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Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid – it's now a runner

Ahead of schedule, Lotus' new Evora 414E Range Extender Hybrid Electric Vehicle (REEV) has started its dynamic and durability testing at the Lotus HQ in Hethel, Norfolk.

- 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!"

Photo gallery: Lotus Evora GTE