Forget Hybrid We're Going Straight To Electric
MOTOR Magazine Australia|May 2021
LOTUS IS GOING ALL-IN on pure electric cars, as part of a $180m-plus investment in its Hethel headquarters and engineering capabilities. In his first interview, Lotus Cars managing director Matt Windle reveals how future sports cars will be pure electric, that Chinese-built ‘lifestyle vehicles’ will also be zero-emission and how Lotus is developing its own architectures, rather than modifying Geely platforms.
Phil Mcnamara
Forget Hybrid We're Going Straight To Electric

Windle has been managing director since January 2021, though he began his second stint at Lotus in 2017 – the same year Lotus came under the majority ownership of China’s answer to the Volkswagen Group, Geely Holdings, and Malaysian car group Etika Automotive (which holds the other 49 per cent). The new owners have pumped more than $180m into Lotus, including the construction of a new assembly hall at Hethel.

Soon Windle was in charge of all UK product development and intrinsically involved in writing Lotus’s 10-year business plan out to 2028, the company’s eightieth year.

“When we wrote our product strategy, which was the start of the Vision80 plan, we just had to write EV into that,” explains the 49-year-old boss. “With the legislation that’s come along, with the market data showing volumes are just going to grow and grow: the move towards electrification, it’s the right thing to do.”

Lotus has already shown the first car of the Vision80 plan, the Evija, a carbon-fibre monocoque EV hypercar. Its four motors are claimed to produce a combined 1470kW, which would make it the most powerful road car in history. The price tag? $3.6m a pop.

While the Evija is limited to 130 units (as befits its 130 type number), the next car – currently referred to as Type 131 – will be the first series-production model of the new era. Does Type 131 run a downsized engine with hybrid electric assistance?

“We’re not doing any hybrid drivetrains, because we’re going straight to electric,” states Windle. “Type 131 is basically the bridge to the new era of Lotus cars: it’s our last internal-combustion-engine car.”

Esta historia es de la edición May 2021 de MOTOR Magazine Australia.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición May 2021 de MOTOR Magazine Australia.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE MOTOR MAGAZINE AUSTRALIAVer todo
Ged Bulmer
MOTOR Magazine Australia

Ged Bulmer

THE ACCOMPANYING YARN WAS A RIB TICKLER, BUT THE SUITS AT PORSCHE DIDN'T SEE IT THAT WAY

time-read
5 minutos  |
July 2022
Dylan Campbell
MOTOR Magazine Australia

Dylan Campbell

WE WERE LIVING THE DREAM. WE ALL WANTED TO WORK FOR MOTOR AS TEENAGERS

time-read
5 minutos  |
July 2022
HONDA NSX
MOTOR Magazine Australia

HONDA NSX

Honda's alloy missile - a friendly firecracker

time-read
8 minutos  |
July 2022
TESLA MODEL S
MOTOR Magazine Australia

TESLA MODEL S

Looking back on the automobile's iPhone moment | TESLA AIMS TO ELEVATE THE ELECTRIC CAR FROM INTRIGUING CURIOUSITY TO A VIABLE MEANS OF EVERYDAY TRANSPORT

time-read
5 minutos  |
July 2022
PORSCHE 959
MOTOR Magazine Australia

PORSCHE 959

Weissach rethinks the supercar

time-read
6 minutos  |
July 2022
PCOTY LEGENDS - 1996-2022
MOTOR Magazine Australia

PCOTY LEGENDS - 1996-2022

HOW THE ANNUAL QUEST FOR AUSTRALIA'S BEST PERFORMANCE CARS HAS DELIVERED A ROLL CALL OF EXCELLENCE

time-read
10+ minutos  |
July 2022
THE UNDEFEATED
MOTOR Magazine Australia

THE UNDEFEATED

HONDA'S FK8 CIVIC TYPE R IS OUR LINEAL CHAMP, WINNING EVERY MOTOR COMPARISON AS WELL AS BOTH PERFORMANCE CAR OF THE YEAR AND BANG FOR YOUR BUCKS. WE PAY OUR RESPECTS WITH A FINAL DRIVE IN THE END-OF-THE-LINE LE SPECIAL

time-read
6 minutos  |
July 2022
THESE ARE OUR PEOPLE
MOTOR Magazine Australia

THESE ARE OUR PEOPLE

IN A CULTURE OVERFLOWING WITH POSERS AND TRY-HARDS, WE FIND A HAVEN FOR THOSE THAT LOVE DRIVING ABOVE ALL ELSE

time-read
8 minutos  |
June 2022
OPEN WIDE, SAY R
MOTOR Magazine Australia

OPEN WIDE, SAY R

VOLKSWAGEN'S GOLF R LANDS IN AUSTRALIA AND IT ALREADY HAS THE SWAGGER OF A GIANTKILLER ABOUT IT. WE LINE UP SOME ASYMMETRIC ALTERNATIVES TO SEE IF THE GOLF HAS THEIR RESPECTIVE TALENTS COVERED

time-read
10+ minutos  |
June 2022
SING FOR YOUR DINNER
MOTOR Magazine Australia

SING FOR YOUR DINNER

As the motoring world undergoes seismic shifts in focus, Rob Dickinson's vision for Singer remains clear

time-read
3 minutos  |
June 2022