Lotus EV - Page 3

dpeilow · 01-04-2009, 10:20 AM

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What Eberhard didn't know about car manufacturing -- which was just about everything -- he got by hiring engineers and executives away from Lotus. Eventually, he lured so many Lotus employees that the British company insisted he sign a no-poaching agreement or it wouldn't build the car.

dpeilow · 01-05-2009, 06:51 AM

The Register readership really are the most cynical crowd out there...

Comments on ?UK sportscar makers announce electric models? ? Register Hardware

doug · 01-05-2009, 11:48 AM

Lotus to Build Electric Vehicles Earth2Tech

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... Lotus also has an opportunity to avoid some of the pitfalls that hampered early movers. As the first luxury electric sports car startup to enter production, Tesla has learned a series of lessons the hard way. ... Tesla’s then-VP of sales, marketing and service, Darryl Siry, told us, “One of our lessons is that we need to have more control over our fate and manage the process in house.” Another lesson? Watch out for suppliers and contractors launching out on their own.

DDB · 01-05-2009, 12:27 PM

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Originally Posted by doug

Lotus to Build Electric Vehicles Earth2Tech

I don't know about the whole premise that everyone will do it themselves "in house." Tesla is the model for building an EV from a glider. It apparently works. Everyone wants to copy. Tesla is also outsourcing their drivetrains to other unknown companies.

Moreover, the economy is betting that mergers are needed for the bigger 3 to survive, which is opposite of those statements. Perhaps "in-house" means doing what Chrysler did with their EV...which is cobbling together some parts from OEMs in the Chrysler R&D facilities. I bet there is more conversion and consolidation than development.

dpeilow · 01-05-2009, 03:06 PM

Reads like a summary of this thread

Lotus Targets Tesla With An EV Of Its Own | Autopia from Wired.com

doug · 01-05-2009, 03:07 PM

Yeah, I'm not so sure about the "in house" bit either. I included that quote for this line: "Watch out for suppliers and contractors launching out on their own." It's too bad that Tesla isn't further along than they are at this stage. They had a major head start.

Lotus Targets Tesla With An EV Of Its Own | Autopia from Wired.com

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A bigger question is what the car will look like. Given that the Tesla Roadster is based on the Elise and Chrysler basically stuck a battery and a motor in a Europa and called it the Dodge EV, using those two models as the basis of an e-Lotus almost certainly are out. Lotus could convert an Evora with relative ease - it's a 2+2 with a mid-engine design, so there is plenty of room for a battery pack if Lotus yanks out the back seat like BMW did with the Mini-E. It's also a sleek, sexy car that would make EVs appealing to the sports car set.
...
Whatever the case, an EV is a natural for Lotus. Beyond providing the platforms on which the Tesla and Dodge electric vehicles were built, Lotus builds the Roadster at its plant in Hethel, England, and provided technical help to Ecotricity, the British green-power company that is building an EV called the Wind Car.

DDB · 01-05-2009, 06:16 PM

Good question. What would a Lotus EV look like. I for one would appreciate anything that would speed up the competition. In other words, convert anything they have in the arsenal.

malcolm · 01-06-2009, 03:52 AM

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Originally Posted by DDB

In other words, convert anything they have in the arsenal.

Sports models seem to be a good starting point but there are major traps for the unwary; Calendar Life, Kerb Weight and Transmission.

What I love about Tesla's plans for Model S is that they are still challenging Auto Industry assumptions - the present one being that any four seater EV with a trunk and a bit of luxury has to be an EREV.

doug · 01-06-2009, 02:52 PM

"Don't be surprised to see an electric Lotus shortly" : TreeHugger

Again, I really like the Evora interior. It's quite a step up from the Roadster's current interior. The central display can serve as a more visible integrated VDS and navigation system. And as a tall guy, I appreciate the D-cut steering wheel.

doug · 01-06-2009, 05:56 PM

How Many Lotus Electric Cars Will There Be? | Hybrid Cars

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Lotus enters the electric car market, becoming competitor to its customers.

Lotus is the latest carmaker to announce plans for a high-performance electric vehicle. If the British carmaker can deliver on its plans, it will compete directly against the Tesla Roadster and Dodge EV, two electric sports cars for which Lotus already supplies a chassis.