- The Lotus Evija is being delivered, five years after it was first shown
- The electric hypercar packs 2,011 hp and a 93-kwh battery
- Pricing starts at approximately $3 million
It’s now been more than five years since the Lotus Evija electric hypercar was first revealed to the world.
Originally scheduled for deliveries in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic caused significant development delays, but deliveries are now underway, Lotus’ European chief, Dan Balmer, told Autocar in an interview published on Tuesday.
Lotus Evija production
Production takes place at Lotus’ plant in Hethel, U.K., where the Emira sports car is built. Meanwhile, production of Lotus’ other electric vehicles, the Eletre SUV and Emeya sedan, is handled at a plant in Wuhan, China.
Lotus initially announced plans to limit Evija production to 130 units. In his interview, Balmer stated that Lotus will produce the car over the next two years to fulfill all existing orders but did not confirm whether this will adhere to the 130-unit cap. Eight of the cars will be special Fittipaldi editions, built to celebrate the achievements of ex-Formula 1 driver Emerson Fittipaldi behind the wheel of Lotus’ Type 72 F1 car in the early 1970s.
Lotus Evija Fittipaldi
The Evija uses a bespoke Lotus platform known as the Extreme platform. This platform supports four electric motors delivering a combined output of 2,011 hp, enabling the car to accelerate from 0-62 mph in under three seconds, 0-186 mph in under nine seconds, and achieve a top speed of 218 mph (electronically governed), according to Lotus.
The Evija is also engineered to handle like a true Lotus. It features race-inspired suspension with three spool-valve dampers per axle—one at each corner and an inboard-mounted third to control heave. Magnesium wheels help reduce weight, but despite this and the car’s carbon-fiber monocoque and body, the Evija remains relatively heavy. Lotus lists a curb weight of 4,160 pounds on its website, though this is thought to be a target figure.
Lotus Evija electric hypercar
Much of the weight is attributed to the battery, a 93-kwh unit (up from the originally planned 70 kwh), which Lotus claims delivers up to 250 miles of range under normal driving conditions. Charging the battery to 80% takes 18 minutes using a 350-kw DC fast charger, according to Lotus.
The price for the Evija is 2.4 million British pounds (approximately $3 million).
