British car manufacturer Lotus has taken the first steps into entering the Electric Vehicle market, after they filed patent drawings with IP Australia which reveal exactly what the car will look like.
The fully electric SUV, codenamed Type 132 for now, will be manufactured in Wuhan, China with the goal of achieving high sales volumes, particularly compared to previous Lotus releases. Their range of sports cars however will still be manufactured in Britain for the time being.
In classic Lotus fashion, the patent drawings reveal the Type 132 to boast slick and sporty styling, with large alloy wheels, a subtle yet stark spoiler, sharp lines and aerodynamic camera-based mirrors. The sharp nose and headlights are slightly reminiscent even of the Lamborghini Urus.
Credit: Lotus
At the core of the new vehicle is Lotus’ new modular architecture LEVA (Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture).
“The structure is fully adaptable to provide a platform for a range of EVs with variable layouts, wheelbase lengths, battery sizes and configurations,” says Richard Rackham, Head of Vehicle Concepts at Lotus.
The LEVA base of the Type 132 is compatible with a variety of battery packs ranging from 90kWh and 120kWh. As a result, driving range should at maximum be over 500km before recharging. This alongside an 800-volt charging system, make the Type 132 quite an accessible car in a world where electric car infrastructure is still limited.
While power and torque figures have not been released by Lotus, they say that the new SUV will achieve 0-100km/h in under 3 seconds flat.
Credit: Lotus
Fans of Lotus will be pleased to note that the new car is in fact destined for the Australian market, as a spokesperson for Lotus distributor Simply Sports Cars revealed.
“Yes, it is our intention to bring [the] Type 132 into Australia.”
The Type 132 electric SUV will be revealed in full on the 29th of March 2022, while cars will first appear in customer hands by October this year.
