The new Lotus Evija is finally here, but before I explain anything about the car there’s one thing I need to clear up. It’s pronounced ‘E-vai-ya’. Got it? Cool. Now we don’t have to worry about people being jerks if you pronounce it incorrectly.
Time to dig into the good stuff. Right away, I’m going to say it: this is the world’s most powerful series-production car (in case you didn’t read the title). So what gives the Evija such a title? Electric power is derived from a 2,000kW lithium-ion battery and sent to four motors, one for each wheel. Yes, it’s all-wheel drive. So how much power is being sent to the wheels? 1973 horsepower and 1254 lb-ft of torque. No, that’s not a typo.
Lotus notes that the Evija can run 0 to 62 mph in under three seconds and hit a top speed of over 200 mph. Helping out with that quick acceleration is the target weight of just 3,704 lbs. That weight actually makes it the lightest pure-electric series production hypercar ever.
Being an all-electric hypercar, range is going to come into play. Lotus notes that the Evija will have a range of 250 miles. Sure, that isn’t the largest number you’ve seen on an electric car, but it’s definitely noteworthy for a car packing so much power. When the Evija does need to be charged, the process is just as quick as the car itself. If you have a 350kW unit available, the Evija can hit an 80% charge in 12 minutes and 100% in 18 minutes. Lotus also says that the Evija has the ability to accept an 80kW charge, which will only take 9 minutes to get to 100%.
As for the design of the car itself, it’s truly a masterpiece. “The shape is inspired by the company’s prototype racing cars of the late Fifties and early Sixties,” says Russell Carr, Design Director, Lotus Cars. Dihedral doors open up and present a futuristic cabin. Carbon fiber shell seats with thick Alcantara pads are what the driver and passenger will be sitting in.
For the driver, there’s a steering wheel that’s similar to one found in a race car. In front of the steering wheel is a digital display where important information can be found. To the right of the driver, separating the passengers is a very interesting center console. Buttons on the center console are laid out in a honeycomb design, each button has its own light and is touch-sensitive with haptic feedback.
Only 130 examples of the new Lotus Evija will be created, a tribute its “Type” number, 130. Production will start in 2020. Interested? Get ready to drop a £250,000 deposit (roughly $310,000 USD). The total price is set at £1.7m plus duties and taxes (roughly $2.1 million USD).
