Tourbillon
Cornering Kingpin
A lightweight two-seater sports car, but this time electric, is just what you'd expect from the British brand, and it's currently under development!
PUBLISHED: APR 26, 2023
www.caranddriver.com
"The Lotus Emira has only just launched, but work is already advancing on the all-electric model that ultimately will replace it. Currently known only by the internal design code Type 135, the two-seat sports car will be clearly aimed at the bit of the market the British manufacturer is most associated with. Basically, it's an EV successor to the Elan and Elise.
Whereas Lotus plans to engineer its SUVs and sedan in Germany and produce them in China, the brand is developing the Type 135 in the U.K. and intends to produce the model at its longtime home in Hethel, initially alongside the Emira. The sports car will be the first model to use Lotus's new LEVA platform—that's Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture—that combines a bonded-aluminum structure with a so-called "chest battery" mounted behind the passenger compartment rather than under the floor. A cast-aluminum subframe behind it serves as the mounting point for the control-arm rear suspension and the motor.
Lotus insiders say the Type 135 will use a single axial-flux motor producing up to 470 horsepower and driving the rear wheels. Power will come courtesy of a 66.4-kWh battery pack. The LEVA platform will also support a brawnier twin-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration, but that's being reserved for a larger and more expensive model.
Simplified, with Added Lightness
The Type 135 version will be the lightest and simplest—two classic Lotus qualities. Although the mass of the battery pack means it will weigh more than its gasoline-powered predecessors, the Type 135 is still anticipated to come in at less than 3300 pounds. It will launch as a coupe in 2025, later followed by a roadster.
Renault subsidiary Alpine is also planning to use the LEVA platform as the basis for its next-generation electric sports car, one that the company hopes to sell in the States. Philippe Krief, Ferrari's recently departed R&D boss, will develop that version, so we can experience the same core package in two different guises.
As for the name, that could be hiding in plain sight, given the British brand's need to start every model with the letter E. Add that to LEVA and you get Eleva, which means "to raise" in several Romance languages."
Further~
www.caranddriver.com
Overview
Lotus’s upcoming electric sports car—internally dubbed the Type 135—is said to retain the company's two classic qualities: lightness and simplicity. Along with staying true to those roots, the two-seat EV will usher in a new era for Lotus, as it will be the first vehicle to utilize the new Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture (LEVA) platform. The electric coupe will be followed up by a roadster version, and they'll offer a 66.4-kWh battery pack with a single-motor rear-wheel-drive layout. We expect total output as high as 470 horsepower. The 2025 Lotus Type 135 aims to preserve the ethos of engaging driver’s cars like the Elise and Evora GT that Lotus is known for. Simply put, it's destined to be an electric version of the Lotus Emira, which it will eventually come to replace.
What's New for 2025?
Sources suggest the Type 135 will launch as a coupe in 2025 and later be joined by a roadster. Unlike the Eletre SUV and the upcoming EV sedan, which will both be engineered in Germany and produced in China, the Type 135 is being developed in the United Kingdom and will be built at the company’s factory in Hethel alongside the Emira. The 135 could even potentially dawn the Eleva moniker—which means “to raise” in certain languages—but the automaker has yet to confirm an official name.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
The Type 135's anticipated starting price is $80,000, which aligns with what we expect the upcoming Porsche 718 EV to cost. We’re not sure what trim levels will be offered, but there’s a chance they could mimic the same three-tier structure as Lotus’s other upcoming EV models. We’ll recommend our preferred model once we have more details.
EV Motor, Power, and Performance
The Type 135 will utilize Lotus’s new Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture platform, which is made up of bonded-aluminum and uses a cast-aluminum rear subframe. Unlike most EVs, the British sports car is expected to have its battery mounted behind the passenger compartment rather than under the floor. The 66.4-kWh pack will power the single axial-flux electric motor mounted on the rear axle. We expect a total output of 470 horsepower. Although that's not a revolutionary amount of power, it should be more than enough oomph for the anticipated 3300-pound curb weight."
www.autocar.co.uk
Pictures plus much more information^
Wow a baby Evija? Yes!
PUBLISHED: APR 26, 2023
Lotus Type 135 Is an EV Worth Waiting For
A lightweight two-seater sports car, but this time electric, is just what you'd expect from the British brand, and it's currently under development.
"The Lotus Emira has only just launched, but work is already advancing on the all-electric model that ultimately will replace it. Currently known only by the internal design code Type 135, the two-seat sports car will be clearly aimed at the bit of the market the British manufacturer is most associated with. Basically, it's an EV successor to the Elan and Elise.
Whereas Lotus plans to engineer its SUVs and sedan in Germany and produce them in China, the brand is developing the Type 135 in the U.K. and intends to produce the model at its longtime home in Hethel, initially alongside the Emira. The sports car will be the first model to use Lotus's new LEVA platform—that's Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture—that combines a bonded-aluminum structure with a so-called "chest battery" mounted behind the passenger compartment rather than under the floor. A cast-aluminum subframe behind it serves as the mounting point for the control-arm rear suspension and the motor.
Lotus insiders say the Type 135 will use a single axial-flux motor producing up to 470 horsepower and driving the rear wheels. Power will come courtesy of a 66.4-kWh battery pack. The LEVA platform will also support a brawnier twin-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration, but that's being reserved for a larger and more expensive model.
Simplified, with Added Lightness
The Type 135 version will be the lightest and simplest—two classic Lotus qualities. Although the mass of the battery pack means it will weigh more than its gasoline-powered predecessors, the Type 135 is still anticipated to come in at less than 3300 pounds. It will launch as a coupe in 2025, later followed by a roadster.
Renault subsidiary Alpine is also planning to use the LEVA platform as the basis for its next-generation electric sports car, one that the company hopes to sell in the States. Philippe Krief, Ferrari's recently departed R&D boss, will develop that version, so we can experience the same core package in two different guises.
As for the name, that could be hiding in plain sight, given the British brand's need to start every model with the letter E. Add that to LEVA and you get Eleva, which means "to raise" in several Romance languages."
Further~
2025 Lotus Type 135: What We Know So Far
The 2025 Lotus Type 135 is an upcoming electric sports car that will usher in the British brand’s next generation of performance.
Lotus’s upcoming electric sports car—internally dubbed the Type 135—is said to retain the company's two classic qualities: lightness and simplicity. Along with staying true to those roots, the two-seat EV will usher in a new era for Lotus, as it will be the first vehicle to utilize the new Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture (LEVA) platform. The electric coupe will be followed up by a roadster version, and they'll offer a 66.4-kWh battery pack with a single-motor rear-wheel-drive layout. We expect total output as high as 470 horsepower. The 2025 Lotus Type 135 aims to preserve the ethos of engaging driver’s cars like the Elise and Evora GT that Lotus is known for. Simply put, it's destined to be an electric version of the Lotus Emira, which it will eventually come to replace.
What's New for 2025?
Sources suggest the Type 135 will launch as a coupe in 2025 and later be joined by a roadster. Unlike the Eletre SUV and the upcoming EV sedan, which will both be engineered in Germany and produced in China, the Type 135 is being developed in the United Kingdom and will be built at the company’s factory in Hethel alongside the Emira. The 135 could even potentially dawn the Eleva moniker—which means “to raise” in certain languages—but the automaker has yet to confirm an official name.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
The Type 135's anticipated starting price is $80,000, which aligns with what we expect the upcoming Porsche 718 EV to cost. We’re not sure what trim levels will be offered, but there’s a chance they could mimic the same three-tier structure as Lotus’s other upcoming EV models. We’ll recommend our preferred model once we have more details.
EV Motor, Power, and Performance
The Type 135 will utilize Lotus’s new Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture platform, which is made up of bonded-aluminum and uses a cast-aluminum rear subframe. Unlike most EVs, the British sports car is expected to have its battery mounted behind the passenger compartment rather than under the floor. The 66.4-kWh pack will power the single axial-flux electric motor mounted on the rear axle. We expect a total output of 470 horsepower. Although that's not a revolutionary amount of power, it should be more than enough oomph for the anticipated 3300-pound curb weight."
Lotus Elise successor to arrive in 2027 at £75,000 | Autocar
Electric sports car – which will also replace the Emira – to have mid-engined-style platform
Pictures plus much more information^
Wow a baby Evija? Yes!
