The covers have finally come off the new Lotus Emeya electric saloon, the Hethel-based brand’s second electric car that will arrive in 2024 as a “four-door hyper-GT”, and is primed to take on the Porsche Taycan, Tesla Model S and inbound Polestar 5.
Lotus, now owned by Chinese car giant Geely, is undergoing its most radical transformation to date as it repositions itself as an all-electric sports car brand.
This shift was kick-started last year by the launch of the brand’s first electric car and first SUV, the Eletre, which forms part of Lotus’s new ‘lifestyle’ electric cars that will be manufactured in Wuhan, China. The British marque is set to expand its electric range further in the coming years, with a Porsche Macn rivalling compact SUV and an electric successor to the Lotus Elise in 2026. The Emeya sits on the firm’s new Electric Premium Architecture, which can be adapted to suit any segment of vehicle, as well as different battery sizes, electric motors and intelligent driving systems.
And the Emeya packs a serious punch too, on paper: power is sent to all four wheels thanks to a dual-motor setup, with the electric saloon developing 905bhp and 726lbf of torque.
Such performance allows for a 0-62mph dash in as little as 2.8sec, matching the time of the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. Sitting in the floor of the Emeya is a 105kWh which delivers an as-yet undisclosed range figure, although Lotus says it will be similar to that of the Eletre, which can travel up to a 373 miles in entry and mid-level specification, while the hot ‘R” model does up ot 304 miles.Sitting in the floor of the Emeya is a 105kWh which delivers an as-yet undisclosed range figure, although Lotus says it will be similar to that of the Eletre, which can travel up to a 373 miles in entry and mid-level specification, while the hot ‘R” model does up ot 304 miles.
Charging speeds are up to 350kW, which means the Emeya’s large battery can be replenished from 10-80% in around 15 minutes when using the very fastest chargers.
In fact, Lotus claims you can add as much as 93 miles in as little as five minutes. Lotus has also equipped the Emeya with a number of active aerodynamic systems, which include the grille, front spoiler and rear spoiler. At speed, the rear spoiler extends to create more downforce, in turn helping the Emeya stick to the road.The hyper GT also gets an intelligent active suspension system which scans the road ahead up to 1000 times per second and adjusts the dampers depending on the harshness of the road surface.
Inside, the tech-heavy Emeya gets a suite of new innovations, headlined by a 55in head-up display which projects important information – such as directions and driver-assistance warnings – onto the windscreen.
There is a large central screen in the middle of the dashboard which is 5G compatible, while a pair of smaller digital screens sit either side, one acting as a digital instrument cluster and the other a passenger display.
A number of physical buttons have been added to the centre console and steering wheel, but Lotus says most of the systems are controllable through the touchscreen and via a voice assistant. The Emeya’s carbon-backed seats and flat-bottomed steering wheel capture the cars sporty nature, while individual rear sears, digital mirrors and high-quality materials are implemented to showcase Lotus’s ambitions of becoming a luxury performance brand.
The Emeya will enter production next year at the brand’s factory in Wuhan. China. Trim levels and specifications are set to follow that of the Eletre, with lesser powered entry-level cars costing around £100,000 and a hot ‘R’ model – with 905bhp – costing around £130,000.
