Lotus has taken another step towards producing a range of luxury performance electric vehicles with the unveiling of the Emeya, a four-door ‘hyper-GT’.
A number of spec levels will be available for the Emeya and Lotus released details for the top model. They are, not surprisingly, pretty spectacular, with a high-power dual motor set-up delivering 675kW and up to 985Nm, a 0-100km/h sprint time under 2.8 seconds, and a top speed of 250km/h. A two-speed transmission and that dual-motor configuration works in tandem with a race-grade braking system.
A 102kWh battery pack will, the company said, give the Emaya a range that is expected to be ‘broadly similar to that of the Eletre’, the company’s all-electric SUV that boasts a 112kWh battery pack and a 600km range (WLTP). Charging via a 350Kw DC fast charger will see 150km added in to the Emeya in around five minutes and boost range up to 80 per cent within 18 minutes.
Performance is at the heart of Lotus, and there is plenty going on here to make sure Emeya provides the experience a Lotus owner would expect. A host of active aerodynamic features – including an active front grille, an active air dam, active rear diffuser and active rear spoiler – all aid in reducing drag, increase efficiency, and enhance stability and handling. There’s an electronically controlled air suspension system capable of ‘feeling the road 1000 times a second’, to make for a more comfortable drive.
On the inside, the Emeya is all premium and includes the use of materials such as PVD Aluminium, Alcantara, Ultrafabrics PU and Nappa leather, as well as a new luxury thread that repurposes cotton scraps from the fashion and garment industries.
Technology here is bound to be top-notch too, with a suite of intelligent and advanced features to aid in a safer and assured drive. Lotus says that performance drivers can quickly access crucial external environment details using a 55-inch projected augmented reality (AR) head-up display (HUD). It combines real-time road information with navigation and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) data, displaying turn signals, obstacle warnings, lane departure, forward collision alerts and blind-spot monitoring.
Production for the Emeya is slated to begin in 2024 with more details, including pricing, to be announced at a later date.
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (October 2023)
24 October 2023
