Lotus Coming Out With Four New EVs In 2022

• by E4TP Contributor
• September 6, 2021
• 3 min read

The hypercar company has begun construction of a new site in China, a site that will build a series of new electric cars next year.

The future of the Norwich-based company is electric © Credit to Lotus

• New Manufacturing Facility
• Type 132 SUV First Out
• NIO Investment

New Manufacturing Facility

Lotus, a staple in the sports car lane, will establish a posse of new cars in 2022. These vehicles will slot in the EV category — a first for the revered British automaker.

The EVs will be crafted at a new site in Wuhan, China. Investment in this new site comes to around £900 million. It will house a new division for the automaker in Lotus Technology. The division will work on electric cars exclusively, moving forwards.

More accurately, its role is to accelerate innovation in the fields of “batteries and energy management, electric motors, electronic control systems, intelligent driving, intelligent manufacturing and more.”

The Lotus Technologies headquarters is due to open in 2024, while its manufacturing plant is to cut the red tape next year, much to the anticipation of many.

A sneak peak at the upcoming facility in China © Credit to Lotus

“Together the China and UK teams will empower our journey towards an expanded, intelligent and electric future, achieving the ambitions and goals that have been in the making for 73 years of the Lotus brand,” said Feng Qingfeng, CEO of Group Lotus on the announcement of an eastern site.

Lotus want to manufacture 150,000 cars per year once up and running, which is 15x more than the automaker’s current production line in Norfolk.

Type 132 SUV First Out

The first vehicle out of the gate will be its Type 132 SUV, an EV with a lot of promise. Lotus has been working on the Type 132 since 2016, with two variants planned to release — a 600bhp version and a more powerful 750bhp offering.

Following that will be the Type 133 (four-door coupé) in 2023 and a D-segment SUV known as the Type 134 the year after that.

Sports car-wise, the Type 135, an EV developed alongside Alpine, will be built on home soil in 2026. Lotus has said it also plans to build the new all-electric Evija flagship at the same site.

All new vehicles will be built on the firm’s outlined architecture — a premium skeleton to carry Lotus into the next generation.

The platform itself will support cars with wheelbases ranging from 2889mm to 3100mm. Not to mention, accommodate batteries ranging from 92 to 120 kWh. Meaning these new EVs can take advantage of the fastest charging devices out right now.

NIO Investment

Chinese automaker NIO have also appeared as a surprising new partner for Lotus. Li Bin, founder and CEO of NIO, has made invested an unspecified amount into Lotus Technology.

“Lotus and NIO share many common interests in the field of intelligent electric mobility. In the future, both parties may explore opportunities for mutually beneficial industrial cooperation,” said Lotus in the press release tied to this announcement.

The functionality of a NIO vehicle, mixed with the performance of a Lotus EV, will have many excited at future possibilities, for sure.

Are Lotus running the gambit with these moves/decisions? Or will they come through as a major player in the ever-expanding world of EVs? We say yes, but want your take. Give us your thoughts down below.

E4TP Contributor

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