Of course, Lotus could have presented its new electric sports car at the International Motor Show in Munich. But a boring car show was a bit too glamorous for the Chinese car manufacturer for its new showpiece. Ultimately, Lotus is expected to become a serious competitor to brands like Porsche, BMW, Audi and Aston Martin in the second half of the 2020s. The world premiere of the elegant four-door car takes place with an event lasting several days in a parking garage in downtown Manhattan. On four floors, visitors can take a journey through the extremely turbulent history of the once British car manufacturer Lotus. The unveiling of the Emeya on the roof of the New York parking garage is intended to attract enough attention when it debuts, because, similar to its powerful electric SUV Eletre, Lotus has no expertise or even a history in high-performance Gran Turismo vehicles.
“By combining our storied company history with intelligent performance and cutting-edge cutting-edge technology, we are setting new standards for how a luxury electric car should feel and look,” explains Feng Qingfeng, CEO of the Lotus Group, “making the Emeya exactly what what we strive for when developing our vehicles – for the drivers.” Not only electric motors on the front and rear axles and adaptive air suspension, but also active aerodynamics with an active front grill, as well as a special rear diffuser and rear spoiler should ensure special driving dynamics.
When it comes to the exact performance data, Lotus is still keeping a low profile on its new superstar, but the two electric motors are supposed to ensure an image sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of over 250 km/h. The drive’s performance data largely matches that of the Eletre R. The Lotus Emeya R, the top model, is said to have an electric drive with 675 kW / 905 HP and 985 Nm maximum torque. The maximum charging power of the Lotus Emeya is 350 kW, which can increase the range by up to 150 kilometers in five minutes. The flat battery pack in the underbody with its capacity of 102 kWh recharges to 80 percent within just under 20 minutes.
In addition to soft foams, the interior features a newly developed luxury yarn made from recycled fibers as well as aluminum, Alcantara and elegant nappa leather. The technical highlight is a 55-inch head-up display that projects all important information into the occupants’ field of vision. “The Emeya is a lotus the likes of which the world has never seen before. “We have built on everything Lotus has achieved to date to create a luxury performance vehicle that confidently thrills with pure emotion and joy and connects to the road,” explains Ben Payne, Vice President of Design, Lotus Group. The Lotus Eletre and the Emeya, which will be offered in the second half of next year, are not enough. Lotus wants to add more luxury models with electric drives in the next few years. This is made possible by fresh money from China, because in 2017 the Geely Group acquired 51 percent of Lotus, while the Malaysian Etika Automotive Group retained the remaining 49 percent.
