Lotus is making big strides in the world of electric vehicles, with work already underway on an all-electric model that will replace the recently launched Emira. This new two-seater sports car, currently known as Type 135, will be aimed squarely at the sector Lotus is most renowned for, and will succeed the Elan and Elise. Unlike Lotus’ planned SUVs and sedans, which will be engineered in Germany and manufactured in China, Type 135 is being developed in the UK, and Lotus intends to produce the new model at its traditional home in Hethel, initially alongside the Emira.
The Type 135 will be the first model to use Lotus’ new LEVA platform, or Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture. This unique platform combines a bonded-aluminum structure with a “chest battery mounted behind the passenger compartment, rather than underneath the floor. A cast-aluminum subframe behind it serves as the mounting point for both the control-arm rear suspension and the motor.
Lotus insiders reveal that the Type 135 will utilize a single axial-flux motor that produces up to 470 horsepower, driving the rear wheels. The vehicle’s power will be supplied by a 66.4-kWh battery pack. While the LEVA platform will support a brawnier twin-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration, it will only be used for a larger and more expensive model.
Despite the mass of the all-important battery pack, the Type 135 will remain true to its heritage by being lightweight and simplified. Anticipated to weigh less than 3300 pounds at launch, the Type 135 comes equipped with two timeless Lotus qualities. It will be launched first as a coupe in 2025, with a roadster expected to follow at a later date.
Renault’s Alpine brand is also set to use the LEVA platform as the basis for their next-generation electric sports car. This vehicle will be aimed at the North American market, with Philippe Krief, Ferrari’s former R&D boss, set to develop it. Therefore, we get the same core package in two different guises, revealing the flexibility and potential of this electric vehicle platform.
As for the name of Lotus’ new electric sports car, it may already be hiding in plain sight. As Lotus traditionally starts the name of each of their models with the letter E, and doesn’t intend to break this convention any time soon, it is possible the name of the Type 135 will be “Eleva,” which means “to raise in many Romantic languages.
In conclusion, Lotus continues to innovate in the electric vehicle market with the Type 135 sports car. The lightweight, simplified vehicle will be the first to use Lotus’ new LEVA platform, which will also be used by Renault’s Alpine brand. Although the vehicle’s name is still under wraps, Lotus tradition dictates that it will begin with the letter E. Production is set to begin in 2025 in the UK, ensuring Lotus’ position as a leading manufacturer of sports cars is maintained in the electric age.
