Video: Lotus goes hyper with 1268kW Evija sport car
September 23, 2020 les stephenson
HETHEL, England – Lotus Cars has revealed details of its Evija all-electric hypercar in a video featuring an engineering development vehicle testing on its five-kilometre test track.
At the wheel was Gavan Kershaw, Lotus' director of vehicle attributes, who provides extensive commentary on key elements of the Evija project. At almost five minutes long and using on-board cameras to reveal views of the car, it shows the most detailed insight yet into the dynamics of what is claimed to be Britain's first all-electric hypercar.
The film was shown while the Evija took centre stage at a 2020 Salon Prive Concours d'Elegance – said to be the UK's most exclusive auto show – in the garden of Blenheim Palace, a World Heritage site in heart of England.
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Kershaw's commentary tells how, from the earliest discussions about goals for the Evija, its power and torque are sent through the car's five drive modes:
Range mode is limited to 750kW/800Nm, switching automatically according to demand from all-wheel to rear drive to maximise battery range through power management.
City mode provides greater power control and decreases the level of regenerative braking while urban driving.
Tour mode provides auto-switchable all- or rear-wheel drive while sending more than 1050kW through vectored torque, to the road.
Sport mode delivers 1268kW/1700Nm and invokes stability control to increase traction.
Track mode boosts power delivery to the maximum 1490kW and sends (at the driver's request) the highest level of torque-vectoring with the Evija's drag reduction system. The chassis setting is automatically switched to Track.
Also on the video are dynamic views of the battery pack located immediately behind the two seats, just like the classic mid-mounted engine layout of so many Lotus cars.
As Kershaw explains, this creates optimum weight distribution and makes the Evija exceptionally manoeuvrable as it races towards its top speed of more than 320km/h. The badge name, by the way, means "first in existence".
"As with all Lotus cars – past, present and future," Lotus told The Corner, "agile handling and exceptional steering are embedded in the brand's DNA and were among the top priorities in setting the performance characteristics of the Evija.
"Lotus cars are very nimble, inspire great confidence when being driven, and have also been built into the Evija."
'EXCITING NEW CHAPTER'
The Lotus Evija is said to be the start of "an exciting new chapter in the history of an iconic and much-loved British sport-car brand".
"With class-leading acceleration and an output of 1490kW – making it the most powerful series production road car yet built – it sets new standards in the global hypercar market.
"The achieved brief," Lotus adds, "to be the most powerful and dynamically accomplished road car in the history of the company, the Evija is a thrilling new high-water mark for Lotus driving performance.
"As well as signalling the beginning of a contemporary Lotus design language, the Evija is a bold statement of intent about the brand's ambition to be a truly global performance-car company."
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