Lotus Type 130, the British brand's supercar, will be fully electric and will arrive in 2019

Lotus has been one of the highlights of the Shanghai Motor Show, as it has just confirmed its new supercar. It is called Lotus Type 130 and, according to Phil Popham, CEO of Lotus, “the Lotus Type 130 will be the most dynamic vehicle in our history. It marks a turning point for our brand; it is a demonstration of what we are capable of and of what is to come.”

The legendary British sports car maker confirmed, during a press event, the rumours that had been circulating about a new vehicle. Lotus has explained that it is currently developing a new fully electric supercar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B03UPE_GDmQ

Lotus has revealed in teaser form the first image of its future electric supercar. An elegant silhouette can be seen, accompanied by a long, aerodynamic tail. Some sources claim it could go up against the Pininfarina Battista and other high-end electric supercars.

Although these are not official figures, everything points to the price of the future Lotus supercar ranging between 1.7 and 2.3 million euros. Enthusiasts of this type of sports car will hope this new concept can offer more than 1,000 CV and just over 400 km of fully electric range.

Lotus Type 130: why was this name chosen?

The future electric supercar from the British brand is called Lotus Type 130 and, although it may not seem so, it has a meaning. Lotus intends to position the vehicle as the “latest in a long line of innovative sports cars” from the manufacturer based in Norfolk, which began with the famous ‘Type’ prefix.

Among these renowned models stands out the Lotus Type 14, which became the first production car with a composite monocoque chassis. Next comes the Lotus Type 72, which was the most successful Formula 1 single-seater of all time, and the Lotus Type 111, also known as the Lotus Elise, which was the first to be developed in aluminium.

The CEO of Lotus has stated that “the Lotus Type 130 is important to illustrate the capability, the intent and the direction of design. It really shows what Lotus could be, will be, and the support we currently have from Geely.”

Will Lotus stop making sports cars?

For the British brand, the Lotus Type 130 “effectively relaunches the sports car brand that has historically been so well loved.” In addition, Phil Popham has added that over the next year, a new sports car will be unveiled that will be more production-oriented. “Our focus is on sports cars, but we will move into other segments as time goes on.”

For his part, Russell Carr, the brand’s design director, has noted that “we saw a trend in many cars, Le Mans prototypes, in which the airflow is managed not only over the surface of the model but also through the vehicle itself.” This idea, they say, gave them a very interesting design direction. “It is an elegant car with some hints of the past and many modern details.”

Some sources claim that the official presentation of the model is planned for mid-2019. It will take place in London, the birthplace of the British brand exactly 71 years ago.