Lotus Evija gets faster as development slows
Lotus has been forced to delay deliveries of its Evija all-electric hypercar until 2021. Travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic have meant that the company hasn’t been able to subject the car to hot weather testing in Spain.
“We have lost five months of testing, mainly in continental Europe,” Lotus boss Phil Popham told Autocar.
The good news is that more time spent at the factory has led to aerodynamic enhancements and the discovery that the power pack delivers more grunt than originally envisioned. Lotus claimed the car would have 2000 hp but testing reveals 2027 electric horses have actually been unleashed from the 70-kW battery.
The $2 million Evija is a hugely complex car and weighs in at 3703 pounds, which is rather at odds with Colin Chapman’s “simplify, then add lightness” philosophy. Nonetheless its predicted performance is spectacular, with a 200 mph-plus top speed, and sub-three-second 0-62 mph time. The Evija should offer a 250-mile range and can be charged at up to 800 kW, which would take just 18 minutes.
Popham says the company is in “catch up mode” to deliver the first of 130 cars by mid 2021, but a winter spike in coronavirus cases could cause further delays.
