In 2018, the English manufacturer Lotus (now in the Chinese fold of Geely, parent company of Volvo, Polestar and Smart, among others) unveiled its strategic plan, the aim of which was to be total electrification in 2028. This week, at During a conference on quarterly results, the brand’s boss confirmed that this ambition was no longer on the agenda.
“The Lotus customer travels on average 30,000 km per year, so autonomy is a crucial subject. Furthermore, electric penetration in luxury segments is low, because these vehicles are already very powerful. The contribution of electricity to the driving experience is therefore not very marked. »
Extender
Does this mean that the Lotus will remain thermal and light, as the soul of the brand wants? This is not what Feng Qingfeng, the Chinese boss of Lotus, seems to indicate. The future relies instead on a 900V “super-hybrid” system, the central element of which is a thermal engine mainly serving as a range extender (1,100 km in total).
This engine could also directly drive the wheels in certain situations, notably on highways, “where the thermal solution is the most efficient”, says Qingfeng. In short, the good news for fans of the genre is that the Lotuses of the future could well retain a thermal engine. But this being in addition to an electric drive and batteries, it is better to no longer dream of featherweight sports cars.