The successor to the Lotus Elise will happen, but innovation is needed

The British manufacturer's designer spoke to Autocar about the difficulties encountered in finding batteries light enough for the new Lotus Elise.

Photo by: Lotus

By: Massimo Grassi

Jul 31, 2024 at 3:43am ET

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For the moment, it's the Type 135, better known as the new Lotus Elise even if the name is unlikely to be that of the two-seater born in 1996. Regardless, what matters most is that the British manufacturer is preparing the successor to its most iconic car. The aim is to launch it in 2027, but it could come later.

The news is reported by Autocar, which quotes Lotus Head of Design Ben Pyne as explaining that the reason for the possible (or likely) delay is battery technology. The new Lotus Elise will need small, lightweight batteries to get as close as possible to the spirit of its ancestor.

True to principle

If the Eletre and Emeya betrayed the concept of lightness that has always accompanied Colin Chapman's creatures, with the Elise it will be necessary to remain as faithful as possible. Not least because - to quote Payne: " The Elise is the benchmark for Lotus. And today's technology doesn't allow us to recreate this product in a convincing way ".

Lotus Elise SC (2008)

Weight gain is a hot topic, with cars gaining centimetres and kilos from one generation to the next, not least because of electrification. According to Pyne, as long as we're talking about large models - like the Eletre and the Emeya - things are simpler. The fewer centimetres you have available, the greater the difficulty.

On the one hand, the platform is ready - it's called the E-Sports and it's said to be 37% lighter than the Emira. But on the other, the key issue is the batteries, which have to be placed centrally to ensure the best possible weight balance and a particularly low centre of gravity.

Lotus Elise S2 (2002)

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When asked if solid-state batteries - with their high energy density - would be suitable for the new Lotus Elise, Payne didn't give a direct answer, simply stressing the importance of reducing mass. Nyobolt did, installing innovative 35 kWh batteries in an Elise-based concept designed by Ian Callum , with a total weight of just over 1.2 tonnes.

Lotus Elise Concept

So the news is that Lotus is working on the successor to the Elise and, although its arrival may be delayed, Payne wouldn't comment on the matter. The hope of one day seeing the word 'electric' attached to the word 'lightweight' remains.