2027 Lotus Emira Plug-In Hybrid Confirmed

geoffbland · Mar 24, 2026

Nova said:
I doubt Lotus is going to put a huge battery pack in the Emira. I am betting 10-15kWh max, for maybe 30 miles of electric only range. I am thinking a split of 250HP 1.5T turbo 4, plus a 150HP motor integrated into the transmission. They can reduce the gas tank size to add the battery pack needed. It's possible they can get away with this and add only 150-200kg to the car weight.

Your thinking normal hybrid car here. But it's a X-Hybrid system so it's mainly a electrically powered car - it'll likely need more than 30 miles of range even with the ICE engine recharging the battery. I do agree than they won't be fitting a battery the same size as the Eletre but I would expect at least 150 miles on battery range.

Unless Lotus drop their X-Hybrid plan for a more "normal" hybrid like other cars of course?

Reading between the lines the I'm guessing the Emira-X will be the top of the range car - so I would guess more than 500hp (effective), 0-60 close to 3s and a price to match.

Milk242 · Mar 24, 2026

Tteape0 said:
If it is a hybrid built in China, it is 25%. If the car is built in the UK like other Emira, then it is 10%

Ah, seems they only tariff the battery component if it’s plug in hybrid

. In either case, Geely has a Volvo factory in the US they could use to get around the tariffs I believe.

PJS · Mar 24, 2026

Just look what BMW achieved with the i8, add 10 years of development/progress and Lotus could smash this. hell they even had room for rear seats and 4wd.

Tracked Emira · Mar 24, 2026

BS! It will weigh more so more power will be needed, but lighter weight is what we want to go fast around the turns, otherwise I would be happy with my 3,900 pound NSX with 700hp on race fuel. After following my Emira around the track turns, I realized that weight is the enemy, no matter how much power you add!

lynchy73 · Mar 25, 2026

geoffbland said:
The ICE engine on the "For Me" Eletre, soon to be Eletre X, will power the front wheels when needed for extra acceleration (or engine augmentation as it's called in the car settings). It's not very clearly articulated in the press articles but it is mentioned in the Klm reviews of the "For Me" you can find.
Presumably the same/similar X-Hybrid engine will be the one going in the Emira-X.

It seems you are right. Seems a shit way to do things IMO. My 9X has about 850hp, the hyper version of the 9X has 1400hp and none of the models has the ice driving the wheels directly. Comes with a 70KWh (55KWh option) battery and 2.0t engine.

So Lotus are going to add a gearbox to the ICE engine, so it can send some extra power through the front wheels (rather than just drive a generator)? Seems a bit pointless, when the electric motors (and batteries) they have available (in the Geely Group) are capable of much more power than is offered in the Eletre.

Tteape0 · Mar 25, 2026

lynchy73 said:
It seems you are right. Seems a shit way to do things IMO. My 9X has about 850hp, the hyper version of the 9X has 1400hp and none of the models has the ice driving the wheels directly. Comes with a 70KWh (55KWh option) battery and 2.0t engine.

So Lotus are going to add a gearbox to the ICE engine, so it can send some extra power through the front wheels (rather than just drive a generator)? Seems a bit pointless, when the electric motors (and batteries) they have available (in the Geely Group) are capable of much more power than is offered in the Eletre.

I think it’s designed like this so the car can technically be driven on gas only as a last resort so you can get to a charger. Essentially a gas only limp mode. Much easier to find gas and then a charger if traveling especially in Europe and the US.

geoffbland · Mar 25, 2026

lynchy73 said:
So Lotus are going to add a gearbox to the ICE engine, so it can send some extra power through the front wheels (rather than just drive a generator)? Seems a bit pointless, when the electric motors (and batteries) they have available (in the Geely Group) are capable of much more power than is offered in the Eletre.

Interesting point about the gearbox for the ICE - I can't find details on this for the X-hybrid. Is it a normal auto gearbox, some kind of CVT or does it only work at low speeds to increase 0-60+ acceleration (i.e. just for the headline specs to impress the press)?

Edit: Checking further I find the ICE runs with a single-speed transmission, so either a CVT or only for a certain speed range I guess?

Source: https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/lotus/eletre-x-hybrid/first-drive

seriously · Mar 25, 2026

I don’t see these electric generators doing well. Is it just virtue signaling? I’m assuming pure EV is going to be more efficient than X. There is no gas benefit- I assume no motor or exhaust sound. I don’t think finding a charging station is a big deal if you own a house. And if you don’t own a house should you be buying a $100k+ car?

The only hybrids that are sporty are the gas forward hybrids where the electric motors are in the Trans or supporting.

This hybrid X stuff is going nowhere.

lynchy73 · Mar 25, 2026

Tteape0 said:
I think it’s designed like this so the car can technically be driven on gas only as a last resort so you can get to a charger. Essentially a gas only limp mode. Much easier to find gas and then a charger if traveling especially in Europe and the US.

The ice engine will charge the car on the go, or also when stationary on a range extender hybrid, the engine doesn't need to drive the wheels. You don’t need to worry about running out of charge on a range extender (the engine automatically kicks in to maintain the battery above a certain level), so long as you have gas in the tank or can find a gas station.

lynchy73 · Mar 25, 2026

seriously said:
I don’t see these electric generators doing well. Is it just virtue signaling? I’m assuming pure EV is going to be more efficient than X. There is no gas benefit- I assume no motor or exhaust sound. I don’t think finding a charging station is a big deal if you own a house. And if you don’t own a house should you be buying a $100k+ car?

The only hybrids that are sporty are the gas forward hybrids where the electric motors are in the Trans or supporting.

This hybrid X stuff is going nowhere.

I beg to disagree. I have/own a car (Big SUV) with basically the same Hybrid system as the Hybrid Eletra. It works great (as a daily and long distance cruiser). I generally never need to use any gas, but when i do longer journeys, i can dip into the gas as a i need, or just run on gas if i can't find a charger (or can't be bothered).

It charges SUPER FAST (like 10mins to pretty much fully charge from almost 0, with a suitable charger of course). It's an EV, that you never need to worry about charging on a long journey, what's not to like (if you are ok with an EV).

TBC this is a EV, the engine is just a generator (can barely hear/feel it), so you never have to worry about charging. The Batteries are crazy powerful, and on a different level to the Power you can get from a Tesla Battery by comparison (I own a 21 Model 3 Performance too).

lynchy73 · Mar 25, 2026

geoffbland said:
Interesting point about the gearbox for the ICE - I can't find details on this for the X-hybrid. Is it a normal auto gearbox, some kind of CVT or does it only work at low speeds to increase 0-60+ acceleration (i.e. just for the headline specs to impress the press)?

Edit: Checking further I find the ICE runs with a single-speed transmission, so either a CVT or only for a certain speed range I guess?

Source: https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/lotus/eletre-x-hybrid/first-drive

I don't get it personally. it makes no sense to me that the ICE generator would be driving the wheels too. The EV motors and batteries are more than capable of delivering crazy power, so why bother adding more through the front wheel, with the ICE generator? with all the added complexity it entails (rather than just driving a generator). I personally suspect it is marketing BS, and the ICE doesn't mechanically drive any wheels, but happy to proven wrong.

OppositeLock · Mar 25, 2026

When you go ICE->generator->electric motors, you have conversion losses, which hurts efficiency. You knock off 5-10% at each conversion (you convert that power to heat). The Chevy Volt in the US first started as a purely series hybrid, but they reworked it to drive the wheels with the ICE for better efficiency when not running off battery.

Engineering is all about tradeoffs.

seriously · Mar 26, 2026

lynchy73 said:
I beg to disagree. I have/own a car (Big SUV) with basically the same Hybrid system as the Hybrid Eletra. It works great (as a daily and long distance cruiser). I generally never need to use any gas, but when i do longer journeys, i can dip into the gas as a i need, or just run on gas if i can't find a charger (or can't be bothered).

It charges SUPER FAST (like 10mins to pretty much fully charge from almost 0, with a suitable charger of course). It's an EV, that you never need to worry about charging on a long journey, what's not to like (if you are ok with an EV).

TBC this is a EV, the engine is just a generator (can barely hear/feel it), so you never have to worry about charging. The Batteries are crazy powerful, and on a different level to the Power you can get from a Tesla Battery by comparison (I own a 21 Model 3 Performance too).

I think the big SUV is maybe the only use case where this makes sense. Big SUVs are about having it all- all the space, all the power, all the luxury, etc. Why not throw a gas range extender in there? Makes sense to me. But in a sports car? That doesn't make sense to me at all. Mazda is proposing the same thing with their new RX7ish car and I don't get it.

lynchy73 · Mar 26, 2026

seriously said:
I think the big SUV is maybe the only use case where this makes sense. Big SUVs are about having it all- all the space, all the power, all the luxury, etc. Why not throw a gas range extender in there? Makes sense to me. But in a sports car? That doesn't make sense to me at all. Mazda is proposing the same thing with their new RX7ish car and I don't get it.

I do somewhat agree with your point, i am not saying this is necessarily the right system for a Sports Car, my comment is more related to using such a system in the Lotus Eletra SUV. in that case, the weight of the ICE Engine is offset by using a smaller battery. The smaller, lighter battery cannot deliver the same range, but can still deliver all the power you will even need. The gas tank is there to get you an additional 300 plus miles if you need it.

With a further downsizing of the battery (maybe 25/30KWh), and a suitable lightweight engine/generator, i do wonder how light a sports focussed Range Extended Lotus 2 seat sports car could be? however, it's still gonna basically be an EV, so that is not going to be for everyone. For a sports Hybrid, a predominantly ICE, with a smaller EV component would be more agreeable to the typical buyer i feel.

OppositeLock said:
When you go ICE->generator->electric motors, you have conversion losses, which hurts efficiency. You knock off 5-10% at each conversion (you convert that power to heat). The Chevy Volt in the US first started as a purely series hybrid, but they reworked it to drive the wheels with the ICE for better efficiency when not running off battery.

Engineering is all about tradeoffs.

True, but the New Eletra is basically an EV, with a Gas backup. I don't care that the gas range is a few percent worse than it could be (it isn't great i am sure, but it isn't that bad either, for a 900hp EV), as you would only use the ICE engine occasionally, when you can't conveniently get to a charger. Having a 300mile reserve gas tank, that can be filled at any gas station, makes running a 200 mile EV, a very practical long distance cruiser IME. If Gas Mileage is the priority, or Maxing out EV efficiency, don't get a 900hp SUV, get a Prius or a Tesla. This REV setup in a Sports SUV is all about power, convenience and overcoming range anxiety etc.

Nick Sticks · Mar 26, 2026

PJS said:
Just look what BMW achieved with the i8, add 10 years of development/progress and Lotus could smash this. hell they even had room for rear seats and 4wd.

I sat in the back of an i8 last week.
My legs and hips still haven't forgiven me!

Nova · Mar 26, 2026

Luminated67 said:
This might be the most logical option but I think the car will require at least 470hp to counteract the additional weight involved and maybe even more power, possibly as much as 500hp because despite the extra weight you will also see a hike in the price and with a price increase customers will want a boost in performance to justify it.

It depends. The electric motor plus turbo 4 will have an extreme amount of low end torque, which will end up producing pretty decent 0-60 times, although higher end acceleration at say above 80mph is going to be pretty uninspiring since that's when most electric motors tap out.

Someone else mentioned that they may be able to reduce the car's weight to compensate and I certainly think that's a great option. They can certainly get rid of the big battery and use a smaller 12v lithium battery for the 12v system. Add carbon seats and get rid of all motorized controls. Titanium exhaust system. Real actual light weight forged wheels. Carbon hood, polycarbonate rear window along with carbon hatch. I am sure others can think of things that can be done without removing too much creature comforts.

geoffbland · Mar 26, 2026

Nova said:
Someone else mentioned that they may be able to reduce the car's weight to compensate and I certainly think that's a great option. They can certainly get rid of the big battery and use a smaller 12v lithium battery for the 12v system. Add carbon seats and get rid of all motorized controls. Titanium exhaust system. Real actual light weight forged wheels. Carbon hood, polycarbonate rear window along with carbon hatch. I am sure others can think of things that can be done without removing too much creature comforts.

Doing some quick sums on the above, I reckon you could save around 75KG for a cost of around £10,000 extra to the car (although usually with a reduction in comfort, convenience, safety or serviceability). Anything more than this is diminishing returns and starts becoming either a fantasy or extremely expensive - probably both.

If the Emira-X comes in at under 1750KG with a 3s 0-60 (~600hp) I would be pleasantly surprised.

As illustrated by this forum the light-weight, combustion engine loving, track-day fanatic may not be the target audience for this car. But a Ferrari 296GTB equalling Emira, that looks better and costs a third of the price will probably find a audience and sell*?

*Unless Lotus mess this up too; with lacklustre dealership support, poor customer service and build quality issues.

Nova · Mar 26, 2026

geoffbland said:
Doing some quick sums on the above, I reckon you could save around 75KG for a cost of around £10,000 extra to the car (although usually with a reduction in comfort, convenience, safety or serviceability). Anything more than this is diminishing returns and starts becoming either a fantasy or extremely expensive - probably both.

If the Emira-X comes in at under 1750KG with a 3s 0-60 (~600hp) I would be pleasantly surprised.

As illustrated by this forum the light-weight, combustion engine loving, track-day fanatic may not be the target audience for this car. But a Ferrari 296GTS equalling Emira, that looks better and costs a third of the price will probably find a audience and sell*?

*Unless Lotus mess this up too; with lacklustre dealership support, poor customer service and build quality issues.

Yea, it really feels like the Hyper Hybrid architecture has the most promise of being just a monster in power delivery. The downside is cost, difficulty, and of course, added weight. Here's what ChatGPT thinks: [Deleted per request]

Lotustoronto · Mar 26, 2026

geoffbland said:
Doing some quick sums on the above, I reckon you could save around 75KG for a cost of around £10,000 extra to the car (although usually with a reduction in comfort, convenience, safety or serviceability). Anything more than this is diminishing returns and starts becoming either a fantasy or extremely expensive - probably both.

If the Emira-X comes in at under 1750KG with a 3s 0-60 (~600hp) I would be pleasantly surprised.

As illustrated by this forum the light-weight, combustion engine loving, track-day fanatic may not be the target audience for this car. But a Ferrari 296GTS equalling Emira, that looks better and costs a third of the price will probably find a audience and sell*?

*Unless Lotus mess this up too; with lacklustre dealership support, poor customer service and build quality issues.

Will it even be built at Hethel? I am guessing Emira Hybrid - X comes out of China. - Combustion Emira still from Hethel. I can see them trying to keep a manual transmission alive for a lot longer than most expected.

Luminated67 · Mar 26, 2026

Nova said:
It depends. The electric motor plus turbo 4 will have an extreme amount of low end torque, which will end up producing pretty decent 0-60 times, although higher end acceleration at say above 80mph is going to be pretty uninspiring since that's when most electric motors tap out.

Someone else mentioned that they may be able to reduce the car's weight to compensate and I certainly think that's a great option. They can certainly get rid of the big battery and use a smaller 12v lithium battery for the 12v system. Add carbon seats and get rid of all motorized controls. Titanium exhaust system. Real actual light weight forged wheels. Carbon hood, polycarbonate rear window along with carbon hatch. I am sure others can think of things that can be done without removing too much creature comforts.

When you talk about weight reductions in the form you are mentioning these come with a cost factor on a car that is already pricy for what it is, oh and by this I mean approaching £100K with little options for a four cylinder engine when most others in this price bracket are at least 6 cylinder. If you are a fan of Lotus such things don’t bother you because you are into the brand for the other values it offers but the facts are that as a brand it needs to appeal to the masses to survive not us limited fans.

So everything to reduce weight will cost dearly in the sales numbers unless it is offering headline figures that people go “WOW” that’s impressive. No one wants more weight but the fact is hybrid tech brings it as a by-product so if it’s going to be there then use it in a way to either lessen its effect or possibly benefit you, batteries lower the CoG and depending on where they are placed can improve the weight distribution to either improve traction or neutralise some handling charactistics. We all know extra weight effects braking and quick directional changes more than anything else but if it is used to make the progression into either understeer or oversteer more progressive then I’m all for it.

Now the performance needed to counteract the additional cost we can expect, if the current car is almost £100K with some options then you can expect a hybrid version at least 10-15% more but if the performance improves to say 0-60 in the low three seconds well then it’s competing with cars in a price bracket above it. Performance is key IMO, we know it has the looks and the handling but to bring new blood to the brand it’s these figures that impress first and foremost.