Details of the $2m Lotus Evija All-Electric HyperCar revealed

As the Evilja PS moves closer to series production, Lotus has revealed how customers of this all-new can choose their Bespoke specifications. it is the marque’s first hypercar and inaugural all-electric model. What's more, the Evija is the first completely new car to be developed under the guidance of the Chinese automotive manufacturer, Geely, who also controls Volvo and Polestar.

The exclusive nature of the $2m two-seater means every customer journey is unique. Requests for personalization on every aspect of the Evija – from striking exterior paint color combinations to highly detailed interior trim – are all part of the enhanced ordering process.

The name means “the first in existence” - a nod to the 71-year-old British brand’s reputation for pioneering technology with road and race cars. The aim is to do something similar with this Evija e-hypercar. Lotus cars are generally quite spectacular to drive - they offer a pretty raw experience - so the anticipation here is for an outstanding yet electrified driving experience on tarmac and track.

Production of the Lotus Evija is expected to begin later this year (provided the World is free from the Coronavirus pandemic); that’s because the first year’s allocation is already spoken for. Allocation will be limited to no more than 130 cars to maintain a sense of exclusivity, as well as honor the car’s project codename, Type 130. Assembly will take place at the company’s home in Hethel, near the historic city of Norwich, UK.

The Evija is the first Lotus road car to feature a one-piece carbon fiber monocoque chassis which assists the low weight target. Williams Advanced Engineering, the British firm known for its Formula 1 and Formula E work, has helped develop the advanced electric powertrain. Here the battery pack supplies energy directly to four powerful e-motors with Lotus claiming the system to be the lightest, most energy dense, electric power package fitted to a series production road car.

Another interesting feature is the bi-plane front splitter. Designed in three sections, the larger central area provides air to cool the battery pack, which is mid-mounted behind the two seats, while the air channeled through the two smaller outer sections cools the front e-axle. With its square front-central section and two side wings, it is also a nice little nod to the Type 72, the Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe-designed 1970s Formula 1 car.

The starting point for every car’s specification is an all-new touch-screen configurator. Designed especially for Lotus, its ultra-powerful graphics processor creates stunning high-definition ‘photo-realistic’ images and animations. Developed using advanced gaming software, these allow the buyer to build and personalize their own car from the ground up and visualize it from every angle, inside and out.

Thanks to an advanced imaging technique known as raytracing, they can even place their Evija into multiple environments around the world to see how localized sunlight levels will affect their choices. The final element is the creation of a fully personalized ‘360-degree fly-through’ film exclusive to each customer.

The configurator is just one element of the Evija experience. At regular intervals during the purchase process, each customer will receive from Lotus a unique gift to reflect the exclusive and technical nature of the Evija.

That will culminate in a beautiful hand-crafted build book, packed with stunning imagery of the customer’s individual car during key moments of its assembly. The book will be presented to the customer with their Evija key as part of the handover celebrations.

Simon Clare, Executive Director, Global Marketing, Lotus, said: “We know every customer journey will be unique and our highly experienced customer relations team is ready to support any requests. With state-of-the-art digital tools such as the new configurator, we can accommodate customer preferences and requirements from anywhere in the world at the touch of a button.”

The Evija joins the Lotus range which includes the Elise, Exige and Evora sports cars as the marque’s premium product.