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"?

 

[brainf18]

"Lotus will also delay its electric sports car, Type 135, and extend the life of the Emira."

That and Lotus saying they are going to put range extending motors into their electric cars, pretty much sums up the article. Although its seems simpler said than done. The SUV and Sedan are already expensive and to say "not well received" by the motoring press and consumer public is being kind. If I had to guess Lotus is a one car company for the next several years.

 

[brainf18]

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.

Looking at the numbers electric vehicles have a place. Short trips, daily commute, around town in traffic etc. Range, road trips and towing ICE vehicles are still far superior. That said I'm not ready to jump on the electric bandwagon. Depending on where you live, charging infrastructure is not widely available and is not standardized throughout the industry. Once battery tech and product costs improves to the point the range is similar to an ICE vehicle and charging times are sub 10 min then maybe. Additionally, I'm sympathetic to anyone who purchased a Tesla before Jan 2025. The last several months however have show Elon to NOT be the kind of individual I'm inclined to support with my consumer decisions. So if I do eventually go electric it'll probably be a Rivian or german product.

 

[Nova]

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.

Yea, I agree with that. It's very easy if you are driving along a somewhat sizable highway. We went to a pretty rural lake for a weekend and the closest supercharger was 30 miles away. That made my wife a little nervous but it was not too bad.

 

[Nova]

Looking at the numbers electric vehicles have a place. Short trips, daily commute, around town in traffic etc. Range, road trips and towing ICE vehicles are still far superior. That said I'm not ready to jump on the electric bandwagon. Depending on where you live, charging infrastructure is not widely available and is not standardized throughout the industry. Once battery tech and product costs improves to the point the range is similar to an ICE vehicle and charging times are sub 10 min then maybe. Additionally, I'm sympathetic to anyone who purchased a Tesla before Jan 2025. The last several months however have show Elon to NOT be the kind of individual I'm inclined to support with my consumer decisions. So if I do eventually go electric it'll probably be a Rivian or german product.

Looking at the numbers doesn't tell you the whole story though. I was a bit anxious going on my first 800-mile road trip with a Tesla but it turned out great. We stop every 2-3 hours anyway, and that is about 150-200 miles depending on traffic conditions. It's actually *better* to run the battery down to about 20% before stopping because it charges extremely fast when the battery is low. I'd say I get 150-200 miles of range added in about 15-20 minutes of charging. That's longer than a 10 minute gas fill up and bathroom run plus soda purchase, for sure. But it doesn't feel like we are waiting a long time for the car to charge up. Once we get to about 70-75% full, we see how far it is to the next charging spot and get going. Tesla's navigation helps plan everything if you don't want to think about it yourself.

Just on pure range and convenience, however, you are right that gas is just less trouble for road trips. The killer feature for me is the self driving capability that makes the drive much more relaxing even though you are paying full attention. You don't have to manage the micro movements like holding the steering wheel and keeping up with traffic, including changing lanes, following routes, etc. If the other manufacturers come out with an equivalent capability like Tesla's FSD, I'd be interested in looking at those. I know not everyone likes/wants FSD, but it's something that's really useful to me.

 

[seriously]

I took my first road trip from socal to Vegas in the Tesla with FSD. wow, it was sooo easy. really enjoy the Tesla.