Lotus Evija Prototype

Lotus Evija Prototype (Type 130) is the first all-electric prototype of the Lotus brand hypercar and the first completely new car released under the wing of Geely, which has owned the brand since 2017. The name Evija (pronounced "E-vi-ya") means "first to exist" or "living."

Planned production of the Lotus Evija is limited to 130 cars – in homage to the Lotus "Type 130" number. The cost of each copy is estimated at 1.88 million euros (excluding duties and taxes), with a deposit of about 280 000 euros.

Development

The Lotus Evija was developed in collaboration with Formula E battery manufacturer Williams Advanced Engineers (WAE), which won the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2018 for translating its EV expertise from the race track to road cars. The motors and inverters were supplied by Integral Powertrain Ltd.

Facts

The prototype was included in vehicle listings in the following computer games: Asphalt 9 Legends, Asphalt 8 Airborne, Project CARS 3, Forza Horizon 5 and Real Racing 3.

Engine

The prototype used lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 70 kWh and a weight of 680 kg, liquid-cooled with four radiators, as a power source. A full battery charge takes 12 minutes to 80% and 18 minutes to 100% from a conventional 350 kW station or 9 minutes from an 800 kW station, which were not yet commercially available. The vehicle's cruising range was 345 km in the WLTP combined cycle.

Electricity is supplied from the battery pack to four independently controlled high-output electric motors, which feature integrated silicon carbide inverters and a planetary transmission on each axle of the all-wheel drive drivetrain. Four compact, lightweight and highly efficient single-speed helical planetary gearboxes transmit power to each drive shaft. With a depth of just 100mm, each gearbox comes complete with an electronic motor and inverter as a single Electrical Drive Unit (EDU). With a power of 500 hp. to the electric motor. In total, the power plant produces 2000 hp. and 1,700 Nm of torque, making the prototype the most powerful production road car in the world at that time.

Torque vectoring provided by four electric motors ensures exceptional dynamics and agility on the road. This fully automatic, self-regulating system can instantly distribute power to any combination of two, three or four wheels in a fraction of a second. In Track mode, the ability to increase power to individual wheels allows you to tighten the radius of turns, potentially reducing lap times. The prototype is also equipped with an ESP stabilization system.

Dynamics

Light weight and a powerful power plant provide the prototype with excellent dynamic characteristics: acceleration to 100 kph takes 3 seconds, and a top speed exceeds 320 kph.

Chassis

The chassis design includes a double wishbone racing suspension with pushrods, AP Racing carbon ceramic disc brakes and magnesium wheels with 20- and 21-inch Pirelli Trofeo R tires at the front and rear respectively.

The battery is mounted centrally behind the passenger compartment and its cover is visible through the rear window. This arrangement provides significant benefits in terms of styling, aerodynamics, weight distribution, passenger comfort and dynamic handling. It also allows for quick and convenient maintenance and repair. In addition, the structure has been designed so that other battery packs can be easily installed in the future.

The car is built on a one-piece carbon monocoque chassis supplied by CPC of Modena, a world leader in composite technology. Made from multiple carbon layers, the manufacturing process is identical to that of Formula 1. The monocoque weighs just 129 kg, while the car in its lightest specification weighs 1680 kg.

Exterior

The two-seater carbon fiber body of the Lotus Evija was designed under the guidance of Lotus Cars design director Russell Carr, who said: “We looked at how Le Mans racing cars creatively use airflow to move over, under, around and through the car. This ‘porosity’ concept is key to the Evija and has allowed us to create a timeless design with exceptional downforce.”

The car features a beautiful and very streamlined design with electrically operated dihedral doors, which were first used on a Lotus car.

Passive aerodynamics come in the form of no exterior mirrors and impressive Venturi tunnels that run along the sides of the rear of the car to properly direct airflow. They are framed with red LED strips. Venturi tunnels provide an effect named after the Italian physicist Giovanni Venturi: air flows through the narrowed part of the pipe - and at the exit a vacuum zone with reduced pressure is formed.

Active aerodynamics come in the form of a rear spoiler that rises from its original position flush with the top of the body, as well as an F1-style drag reduction system (DRS). Both deploy automatically in motion tracking mode, but can be activated manually if necessary.

The Lotus Evija is the first production road car in the world to feature laser headlights for both high and low beam. Lighting modules from OSRAM Continental are very compact and provide excellent visibility. Inside the lenses, unique “wing-like” elements form the daytime running lights and turn indicators.

The absence of traditional exterior mirrors plays an important role in reducing drag. Side cameras built into the front fenders are servo-operated when unlocked, while a third camera, providing central visibility, is built into the roof. Images are displayed on three internal screens.

Interior

Inside, the minimalist layout of the main control panel includes a digital display that sits just behind the steering wheel and displays all the important information (mode, battery charge, remaining range, etc.), and a center console that cascades down the center of the cabin, covered in touch-sensitive buttons. arranged in the form of a honeycomb. The switch on the overhead console is used to close the doors.

The seats, which feature hand-trimmed Alcantara sports pads, are made from carbon fiber and feature manual fore-aft and electrically adjustable backrests. The steering column is manually adjustable for both tilt and reach. Three-point seat belts are standard, and four-point seat belts are an option.

The steering wheel is trimmed in carbon fiber and Alcantara, decorated with tactile buttons and dials for indicators, telephone, multimedia, headlights and driving modes. A red selector, like the Manettino switch on a Ferrari, allows the driver to select from Eco, City, Tour, Sport and Track, changing the car's settings.

Climate control and a premium multimedia system are standard. The multimedia system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and is equipped with a modem for connecting to the Internet. Thus, the owner is able to control his car from anywhere, checking information such as battery status and range, and also allows remote control of the air conditioning.

Like any luxury car, the Evija can be personalized in a variety of ways. One of the most interesting options is the ability to replace the standard Union Flag badge on the C-pillar with a different flag, family crest or personal logo.

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