We've all come to accept that all the brands we know will either start to make EVs exclusively at some point or join others such as Pontiac, Oldsmobile, or Plymouth in the big scrapyard in heaven.
Getting to grips with that idea, however, is way more with some carmakers than others. For example, we can all imagine a battery-powered Volkswagen Golf, a Ford Fusion, or just about any Toyota out there, and that's because they are all strictly functional cars. You buy them because you need a means of personal transportation.
Cares from other brands, on the other hand, are meant to do a lot more than simply get you from A to B. In fact, you may even buy some to get from A back to A in the most enjoyable manner. The drive itself is the purpose you get in the car, and not reaching a certain destination. "Weekend cars"? Sure, if you really need to put a label on everything, you can call them that but in reality, it's a little reductionist.
They're just cars that are fun to drive and may or may not offer any degree of practicality on top. Some brands have one, two, maybe three of them in their portfolio at any given time, while others seem to make them exclusively. Lotus definitely fell in that latter category. Add the fact the whole ethos of the company evolved around the idea of "lightness”, and you get a picture of why welcoming the news of the Norfolk-based carmaker switching to EVs can be a little hard to digest.
Too late to do anything about it, though, and it's not like Lotus actually had a chance anyway. To make matters worse, the first model in this new era for Lotus is reportedly going to be a crossover thingy codenamed Type 132, which isn't exactly going to fill with confidence those who fear too great of a departure from the company's golden days.
Whatever everyone thinks, it's happening, and Lotus has just released a new, extended teaser for the vehicle coming next spring. It's not the kind that will put any potential worries over the electric CUV at ease, but the best we can hope for at this point is that it will at least be a competitive offering on the EV market.
From what we've heard so far, it sounds like it might very well be, though there's this nagging feeling that it's going to cost a small fortune. They talk about a large battery and a dual-motor setup, so range and performance are a given, yet this clip reveals a few other interesting details.
Apart from what was already shown, the new longer clip suggests the EV will fall in line with the current industry trend and come with the sensors needed for autonomous driving. Like before, the video is pretty cryptic (it wouldn't be a teaser otherwise) but the LiDAR casing on top of the roof is obvious enough, albeit perhaps not featuring the best integration we've ever seen.
The teaser goes on to show an active rear wing, which is always a good sign for a vehicle with at least some claims for pertinent dynamic performance. They even venture inside a little and show us a large folding display sitting on top of a leather-trimmed minimalist dashboard. It's not entirely clear why the screen needs to be tucked away at any point, but it could have something to do with that LiDAR sensor we mentioned earlier. Or it could just be for the cool factor, in which case it definitely works.
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