The electric Lotus Elise will arrive in 2027

Known internally as the Type 135, the battery-powered heir to the Elise will cost around £80,000 and be based on a brand new platform

By: Alberto Carmone

Jan 31, 2024 at 5:36am ET

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The Eletre kicked off the electric revolution at Lotus. The large battery-powered SUV was the Hethel-based brand's first zero-emission model and was followed by the flagship Emeya. But Lotus' innovations are by no means over, with the Type 134 (a D-segment SUV) to be unveiled during 2024 and a future electric sports car joining the range in 2027.

The latter will be the spiritual heir to the Elise and will be one of the brand's most important models.

The positioning

Speaking to Autocar, Mike Johnston - the Chief Commercial Officer of Lotus, revealed some details of the Type 135, the 'electric Elise'. The public unveiling will take place in 2025, whilst the market launch will be in 2027, with a starting price of around £75,000 to £80,000.

Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edizion

This Lotus will take the place of the Emira, with the company aiming to sell around 10-15,000 units per year. Small volumes compared to the estimated 50,000 for the Eletre and even 90,000 for the Type 134.

The Type 135 will use a new platform and be built in Hethel (the Eletre, Emeya and Type 134, on the other hand, will be built in Wuhan, China). A true 'Made in UK' sports car, in short, that will take the best of the technology of the other models in the range.

The architecture

The architecture of this Lotus will be called Project LEVA (an acronym for 'Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture') and will have the battery pack installed in the middle of the chassis for a weight distribution equivalent to that of a mid-engined sports car.

Lotus Emeya (2024)

According to Lotus, the LEVA will be 37 per cent lighter than the platform used for the Emira and is designed to compensate for the weight increase due to the electric components. The architecture will be able to accommodate single or dual electric motor configurations, with power outputs ranging from 469 PS to 872 PS, and rear- or all-wheel drive versions.

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Batteries with a capacity of 66.4 kWh up to 99.6 kWh could be installed, with a range of between 280 and 435 miles and an 800 Volt architecture for extremely fast recharging.

In short, the propositions are quite interesting. All that remains is to await news from Lotus.