Although there's still a long way to go until production will start, Lotus and Fagor Ederlan have already completed a joint technical and market study, at the end of which the two sides said the range extender is worth manufacturing.
The engine, to be used in "a series of hybrid vehicles", is a 3-cylinder 1.2l unit, with an aluminum monoblock construction. The aluminum monoblock construction houses the cylinder block, cylinder head and exhaust manifold in one casting – a solution chosen to reduce cost and mass (the engine weighs only 85 kg). The unit can run on alcohol-based fuels and/or gasoline.
The range extender provides 35 kW (48 PS/47 hp) of power at 3,500 rpm via an integrated electrical generator, which converts mechanical energy to electrical energy and then sends it to the battery pack. The same electrical generator acts as a starter for the engine.
The generator is attached to the engine via the crankshaft and sustains vehicle operation beyond the range provided by the batteries.
The system has been already been deployed on the Evora 414E Hybrid, Lotus' first take at this segment of the industry. Also at the Geneva Auto Show, the Range Extender has been featured on the Proton Emas concepts. It can expect to see it again this fall, at the Paris Auto Show, where Lotus will present "v" as it says in a statement.
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