Lotus Returning To Engines - Car Magazine Article

Posted today in Car magazine but I don't think really tell you anything new that we hadn't heard before

Lotus: we’re putting engines back in

www.carmagazine.co.uk

Thanks to SELOC for bringing this to my attention.

 

[Orchardbike]

“Sales haven’t quite been what was forecast”. Maybe make sure you sort out basic manufacturing and design issues before launching and then have a customer care department that is a) easy to contact, b) actually cares and c) actually sorts problems out quickly? Just my thoughts……….

 

[Racer X]

A small engine that is acts as a generator to feed the electric motors?! Fail.

 

[Thirdgen89gta]

A small engine that is acts as a generator to feed the electric motors?! Fail.

There is actually nothing wrong with that. As long as it's not connected to the driveline mechanically it's actually a pretty simple hybrid design. The Chevy Volt operates the same way most of the time (though it does couple mechanically under heavy acceleration, or above 70mph)

Let's face it. EV's are not ready for prime time road trips. An onboard generator allows them to use the existing gas infrastructure, which makes them much more palatable to the average consumer. And if it's a decoupled design, you can maximize the efficiency of the generator by running it at its most efficient engine speed.

And I say this as an owner of a Model S Plaid. Range is a problem. It's not the distance they can go thats really an issue, it's the charging infrastructure when you NEED to charge it up. The time to go from 10-80% isn't even that bad really. Broken chargers. Chargers that can't deliver rated wattage. Insufficient chargers.

The reason the MFG's are back peddling is because the 'vision' that the governments are trying to force into being is proving to be impossible in the timeline they want it to happen. The demand just isn't there.

 

[Nova]

I actually prefer a Tesla for road trips. The self driving capabilities makes it much more relaxing to drive while still paying attention and being aware. The rest stops every 2-3 hours takes a little longer so the entire trip does take longer, but in my experience, I come away much less tired.

 

[OppositeLock]

Be careful with that Tesla self driving. I was a few cars behind this guy when he died and saw it all go down:

TIMELINE: ABC7 investigates deadly Tesla crash on Hwy 101 in Mountain View

Dan Noyes and the I-Team have brought us exclusive information about a fiery Tesla crash on Highway 101 near Highway 85 in Mountain View that left a 38-year-old man dead. Here's a look at the full reports.

abc7news.com

Never, ever let your guard down. They're a lot better today, but you need to pay attention. I can't wait for the L3 cars where you don't.

 

[Thirdgen89gta]

I actually prefer a Tesla for road trips. The self driving capabilities makes it much more relaxing to drive while still paying attention and being aware. The rest stops every 2-3 hours takes a little longer so the entire trip does take longer, but in my experience, I come away much less tired.

It’s fine if you aren’t going off the beaten path, but I’ve thought about using my plaid on one of our day trips or weekend road trips with the club and no matter how I work it I can’t find chargers near our routes. Need more chargers.

 

[geoffbland]

A small engine that is acts as a generator to feed the electric motors?! Fail.

Trains have worked in that way for decades.
Doesn't everyone want their Emira to "handle like it is on rails"?