Founded by the one and only Colin Chapman in 1948, Lotus found itself riddled with financial trouble by 1980. Many ownership changes later, the British automaker was purchased by Chinese multinational Geely in 2017.
Since then, Geely announced a joint venture with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance to develop a range of all-electric vehicles. Currently organized as Group Lotus plc, the Norfolk-based company from Hethel intends to spice things up with an electric crossover utility vehicle as well.
First previewed in September 2021 following the reveal of the internal combustion-engined Emira, the so-called Type 132 is the subject of the featured video teaser. In addition to a rather intricate lower grille, the all-electric utility vehicle is rocking active grille shutters that allow more cool air in high-temperature conditions. At high speeds, they close to improve the aerodynamic drag coefficient, resulting in slightly better driving range.
Based on the Premium vehicle platform that supports wheelbases up to 3,100 millimeters long, the Lotus Type 132 is equipped with 800-volt charging functionality just like the Porsche Taycan. Battery capacities will range between 90 and 120 kWh depending on application, which puts this SUV in the crosshairs of heavyweights such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS.
A dual-motor setup and supercar-rivaling horsepower are on the menu as well, although Lotus didn’t give any proper details in this regard. Given that Geely owns Volvo and Polestar and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance has tremendous EV know-how, the upcoming SUV surely won’t disappoint.
On the other hand, I can’t help but feel a little uneasy about the all-electric future of the brand that gave us the Seven, Elan, Esprit, Elise, and go-faster collabs that include the Carlton four-door sedan from the early 1990s. Be that as it may, Lotus didn’t have a choice as every automaker in the business pours billions over billions of dollars into BEV research and development.
The British automaker’s position is all the more precarious as the European Union gears up for the Euro 7 emission standard of 2025, an emission standard that’s been recently described as a de facto ban on ICE cars.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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