Maintaining That Lotus Feel
The Evija may be a completely different animal than the rest of the brand’s lineup, but it still has that “unmistakable Lotus feel”.
James Hazelhurst, who is a lead engineer in Lotus, describes that quick establishment of a connection between the driver and the car that comes with every Lotus and how the Evija has managed to retain that.
For the most part, Lotus has made minimalistic sports cars with a focus on the chassis and lightweight. Despite the Evija featuring substantial F1 technology the likes of which no other road-going Lotus has ever had, the connection between driver and machine, which is the brand’s main selling point, is undeniably there.
To recap, the Evija has four electric motor – one for each wheel – with a combined output of 1,972 horsepower (1,471 kilowatts) at 1,254 pound-feet (1,70 Nm). According to Louis Kerr – principal platform engineer for the Evija – he is certain that the production car’s torque figure will be higher than the current one. At this point, we know that the 0 to 186 mph (300 km/h) sprint will be dealt with in under 9.0 seconds and the top speed will be well over 200 mph (322 km/h).
As with other hyper EVs, there are a couple of drive modes. In the Evija, those are Range, City, Tour, Sport, and Track. The first two give you only 1,000 horsepower, with the latter also adjusting the level of regenerative braking for a smoother driving experience. Tour mode gives you 1,400 horsepower and enables torque vectoring, while Sport mode gives you 1,700 horsepower. For the full 2,000 horsepower, you have to go in Track mode.
| Powertrain | Four electric motors |
|---|---|
| Battery | 70 kWh battery pack |
| Horsepower | 1,972 horsepower |
| Torque | 1,254 pound-feet of torque |
| Transmission | Four single-shift gearboxes |
| Weight | 3,703 pounds |
| Power-to-Weight Ratio | 1,174 horsepower – ton (estimate) |
| 0 to 60 MPH | Less than three seconds |
| Top Speed | Over 200 mph |
| Electric range | 250 miles (estimate) |
| Price | $2.07 million |
Attribute director Gavin Kershaw explains how the Evija’s advanced technology makes it equally composed both in high-speed cornering and more technical sections while giving you all the pros of electric propulsion without any of the cons (except the noise). The chief platform engineer also adds that the Evija is already the quickest car around the Hethel track – a location here many iconic drivers and cars have set record times over the years. Moreover, the Evija is already quicker than expected, so it will be interesting to see how much more performance they can extract out of the platform.
Kershaw adds that
“It has Formula One acceleration, but in a closed cockpit, so it’s like a Group C racer, but with an instant delivery of all the power, all the torque, and the very latest toolbox of electric aids.”
The car is further described as physics-defying, but the most important thing is that, despite all the tech and performance, it still holds true to the original Lotus philosophy. Now, we just have to wait and see how much of it, the Evija will embody.