Under the Vision80 transformation strategy, Lotus has doubled down on making sure its future is electric. In addition to partnering with several organizations to leverage their expertise in light weighting and motor sport, and improve knowledge on electrification, Lotus has announced four new platforms for its future lineup. Each one is dedicated to the type of vehicle the brand will produce. One thing is for sure, though, the upcoming Emira will be the last model with an internal combustion engine to use one of the new architectures. Everything after that will be battery-electric.
“Lotus Engineering has partnered with some of the best-known companies and created numerous iconic products,” said Uday Senapati, executive director for corporate strategy and product management at Lotus. “These projects are an excellent calling card for the skills, resources, and experience of our consultancy — bringing in new partnerships from all around the world, be they OEM, startups, or special commissions.”
The first of the four platforms will be the Hypercar platform that will underpin the Lotus Evija, which goes into production later this year. Following that will be the aluminum-intensive sports car architecture that focuses on cutting weight and flexibility. Two other platforms will come after these two. The electric sports car platform will be codeveloped with Alpine but will also be available to other manufacturers to use on their models. Finally, the Premium architecture will be for vehicles that Lotus describes as “lifestyle” models, which is another way of saying crossovers.
Although Lotus’s future strategy involves committing to electrification, the brand hasn’t forgotten its identity. Putting the driver at the heart of the experience will remain part of the Lotus ethos. Simplification, a key part of the manufacturer’s heritage, will be a key part of creating a unique driving and ownership experience. Extensive customizability will allow owners to personalize their vehicles to their liking. Cutting-edge tech will also be part of the equation as Lotus focuses on creating the latest user interfaces.
