Lotus Is Probably Building An Electric Esprit Reprise
Image: Lotus
The Lotus Esprit is one of the most iconic sports cars of all time, and for such a car to make a comeback would mark an important piece of the future of fun driving. Based on the “sketch” that Lotus released this week of its future electric supercar, called Type 135 for the time being, I think we’re looking at just that very thing. An all-electric Esprit sure would be cool, and leave it to Lotus to get such a thing just right.
Lotus has previously mentioned the coming of the Type 135 as its next electric car following the Evija hypercar. It will be available in a two-seater or a longer wheelbase 2+2 layout, and the company even mentioned that the car would be available with two different battery arrangements; 66.4 kWh and 99.6 kWh.
Along with the above sketch, Lotus announced that it would be working with a company called Britishvolt for its electric car battery stacks. The battery cell specialist will be working with Lotus to develop higher density batteries, faster charging, and most importantly to reduce the weight of its battery packs. Leave it to Lotus to find a way to apply the old “simplify and add lightness” ethos to an EV sports car.
Image: Lotus
Matt Windle, Managing Director, Lotus Cars, commented: “Lotus is delighted to be collaborating with Britishvolt to develop new battery cell technology to showcase the thrilling performance that a Lotus EV sports car can deliver. These are the first exciting steps on the journey towards an all-new electric sports car from Lotus, and yet another step towards the transformation towards sustainable, renewable electricity stored in batteries.”
He added: “Last year we committed Lotus to a pure electric future, and in the first month of this year we announce another significant step on that journey. In the coming months we will be unveiling the Type 132, an all-new and all-electric Lotus SUV and we’ve confirmed three more EVs are on the way.”
I, for one, look forward to the return of the wedgy door-stop Lotus. If it’s done correctly, this could be a truly amazing addition to the story of the Esprit icon. The specs look pretty great, so hopefully Lotus can make it happen. Unfortunately the Type 135 won’t be hitting dealer showrooms until 2026, so we still have a lot of time to wait. Fortunately that also gives Lotus some time to get it perfect.
