, or 62 mph, in about 2 seconds. That would put it on a par with the new Tesla Model S Plaid. And it would blow away the previous track star, the Dodge Challenger Hellcat Demon.
Dodge brand boss Tim Kuniskis put the emphasis on what matters to Dodge customers during the Thursday web event: Performance. And the reality is that going fully electric is the only way to take the brand’s iconic muscle cars to the next level.
“Our engineers are reaching practical limit of what we can squeeze from an internal combustion engine. We know that electric motors can give us more,” he explained.
Chrysler not forgotten
During the nearly three-hour session, Stellantis officials quickly ran through an assortment of the company’s 14 brands, including Opel/Vauxhall, the long-struggling enterprise acquired from General Motors a few years back. Based in Germany, it is making a hard turn towards electric propulsion. All models will be offered with a PHEV or BEV package by 2024, said brand CEO Michael Lohscheller.
2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Hybrid
“By 2028 Opel will be purely electric in Europe” he added, noting that the marque also plans to enter China as an entirely electric brand.
A handful of Stellantis brands were left on the sidelines Thursday, including Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Maserati. But while specific plans for the long-struggling Chrysler were saved for a future announcement, Stellantis took pains to emphasize it will remain part of the family. Ralph Gilles, the head of design for the North American side of the company, was shown riding in and working on an all-electric Chrysler concept.
By mid-decade, Stellantis expects to be chasing its most aggressive competitors, if not leading, in the EV space. By 2025, the company estimates, plug-based products will account for 14% of its sales in Europe and 4% in the United States. By 2030, however, Tavares forecast that will jump to more than 70% in Europe and over 40% in the U.S.
To get there will require major changes at all levels of the company, from software development to marketing to manufacturing, officials stressed.
New battery chemistries
Stellantis is developing two new lithium-ion battery chemistries, including one that eliminates cobalt, a costly metal that also creates environmental issues in its mining and production. Battery packs will be able to hold anywhere from 37 to more than 200 kilowatt-hours of energy. Range will run up to 300 miles with the STL Small architecture up to 500 miles per charge with the STLA Large and STLA Frame platforms. Charging times are also expected to drop to as little as 10 minutes for an extra 200 miles range.
By 2026, meanwhile, the automaker hopes to begin shifting to an entirely new type of battery, solid-state technology expected to see substantially reductions in cost even while boosting range, cutting charging times and reducing the risk of battery fires.
Battery technology will prove critical in numerous ways, said Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer, not only delivering competitive range, power and charging, but also in bringing down the cost of electric vehicles. Right now, he acknowledged, Stellantis depends on governmental incentives to help it break even on the sale of its EVs. But the goal is to slash the cost of electric technology by more than a third, making it possible for Stellantis to achieve “double-digit” profit margins by the latter part of the decade.
While the automaker might have taken its time getting off the starting blocks, Tavares insisted it won’t be behind for long. “Stellantis is now in full execution mode,” he declared, “at full speed on its electrification journey.”
