Everybody is making hybrid vehicles these days and Lotus too going with vibe has revealed details of their hybrid Evora which is called the 414E and will be unveiled at 2010 Geneva Motor Show. As you might have already realized, the 414 is the number of horsepowers the hybrid Evora has got, and the E refers to its new electric motors.
The Evora 414E comes with a purpose built 1.2 litre, three-cylinder engine which acts as a backup for the onboard electric motors because it’s them that run the car for most of the time.
The range extended electric drive of the Evora 414E Hybrid consists of two electric motors driving each of the rear wheels independently via single speed geartrain, integrated into a common transmission housing, thus enabling torque vectoring for stability control of the vehicle. Electrical power is stored in a lithium polymer battery pack optimised for energy density, efficiency and high power demand, mounted in the centre of the vehicle for stability and safety.
Each of these electric motors develop 152 kW (207 PS/204 hp) which is transferred to each of the rear wheels via independent, single speed, reduction transmissions integrated into a single housing, enabling torque vectoring dynamic control of the vehicle. The range extender 1.2 engine has a mere 48 hp.
They have also given this car an artificial soundtrack for more driving involvement and also for obvious safety reasons. 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.
Evora 414E Hybrid is also styled in a unique way with a special Copper paintjob which is garnished by electrical circuit inspired graphics! The same theme applies for the interior.
Dr Robert Hentschel, Director of Lotus Engineering said: “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.”
