If 2024 will be known for one thing in automotive history, it’s backtracking. Yet another automaker has walked back on plans of going all-electric, and it’s one that’s gone hard in the EV paint when it comes to product planning. As part of a third-quarter investor relations document, Lotus outlined a new hybrid system promising more than 683 miles of combined range and a 900-volt high-voltage architecture. Dubbed “Hyper Hybrid,” it’s a firm pivot away from an all-BEV future, and it’s easy to see why this shift in direction may have happened.
Here’s a little background: Shortly after Geely acquired the famed British sports car brand, Lotus had a vision of the Emira being the last ever combustion-powered model from the marque, quickly following it up with the Evija electric hypercar, the Eletre electric SUV, and the Emeya electric sedan. However, despite these grand plans, a number of things haven’t gone to plan. Some of it seems due to regulatory pressures, and some of seems due to rich people just not wanting EVs. Let’s dig into it.
Firstly, there are the tariffs. As it stands, the Eletre and Emeya are both made in China, and if you’ve been following the headlines over the past few months, Chinese EVs aren’t looked upon fondly by Western governments. America has a 100 percent tariff on Chinese EVs, Canada matched that, and even in Europe, since Lotus is under Geely, the Eletre and Emeya are subject to an 18.8 percent tariff on top of existing duties.
As such, the U.S. market price of the Eletre SUV has soared from an anticipated $107,000 starting price and $145,000 for the top R trim to $229,000. When an electric G-Class is priced at $162,500, the Eletre is a hard sell. Considering how critical the U.S. market is as a playing field for upscale SUVs, that sort of delta puts Lotus on the back foot, so a pivot of some sort certainly seems necessary on that front. Since the upscale EV market is rather saturated, there’s definitely some white space to get a plug-in hybrid in there, and that could boost consumer appeal.
Then there’s the fact that ultra-high-end EVs have been a bit of a hard sell. Back in May, Autocar reported that Mate Rimac of Bugatti Rimac saw dwindling demand for electric hypercars. The astonishing Rimac Nevera hadn’t sold out its 150-car limited-production run, with Autocar reporting:
Rimac said he doesn’t see demand returning for electric hypercars because, while in the mainstream car segments there will be little prevailing loyalty for individual brands and powertrain technologies, the high-end car segments demand a high level of differentiation and “analogue” appeal.
This doesn’t play so well for the seven-figure Lotus Evija electric hypercar, as what was meant to be a halo product for the brand certainly seems overshadowed by the Emira, a low-six-figure combustion-powered sports car that seems simply fantastic. Mercedes drove it in Los Angeles earlier this year and it opened up a whole new world.
The fact of the matter is not everyone wants to drive a battery-electric vehicle or is even able to charge one at home. At the same time, diehards still want sports cars the old-fashioned way — stick-shift, lightweight, and with a rousing internal combustion crescendo. You aren’t going to force the latter group into BEVs anytime soon, and the missing middle of hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and extended-range electric vehicles needs to be filled. The truth is, we’ll be seeing many different powertrain choices for many different applications for years to come. Lotus isn’t the first to pivot towards a broader portfolio and it won’t be the last.
(Photo credits: Lotus)
Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.
-
I Drove A Lotus For The First Time And It Changed Driving For Me Forever
-
The 986-Horsepower Lotus Theory 1 Is Trying To Prove Lotus Hasn’t Sold Its Soul
-
The 905 Horsepower Lotus Eletre R Weighs The Same As Three Lotus Elises But It Definitely Doesn’t Suck
-
‘World’s Worst Cars’ Book Redemption: Lotus Elite
-
10 Things That Would Go Through My Mind If I Immediately Stuffed A $2.3 Million Lotus Into A Wall At Goodwood
Got a hot tip? Send it to us here. Or check out the stories on our homepage.
“The missing middle.” Thank you for that! That’s where I live, or try to live, but it’s a shrinking, wave-washed island in the seas of modern life. See also: income distribution, housing styles and cost, partisan politics.
Electrifying public transportation would do a ton by itself, but I’m not holding my breath
The Lotus Eletre is a fat inefficient dud and proved that Lotus/Geely is not a player in the luxury SUV EV game. The Emira has been well-received and is true to the Lotus heritage but as the last car made in Hethel it is the end of an era.
Lotus does not have the technology or brand equity to compete with Porsche / Mercedes / BMW / Lexus on luxury features. They must lean into their heritage of innovation and efficiency which plays well with EVs and PHEVs. A light phev hybrid sports car or SUV might be their only chance at survival.
A light, streamlined, inexpensive, pure BEV, a sort of modern take on a Lotus 11, is something they could do today. You don’t need any more than a 40 kWh battery to get 250 miles highway range in an aerodynamically slippery Elise-sized package. Roll-up windows, no heated/massage/AC seats, no infotainment, no power steering, none of this bells and whistles bullshit. Make a proper minimalist sports car. They could have an all-electric coupe weighing under 2,500 lbs, and with a 400+ horsepower drive system, its performance would be properly nutty to compete with 7-figure hypercars. Depending on production volume, MSRP could range from as high as a Corvette C8 on down to that of a Miata, as the materials cost wouldn’t be much, but in any event it would out perform both in a straight line and probably in the corners.
THAT is the niche Lotus can and should fulfill.
Totally agree, and Lotus is one of a small handful of companies that already have an audience looking for those qualities over luxury and max range.
Ford could easily do what you said and call it the DC Cobra or something, but people would complain that it doesn’t have enough range/screens/leather. The bronco is proof of this; it could have been bare-bones and $5k cheaper but they knew the premium versions would sell out instantly.
Now that I typed it out I’m actually mad that Ford hasn’t even done a concept car for a minimalist EV deathtrap Cobra.
Imagine a modern all-electric take on the Ford Reflex concept car. Make it a Ford GT-sized streamliner coupe to get acceptable range on a battery small enough to keep the weight down.
BEVs will come when it just doesn’t make sense to have the complexity of the engine. Engine’s will get smaller and smaller as the batteries they power become more and more effcient.
The drivetrain of today is PHEV or EREV as that is the best use of dividing up available battery supplies to reduce emissions.
I feel like I’ve been saying this for years. EVs aren’t the future, they’re a part of the future. They’re neat but especially in the high end people are looking for experiences and not just all out speed. When a Plaid does 0-60 in like 2 seconds, what even is the point of trying to get a car that matches that? But while a Plaid can go in a straight line super fast, it doesn’t have the same level of engagement as something like a 296 or Chiron.
Mate Rimac is a genius and I’m glad he’s heading Bugatti now, but even he had to backtrack and if that isn’t sign enough then I don’t know what is.
EVs absolutely are the future, but they’re not the near-term future.
After another 20 to 30 years of battery development, nobody other than fringe enthusiasts will even care when the combustion engine is gone.
I imagine once EVs have become mainstream people will look at today’s ICE cars the way most folks look at stinky, inefficient, maintainence intensive and leaky pre-emissions cars.
Although TBF at least many of those stinkers came in actual colors inside and out.
Personally, I’m just not motivated towards pleasures that last only two seconds.
/stops licking 9v battery and looks up/
What?