Volvo Parent Company, Geely, Buys Lotus

Li Shufu, the Chinese billionaire who purchased Volvo from Ford and oversaw the company’s successful resurgence seems to have acquired a taste for turning around car brands. I say that because he’s just acquired another storied, troubled, European car brand to turn back from the brink of extinction: Lotus.

That’s the same Lotus whose versatile chassis launched both Tesla Motors and Detroit Electric (to name just two). The same Lotus, too, that brought Kimi Raikkonen back to the top step of an F1 podium a few years back (before reverting back to Renault ownership, anyway). We’re big fans.

Being big fans, it was big news when Li’s Geely Holding Group announced, yesterday, that it would buy a 51 percent stake in Lotus Cars. For Geely, the brand could act as a prestigious “halo” brand to help grow the company’s eponymous core products. “Like Volkswagen has Porsche and Toyota has its Lexus,” explains Tian Yongqiu, an independent auto consultant who tracks Chinese car maker acquisitions.

Li Shufu Now Owns Both Volvo and Lotus

---

Lotus has a history of using other car makers’ engines in its lightweight sports cars. If that history is a guide, we could see a featherweight Elise or Evora model powered by Volvo’s super-efficient, twin-charged T6 engine in the near future. There’s even talk of an ultra-sporty SUV coming hot on the heels of Geely’s expected cash injection into the British car brand. Could it be based on the all-new Volvo XC60? Should it be based on the new XC60?

Let us know what you think of Geely’s new acquisition- and whether or not you think Lotus and Volvo will make good partners in an eco-friendly- in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Sources | Images: Bloomberg, LotusTalk

Rinspeed XchangE Concept is Everything Bad About Driverless Cars

I’m really starting to worry about Frank Rinderknecht. My encounters with Frank in South Florida centered, primarily, around the Rinspeed Yello Talbo and Mono Ego concepts from the late 90s, but we crossed paths a few times, again, while I was at RENNtech and he wanted to revive the old James Bond Lotus concept with a submersible Elise. All those cars were chock-full of epic badassery, but Frank’s latest concept (a stand up bus that would supposedly appeal to millenials) was so cynical and jaded that I started to think he was losing touch. Now, Frank is releasing some details on his upcoming Rinspeed XchangE driverless car, and it ain’t lookin’ good.

The new Rinspeed XchangE looks, from the drawings provided, like a modified Tesla Model S that’s been outfitted with reclining and revolving seats, à la Westfalia camper. In addition, Rinspeed’s concept is fitted with a steering wheel that seems to “swing away” from the driver, leaving them free to kick up their feet, take a nap, or drink espresso from what seems to be the dashboard-mounted espresso machine.

What concerns me here isn’t the idea or the layout- this is Frank’s best work in years!- it’s that everything about the car is ignoring the fact that most of the proposed legislation surrounding so-called “autonomous” cars requires an alert and present driver to act as a “backup system” for the car. In other words, it’s a utopian version of what a driverless car could be, rather than what it will be. Because of that, I think, it’s doing nothing but pushing the first generation of driverless cars further down the road, and delaying a partial solution to fuel-wasting problems like rubbernecking, brake checking, and generally bad driving.

That said, I’d love to kick my feet up and sip espresso all the way from Chicago to Ohio … maybe I’m thinking about this the wrong way? Maybe I should just say, “Siri, wake me up when we get there,” and hope for the best. What do you think? Is Rinspeed’s latest a good way to advance the cause of the driverless car, or is it time for Frank to pack it in? Let us know what you think in the comments, below.

Source | Photos: Rinspeed, via AutoExpress UK.

Detroit Electric Rises From The Grave To Sell Lotus-Based EV Coupes

Once upon a time in America, electric vehicles were sold by the thousands, and the chief EV was the Detroit Electric, built by Anderson carriage. A few years ago, the Detroit Electric name was revived, with the hopes of selling a Lotus-based electric roadster. Now Detroit Electric is back, again, with the intention of selling an electric roadster based on…a Lotus.

More than a century ago, Detroit Electric sold EVs with a range as high as 80 miles, But once the Model T hit the scene, electric cars fell out of fabor, and by 1939 Detroit Electric went belly-up. But now some investors have brought the Detroit Electric Name back to build a new brand of cars.

The money behind the new Detroit Electric wants to build a two-person EV based on the Lotus Exige, a car you can’t buy in America because it lacks airbags. The Exige is essentially a coupe version of the Lotus Elise, the car which Tesla used to build its popular Roadster model. Detroit Electric announced its deal with Proton right around the time Tesla delivered its first Roadster.

Then all went quiet, no doubt because of the collapse of the global financial system. The original Detroit Electric revival plan called for a roadster based on the Elise, and a sedan built by Proton. The sedan idea has been dropped, as has the roadster; instead, Detroit Electric will build a lightweight coupe, though they failed to mention any specifics in regards to range, power, speed, or cost.

It makes everything sound very suspect, but Detroit Electric did open a new headquarters in Detroit’s Fisher building, while scouting nearby production facilities. The official debut for this new coupe is just a month away at the Shanghai Auto Show, and Detroit Electric promises 180 Michigan-based jobs as well.

Sounds like the same story we heard before…but since Tesla no longer produces the Roadster, the market for a (relatively speaking) affordable electric sports coupe is wide open. Maybe Detroit Electric can capitalize on this wide open market.

 Source: Detroit Electric

Lotus is Safe, New Esprit in 2013

Lotus’ 1100 UK manufacturing jobs are safe, according to the CEO of DRB-HICOM, Aslam Farikullah, who recently acquired Lotus Cars. Farikullah denied rumors that his company planned to either sell Lotus or move production to Malaysia. “Lotus is a UK marque and, as such, Hethel is our home. Not only is Lotus important to the UK economy, but also to the region here in Norfolk.”

That’s great news for Lotus fans, but it’s just the tip of the good-news iceberg (there’s a good-news iceberg). The really really good news is that Lotus’ new owners have turned their backs on plans to produce tiny city cars and bloated grand-tourers, and have committed to taking the company back to its roots as builders of ultralight sportscars – starting with the return of the company’s iconic Esprit. Granted, the Esprit may only be “iconic” to guys born in the late 70s to early 80s and/or women in their 30s who remember it as “the Pretty Woman car“, but I meet at least one of those criteria, so we’re all good.

If the new Lotus “I am a car guy” CEO can be trusted to learn from the mistakes of the out-going “I am not a car guy” CEO Dany Bahar, then the new Esprit is likely to make use of one of Toyota/Lexus’ more powerful hybrid drive systems, as opposed to the company’s own DOHC twin-turbo V8, which should keep the new Esprit’s costs down, the company’s profits up, and improve the general quality of life for Lotus owners looking for a place to service their cars.

You can check out some photos of the new Esprit, in concept form, below. Here’s hoping some other recent Lotus flex-fuel and hybrid/range-extending EV innovations get to see the light of day soon after.

     

Source | Photos: AutoExpress, via Teamspeed.

Lotus Evora 414E plug-in hybrid is a rolling showcase of technology

PRESS RELEASE

1000 Nm (738 lbft) of Torque
414 PS (408 hp)
0-60 mph / 97 km/h in around 4 seconds
Top speed 130 mph (209 km/h)
Target emissions of just 55 g CO2 / km (NEDC)

Brimming with innovation, technology, performance and power, the Lotus Evora 414E is a series hybrid technology demonstrator which shows some of the headline technologies that Lotus Engineering, one of the world' s leading automotive engineering consultancies, has within its portfolio.

The Evora 414E is powered by two electric motor packs driving the rear wheels through its Xtrac transmission with a battery pack that can be charged by the Lotus range extender engine or directly from mains electricity. The Lotus 3 cylinder range extender engine has been design protected to run on either gasoline or renewable bio alcohol fuels (methanol and ethanol). It drives an EVO electric generator which produces electrical energy to either charge the battery pack or power the EVO traction motors directly. In normal driving, the Evora 414E will run purely on electricity stored in the battery pack for up to 30 miles (48 km). With the Lotus range extender and the electric traction motors powering the vehicle through an Xtrac 1092 transmission, the Evora 414E is targeted to produce just 55 g of CO2 / km emissions on the Northern European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

Should the driver require more performance, under hard acceleration, for example, the electricity will come from both the battery storage and the small range extender engine.

It's all Torque

Now that the car is undergoing testing, what does 1000 Nm in an Evora feel like?

Simon Corbett, Principal Vehicle Dynamics Test and Development Engineer at Lotus Engineering, has been doing the majority of the development testing, over the last few weeks, "The Evora S has 400 Nm of torque which in such a lightweight car is already a healthy figure. But the Evora 414E has two and a half times that amount! The acceleration sensation is almost indescribable, the surge of torque is like an ocean wave!"

See under the skin of the Evora 414E at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

 As part of the REEVolution consortium, funded by the government's innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, Lotus will show a cutaway version of the Evora 414E, with the addition of regenerative braking, HALOsonic and realistic 7 speed paddle shift technologies at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, giving an unusual insight into this pioneering vehicle.

About Lotus

Group Lotus plc, is based in Norfolk, UK, and has three operating divisions: Lotus Cars, Lotus Engineering and Lotus Racing.

Lotus Cars builds world class, high performance sports cars including the award-winning Evora, the iconic Elise and the stunning Exige. Lotus New Era, the future product line-up, was unveiled in Paris on 30th September 2010 featuring the new Esprit, Elan, Elite, Elise and Eterne.

Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to many of the world's OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers and is an internationally recognised automotive engineering consultancy. Global facilities include those in the US, Malaysia, China and offices in Germany and Japan. Lotus is a global high-tech company, committed to driving forward technology for both Lotus Cars and its Engineering clients, spearheading research into such areas as hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels.

Lotus Racing (formerly Lotus Motorsport) operates the motorsports activities of Lotus and includes the strategy to return the Lotus name to a great number of series including endurance racing with GT2, GT4 and LMP2, single seater racing with GP2, GP3 and IndyCar. Lotus also competes in Formula 1 with the Lotus F1 Team, racing in the iconic Black and Gold livery.

About the REEVolution consortium

Evolution of REEV Technologies Building a UK Supply Base is a collaborative R&D project funded by the Technology Strategy Board that is creating new high performance Range Extended Electric Vehicles (REEV) and Plug-in Hybrids Electric Vehicles (PHEV). Three new demonstrator vehicles will showcase innovative new technologies. The cars combine and build on the skills of all of the businesses involved. The driving force behind this is to build a UK supply chain for new ultra low carbon vehicle technologies and position suppliers so that they can exploit the global market. The REEVolution consortium, led by Jaguar Land Rover, consists of: Axeon Technologies Ltd, EVO Electric Ltd and Xtrac Limited; and three vehicle manufacturers: Jaguar Land Rover, Lotus and Nissan Motor Company Ltd. for INFINITI brand.

Lotus Evora 414E series plug-in hybrid in testing; 1,000 N·m of torque

Lotus 414E hybrid. Click to enlarge.

Lotus has begun testing of its Evora 414E plug-in series hybrid technology demonstrator. (Earlier post.) The Evora 414E is powered by two EVO Electric motor packs driving the rear wheels through an Xtrac transmission with a 17 kWh battery pack that can be charged by the Lotus range extender engine or directly from the grid.
In normal driving, Evora 414E will run purely on electricity stored in the battery pack for up to 30 miles (48 km). With the Lotus range extender and the electric traction motors powering the vehicle through an Xtrac 1092 transmission, the Evora 414E is targeted to produce 55g of CO₂/km emissions on the NEDC.

Cutaway showing location of major powertrain elements. Click to enlarge.

The supercharged Lotus 1.3-liter, 3-cylinder range extender engine was design-protected to run on either gasoline or renewable bio alcohol fuels (methanol and ethanol). It drives an EVO electric generator which produces electrical energy to either charge the battery pack or power the EVO traction motors directly.
The supercharged version of the range extender uses a belt-driven centrifugal supercharger to produce 50 kW peak electrical power at 3,500 rpm, with a naturally aspirated version producing a maximum 35 kW. The engine is optimized to generate power at engine speeds between 1,500 and 3,500 rpm allowing a lightweight simple 2 valve per cylinder engine architecture and eliminating the need for a complex 4 valve per cylinder design.
(Lotus plans to offer the range extender in both 3- and 2-cylinder versions, with output of 50 kW, 35 kW and 20 kW.)

Range extender engine and generator. Click to enlarge.

The generator supplied by Fagor Automation is driven directly off the crankshaft to reduce weight, package size and cost. The engine, generator and power electronics are controlled using a Lotus controller to improve communication and efficient running of the systems.
Should the driver require more performance, under hard acceleration, for example, the electricity will come from both the battery storage and the small range extender engine.
Total system torque is 1,000 N·m (738 lb-ft); power is 408 hp (304 kW). The 414E accelerates from 0-60 mph in around 4 seconds, with a top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h). (As a comparison, the 2010 Tesla Roadster featured torque of 400 N·m for the Sport model; the four synchronous motors in the coming Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-CELL (earlier post) are currently targeted to deliver 880 N·m of torque.)
The car has a simulated paddle shift gear change offering ultra quick gear changes reminiscent of a dual clutch transmission. This enhances the driver interaction with the vehicle and provides a driving experience similar to current internal combustion engine high performance sports cars, Lotus says. The Evora 414E Hybrid uses a column mounted paddle shift to simulate the gear change and a synthesized engine sound changes frequency with virtual gear selection.
The drive torque is also modulated to simulate a physical feeling of a gearshift jolt. The virtual gearshift simulation, like a conventional gearbox, is used to change the driving characteristics and response of the vehicle.
This offers the driver the ability to control the vehicle deceleration by simulating engine braking through a virtual downshift in gears. Unlike true engine braking, the Lotus system does not dissipate the energy of the moving vehicle through internal engine friction but uses the electric motors to regenerate the energy back into the battery. While many electric and hybrid vehicles provide engine braking, this is generally at a fixed rate or pre-selected rate. In some driving situations this can either be too aggressive, slowing the vehicle unnecessarily, or too light, requiring additional braking application.
The Lotus system effectively allows the driver to select the appropriate level of regeneration by simulating stepping down by one, two or even three gears. The simulation of engine braking through both the gear noise change and the retardation of the vehicle is fully intuitive to a driver familiar with a conventional gearbox, according to Lotus. The simulated gear change capability can be selected for greater driving involvement or switched off for more relaxed driving.
Simon Corbett, Principal Vehicle Dynamics Test and Development Engineer at Lotus Engineering, has been doing the majority of the development testing over the last few weeks and comments:

The Evora S has 400 Nm of torque which in such a lightweight car is already a healthy figure. But the Evora 414E has two and a half times that amount! The acceleration sensation is almost indescribable, the surge of torque is like an ocean wave!

Group Lotus plc, is based in Norfolk, UK, and has three operating divisions: Lotus Cars, Lotus Engineering and Lotus Racing.
Lotus Cars builds world class, high performance sports cars including the award-winning Evora, the iconic Elise and the stunning Exige. Lotus New Era, the future product line-up, was unveiled in Paris on 30th September 2010 featuring the new Esprit, Elan, Elite, Elise and Eterne.
Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to many of the world’s OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers and is an internationally recognized automotive engineering consultancy.
Lotus Racing (formerly Lotus Motorsport) operates the motorsports activities of Lotus and includes the strategy to return the Lotus name to a great number of series including endurance racing with GT2, GT4 and LMP2, single seater racing with GP2, GP3 and IndyCar. Lotus also competes in Formula 1 with the Lotus F1 Team, racing in the iconic Black and Gold livery.



Source: Green Car Congress

Lotus Ethos plug-in minicar headed to U.S. in 2013?

It's time to start gearing up for the possible 2013 arrival of a $45,000 plug-in minicar with a Lotus badge. We haven't heard much clamor for such a car, but if it's truly your dream, then you'd be thrilled to know that the extended-range Lotus Ethos will reportedly hit U.S. dealerships in late 2013 as a Model Year 2014 vehicle.

Unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, Lotus' minicar concept, now called the Ethos, will enter the production cycle in 2013. That's official. However, word of the Ethos coming to the U.S. has not been confirmed by the automaker.

In production form, the plug-in Ethos is expected to employ a range-extending 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine. Lotus claims the Ethos will have an electric-only range of 37 miles before that range extender swings into action and adding 270 miles of gas-burnin' action. Top speed checks in at a reported 76 miles per hour and the 0 to 62-mph dash takes nine movements of the second hand. The more important number is that $45k, which we're willing to bet will be a bit of an issue when it comes to racking up sales here in the States.



Source: Autoblog Green

Lotus Range Extender Engine Heading for Series Production

A collaboration between Lotus Engineering and Fagor Ederlan will develop the 3-cylinder Lotus Range Extender Engine (earlier post) for series production.

Lotus Engineering, the automotive consultancy division of Lotus Cars Limited, and Fagor Ederlan, part of the Mondragon Corporation Cooperativa, have completed a joint technical and market study analysing the best route to production for the Lotus Range Extender Engine. The study has culminated with an agreement for Lotus Engineering to develop the engine for series production and sale by Fagor Ederlan for the global automotive market.

The three-cylinder, 1.2-liter Range Extender engine from Lotus Engineering has been designed specifically for series hybrid vehicles and the production engine will offer a fast route to market for manufacturers wanting to source a dedicated range extender, the partners said.

The high-efficiency, low-mass design will enable low emissions vehicles to be produced cost effectively across a wide range of hybrid vehicle applications, as already demonstrated in both the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid and the PROTON Emas concepts, which were shown at the 80^th International Geneva Motor Show this year.

Source: Green Car Congress

Lotus to Introduce Plug-in Series Hybrid

Shot of the Evora 414E Hybrid concept. Click to enlarge.

Lotus Engineering will unveil the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid concept at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The concept is a high-performance technology demonstrator with a plug-in series hybrid drive system—featuring the Lotus Range extender engine and new technologies for enhanced driver involvement.

For the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid—so-named because it produces 414 PS (306 kW, 408 hp) of power—Lotus Engineering developed a drivetrain system consisting of twin motors each limited to providing 152 kW (207 PS/204 hp) of power and 400 N·m (295 lb-ft) of torque to each wheel via independent, single speed, reduction transmissions integrated into a single housing, enabling torque vectoring dynamic control of the vehicle. The 414E Hybrid accelerates from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in less than 4 seconds.

A conventional Evora. Click to enlarge.

A Lithium Polymer battery pack provides 17 kWh of energy storage capacity. The battery pack is optimized for energy density, efficiency and high power demand, with more than 100 kW discharge capability. All electric range is up to 35 miles (56 km), and total hybrid range is more than 300 miles (483 kilometers).

The 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder Lotus Range Extender engine provides 35 kW (48 PS/47 hp) of power at 3,500 rpm via the integrated electrical generator and features an innovative architecture comprising an aluminium monoblock construction, integrating the cylinder block, cylinder head and exhaust manifold in one casting. This results in reduced engine mass, assembly costs, package size and improved emissions and engine durability.

The engine uses an optimized two-valve, port-fuel injection combustion system to reduce cost and mass and can be operated on alcohol-based fuels and/or gasoline. The generator converts mechanical energy to electrical energy to replenish the battery pack charge and provides additional vehicle range in a small light weight package. The generator is also used as a motor to start the range extender engine. The low mass of the range extender unit (85 kg) and compact package makes it ideal for the series hybrid drivetrain in the Evora 414E Hybrid.

All the operation and management of the range extender engine, the power management of the batteries and motor control are controlled by Lotus’ electronic control units and software systems.

For everyday commuting journeys, up to 35 miles can be travelled using battery power. The battery can be charged overnight using a conventional domestic supply through a socket concealed by the rear number plate.

Lotus used its own vehicle simulation tools to determine the size, capacity, power and performance of all the components in the drivetrain system to optimize the system operation. Overall this is far more energy-efficient, weight-efficient and cost-effective than fitting the vehicle with a larger and more expensive battery, which for the majority of short journeys is a redundant weight, which increases energy requirements, Louts says.

Lotus claims that with regard to the total lifetime CO₂ emissions of the vehicle, including the energy required to manufacture and run it, the range extender solution has a lower overall CO₂ footprint than a fully electric car of comparable performance and operating range running with a larger battery.

Innovation has always been at the heart of Lotus and is needed now more than ever. The Evora 414E Hybrid is the perfect demonstration of Lotus Engineering’s core competencies: lightweight architectures, efficient performance, electrical and electronics integration and driving dynamics. The technology demonstrator represents an encapsulation of the advanced technologies that Lotus Engineering continues to develop to overcome the current environmental challenges facing the automotive industry and showcases the future direction that the sector is taking and why Lotus Engineering is perfectly placed to lead the technological development in this area.

—Robert Hentschel, Director of Lotus Engineering

Driver interaction. The Evora 414E Hybrid provides less of a psychological step change for people familiar with high-performance cars compared to other electric and hybrid sports cars. The car has a simulated paddle shift gear change offering ultra quick gear changes reminiscent of a dual clutch transmission, while actually single speed. This enhances the driver interaction with the vehicle and provides a driving experience similar to current internal combustion engine high performance sports cars. The Evora 414E Hybrid uses a column mounted paddle shift to simulate the gear change and a synthesized engine sound changes frequency with virtual gear selection. The drive torque is also modulated to simulate a physical feeling of a gearshift jolt.

The virtual gearshift simulation, like a conventional gearbox, is used to change the driving characteristics and response of the vehicle. The most significant aspect that this offers the driver is the ability to control the vehicle deceleration by simulating engine braking through a virtual downshift in gears. Unlike true engine braking, the Lotus system does not dissipate the energy of the moving vehicle through internal engine friction but uses the electric motors to regenerate the energy back into the battery. While many electric and hybrid vehicles provide engine braking, this is generally at a fixed rate or preselected rate. In some driving situations this can either be too aggressive, slowing the vehicle unnecessarily, or too light, requiring additional braking application.

The Lotus system effectively allows the driver to select the appropriate level of regeneration by simulating stepping down by one, two or even three gears. The simulation of engine braking through both the gear noise change and the retardation of the vehicle is fully intuitive to a driver familiar with a conventional gearbox. The simulated gearchange capability can be selected for greater driving involvement or switched off for more relaxed driving.

The Evora 414E Hybrid uses the Lotus Engineering and Harman International developed HALOsonic suite of noise solutions. The first of which is Electronic Sound Synthesis. This generates engine sounds inside the vehicle through the audio system where it provides an exciting sports sound in line with the brand and nature of the vehicle together with a high level of driver feedback in an intuitive manner. In addition, it also generates sound on the outside of the vehicle through speakers mounted at the front and rear to provide a warning to increase pedestrian safety, which is especially important for electric and hybrid vehicles which can be difficult to hear at slower speeds.

There are four driver selectable engine sounds currently on the vehicle, two of which have been designed to have characteristics of a multi-cylinder conventional V6 and V12 engine. There is also a futuristic sound and a combination of a conventional engine and a futuristic sound, enhancing the brand identity of the vehicle as a step forward in electric vehicle design.

The addition of this Lotus patented simulated gearshift concept not only provides for an exciting and involving driving experience that customers would expect from a Lotus, but also enhances the driver’s control of the vehicle while providing the capability for more efficient operation through a greater use of energy regeneration.

Structure. The Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid structure is the same award-winning, versatile vehicle architecture (VVA) used on the Lotus Evora. The low volume architecture was designed with the upmost flexibility in mind. The Evora 414E Hybrid is an example of how to integrate a compact packaged drivetrain, offering excellent performance and range, while using this underpinning. The complete chassis has remained unchanged from the Evora which maintains the structural integrity and strength performance of the original car.

The structure progresses the Lotus ‘bonded and riveted’ technology with new and unique extrusions and folded panels, whilst providing production build modularity and lower cost repairs. The chassis has been designed for scalability so that it can be extended in width, length and height. The strength and stiffness of the low volume VVA chassis can be modified cost effectively by varying the wall thickness of the extrusions, without altering the exterior dimensions. The ability to lengthen or shorten extrusions with the option to tailor the chassis stiffness vastly increases the number of vehicles that can be developed from this vehicle architecture.

Lotus is also showcasing a series hybrid vehicle technology application, including the Lotus Range Extender Engine, in the PROTON Concept to be unveiled at Geneva.

Source: Green Car Congress