Plug-in Lotus: Electric Special: Plug-in Lotus
Renewable energy firm and ex-lotus engineers create battery-powered Exige
The Tesla isn’t the only Lotus-based electric car in development in the UK. Ecotricity, the company perhaps best known for being at the forefront of supplying electricity from renewable sources for domestic use, is also working on a battery-powered Lotus, this one based on an Exige.
Company founder Dale Vince, who admits to being a bit of a petrolhead on the side, decided he wanted to create a car that would be fun to drive but could be charged by one of his wind turbines. The Lotus Exige was picked as the base car because it is such a dynamic benchmark. Now a Norfolk-based team consisting mainly of ex-Lotus engineers (and more used to developing Le Mans winners) is converting it to all-electric power, with the target of making it capable of sprinting to 60mph in 4sec and topping 100mph, with a range on a full charge of over 150 miles.
Peter Stevens has been tasked with redesigning the car to take account of the new drivetrain, the introduction of which has forced the wheelbase to be extended. In place of the petrol engine are two electric motors connected to the rear wheels via a transaxle (in-wheel motors were tried but abandoned). Battery power comes from a bank of 96 lithium-ion batteries, weighing in at around 150kg.
The first fully working prototype is due to be shown in December, with the building of customer cars set to commence in 2009.
