- Lotus is growing a sequence plug-in hybrid powertrain known as the Hyper Hybrid EV
- Lotus cited evolving market calls for for abandoning the earlier electric-only stance
- Lotus delivered 7,600 autos within the first 9 months of 2024, up 136% versus the identical interval a 12 months in the past
The Lotus Emira sports activities automobile will not be the model’s final automobile with a fuel engine in spite of everything.
The automaker used final week’s 2024 Guangzhou auto present in China to announce new plug-in hybrid expertise known as the Hyper Hybrid EV powertrain.
Lotus Eletre
The powertrain remains to be being developed, however Lotus mentioned autos geared up with will probably be capable of cowl a distance of 684 miles utilizing a mixture of gasoline and electrical energy saved in a battery. Lotus additionally mentioned the electrical facet of the powertrain will use 900-volt expertise, which can allow fast cost occasions when utilizing a DC fast-charger.
The fuel engine shall be used as a generator to cost a battery, which in flip will energy the electrical motors, a setup generally known as a sequence hybrid, and one thing Lotus calls Extremely-Quick On-The-Drive Charging. Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng throughout an investor name on Thursday mentioned the fuel engine will be capable to cost the battery quicker than the electrical energy is utilized in common driving.
Feng Qingfeng
Lotus did not say when and in what autos the Hyper Hybrid EV powertrain shall be launched. The automaker additionally did not say what fuel engine it’ll use, however one of many hybrid-optimized engines from dad or mum firm Geely’s new Horse Powertrain engine provider is probably going.
Lotus initially deliberate for its Emira to be its closing automobile with a fuel engine, however like different automakers, together with fellow Geely-owned model Volvo, Lotus is discovering that development in demand for EVs is quite a bit slower than anticipated. Lotus mentioned the launch of a hybrid powertrain will assist it sustain with evolving market calls for.
Lotus Emira
A hybrid powertrain can even allow Lotus to keep away from tariffs geared toward its Chinese language-built EVs. For instance, the European Union’s tariff guidelines exempt plug-in hybrid autos.
Along with the Emira, Lotus provides the Evija, Eletre, and Emeya EVs. Its gross sales have been steadily rising over the course of the 12 months, with deliveries for the primary 9 months of 2024 coming in at greater than 7,600 items, up 136% versus the identical interval a 12 months in the past. The majority of the gross sales had been Emiras, representing roughly 47% of the overall. Revenues additionally doubled to $653 million over the interval, although Lotus nonetheless reported an working lack of $598 million, up 18% from a 12 months in the past.
