Lotus Unleashes 1,972-HP Evija

Lotus unveils the Evija, a sleek electric-powered supercar it claims will be the world’s most powerful road car when it goes into limited production in 2020 at the company's main production site in Hethel, U.K.

A total output of 1,972 hp for the Evija is promised by Lotus, which came under the control of Chinese automaker Geely in 2017.

This would make it more powerful than the electric-powered Pininfarina Battista and Rimac C Two, both of which are claimed to develop up to 1,873 hp.

It also would make the Evija considerably more powerful than the Bugatti Chiron, whose quad-turbocharged 8.0L gasoline W-16 develops 1,479 hp.

Lotus says no more than 130 copies of the Evija are planned for production, each priced from £1.7 million ($2.1 million). Potential customers can reserve a production slot with a refundable deposit of £250,000 ($310,000).

“The Lotus Evija is a car like no other. It will re-establish our brand and pave the way for further visionary models,” Lotus CEO Phil Popham says.

The supercar, which goes under the internal codename Type 130, will use four electric motors with an overall 1,254 lb.-ft. (1,700 Nm) of torque. Power will be apportioned to each wheel via a networked all-wheel-drive system featuring torque vectoring. Curb weight is targeted to be no more than 3,704 lbs. (1,682 kg).

Along with its headlining power output, the electric-powered Evija reportedly will accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in less than three seconds and from 0-186 mph (300 km/h) in less than nine seconds. Top speed will exceed 200 mph (322 km/h), according to Lotus.

While still very much theoretical like its performance claims, Lotus says its first electric-powered model will feature a 70-kWh battery capable of providing a range of up to 250 miles (403 km) on the WLTP test cycle. It also will support 350-kW charging, allowing the battery to be fully charged within 18 minutes, the automaker says.

Plans also call for the Evija to be engineered to support 800-kW charging, which would reduce charging time to “less than nine minutes.”

The Evija, pronounced E-VY-ah and meaning “the first in existence” or “the living one,” is the first all-new Lotus model since 2008. It also is the first Lotus model to be developed under Geely ownership.

The electric supercar has been conceived to act as a halo product. It is planned to be followed by other all-new Lotus models, including an SUV to be built in China.

While Geely owns dedicated EV brands Polestar and Geometry, Lotus has commissioned Williams Advanced Engineering to help in the development of the Evija’s electric drivetrain. The U.K.-based engineering consultancy, a division of the Williams F1 race team, has significant experience in the field of electric propulsion, having designed the battery used in the first four seasons of the Formula E championship.

The Evija is based around a carbon-fiber monocoque structure, a first for a series-production Lotus road car. It is covered in a distinctively styled carbon-fiber body developed to generate maximum downforce.

Lotus Evija Centre Console

The battery pack is mounted at the rear of the cockpit in a position normally taken up by the combustion engine on conventional mid-engine supercars. Despite being the heaviest Lotus model yet, the automaker says the Evija will set a new standard for driving performance.

“It’s going to be an extremely quick car, generating a huge amount of downforce, which means it can be driven at high speeds. It’s going to be a stable car wherever it’s driven,” says Lotus design boss Russell Carr.

Inside, the Evija features a stripped-out two-seat cabin with lots of unpainted carbon fiber. Key functions are grouped on a center stack (above, left) which rises from between the two seats to meet the dashboard.