Type 132 - Lotus Eletre

[MJON]

“An EV will NOT inappropriately shoot away at the merest touch of the pedal” 🤔Are you sure about that @eUKenGB 🤭

[C8RKH]

Tell that to this owner hahahahaha...  Also the way an electric motor delivers large amounts of instant torque IS very different to an ICE.

[eUKenGB]

I am fully aware of the different characteristics, but torque is torque and if you think that a large powerful ICE car in first gear will not leap forward if you step on the throttle, you've not driven a powerful (high torque at low rpm) ICE car.

That video is of a Taycan which is a very powerful car, probably actually faster overall than e.g. a top spec Panamera. Stamp on the Panamera's throttle in first gear though, when it will have similar or even more torque at the wheels than a Taycan and I guarantee it will lunge forward extremely rapidly - and uncontrollably if the driver thinks their foot is actually on the brake.

You could rightfully claim that EVs are deceptive as they are so controllable that a driver is not always aware of the full performance available, but that's just down to the competence of the driver and our driving test/licence makes no distinction between e.g. a Fiat 500 and a Veyron (or Tesla Model S Plaid). If you can afford the insurance, you can drive anything without necessarily being competent to do so.

EVs can be seen as very 'cuddly' and easy to drive, when in fact that same driver would not even consider driving a roaring noisy monster ICE powered car that made the same amount of power/torque.

We've all seen examples of incompetence and there have been pictures/videos floating around the 'Net for years, of cars being inadvertently parked on top of other parked cars due to the driver putting their foot on the wrong pedal. It even happened a few years ago in the car park where my wife works. They were not EVs, or even fast/powerful. No-one remarked on their ICE being in some way uncontrollable. Just down to driver error. Now any similar event involving an EV is simply a critical trope to make EVs look bad. 

This is not an EV thing. It's driving a very powerful car thing.

In any case, this is not the place to be arguing against EVs as these threads are about Lotus' EV future. They've made the decision. If anyone is so dead set against EVs, I'd suggest Lotus is not in your future.

[C8RKH]

Lighten up!

[Bibs]

13 hours ago, C8RKH said:

Also the way an electric motor delivers large amounts of instant torque IS very different to an ICE.

OEM's are, weirdly I know, aware of this and alter the characteristics of the 'go' pedal accordingly to make them easier to drive for the majority of people who just want to get in a car and make a journey easily and safely. Everyone is used to the way ICE cars work so they map the pedal to imitate the response of the traditional power delivery. If they didn't, dear old Percy would be planting his car into the nearest wall doing massive wheelspins every 5 seconds, EV motors can be at 100% speed almost instantly of course.

Sports car manufacturers have also twigged and do the opposite, look at the change to the throttle map in the Evora when the sports button is pressed. It's not done much to the engine, it just feels faster as you get a greater response to the same pedal movement in non-sport mode. It's just a trick! 

I've no doubt Lotus will map the pedal very carefully in their EV's, it's pretty easy to imagine how to make a sports car feel fast and an SUV still feel rapid but not sports car fast. 

[C8RKH]

I don't doubt everything you have put is correct @Bibs. Many people were caught out when the "one pedal" approach, using I guess the degenerative braking of the electric motor, was being used even on "simple" cars like the Nissan's - they just didn't have the "experience"   Also, not to be sniffed at is that the ICE engine also through the "noise" it creates provide additional sensory feedback and people are used to "hearing" their car at high revs/speed etc.

I expect Lotus to be at the leading edge of "driving dynamics", not just from a handling point of view, but from a total "execution" point of view covering everything from handling, chassis dynamics, driver involvement and how the controls respond. 

[eUKenGB]

5 hours ago, C8RKH said:

Lighten up!

Yeah, I sure could do with losing a few pounds. 😀

[C8RKH]

You and me both.

[Il fenomino]

Some of you my know that NIO invested in Lotus. NIO has the battery swapping technology. The more I learn about this battery as a service model, the more it grows on me. Is there any indication, the SEA plattform Lotus is able to swap batteries at NIO's stations? 

[NedaSay]

There's no reason to believe that Lotus had access to that tech during the development of the Type 132.

Most of the lifting had been already done by the time the JV was announced, however announcing a JV is a thing entering into one is another.  IT is thought that Lotus is using a lot of Geely EV divisions tech in type 132. So far, No Geely group EV products (Polestar, Zeekr, Volvo, lynk&Co, Geometry or Emgrand) has been put on sale with this technology built in.  Type 132 is supposed to use components of the SPA toolkit, more probably the now known as SEA, but Type 132 is also rumoured to use the same battery charging tech that Evija (350kw) is using and so far only one other Geely product is using something similar Zeeker 001 is reported to be able to reach 360kw when charging. The zeekr battery is in the skate and as far as we know is not hot swapable.

However Geely and Lifan have entered into partnership alongside CATL to develop battery swapping tech (source:  https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3164575/volvo-owner-geely-automobile-forms-partnership-develop and since then Geely and Nio have started a far reaching collaboration and Lotus is the emerged part of that iceberg.

[exeterjeep]

Found today.....

https://www.bullfrag.com/spy-photos-of-the-prototype-of-the-new-lotus-type-132-the-electric-suv-in-china/

Two prototypes of the new Lotus Type 132, the electric SUV, hunted for the first time

Another article says..

It’s not as big and bulky as some renderers have suggested in the past and it’s good for a brand that has famously focused on keeping its vehicle sleek and tidy. We also know that Lotus sounds committed to ensuring that the Type 132 will be the same as a vehicle like the Porsche Cayenne.

 

[exeterjeep]

On 10/02/2022 at 16:22, exeterjeep said:

It’s not as big and bulky as some renderers

Has anyone tried to work out how big it is from any clues in the pic, average height of a Chinese man - on the internet have seen figures of 5ft6 and also 5ft 7.5inches. 

And what size rims can we expect?  The height looks to be less than the wife's Evoque  - I went out to stand by it, they guy in the pic is bending a bit as well.....

Anyone own up to loaning/giving Lotus £2k to keep for a few months..

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Slightly off topic but when I was driving along the M25 on Tuesday I saw a camouflaged luxury SUV. Hmm looks like a Maserati Levante I thought. As I got closer I noticed that it was LHD on Polish plates. Closer still I saw that the camouflage wrap was a patchwork of Maserati badges and it even still had the trident badge on the grille, albeit wrapped in film. So if you’re going to try and disguise your new car, don’t smother it with the maker’s name or leave the grille badge on!

[Il fenomino]

On 10/02/2022 at 17:22, exeterjeep said:

Found today.....

https://www.bullfrag.com/spy-photos-of-the-prototype-of-the-new-lotus-type-132-the-electric-suv-in-china/

Two prototypes of the new Lotus Type 132, the electric SUV, hunted for the first time

Another article says..

It’s not as big and bulky as some renderers have suggested in the past and it’s good for a brand that has famously focused on keeping its vehicle sleek and tidy. We also know that Lotus sounds committed to ensuring that the Type 132 will be the same as a vehicle like the Porsche Cayenne.

 

That car is way to big for me. Hopefully the type 133 will be smaller.

[jonwat]

Type 132 Electric SUV Spied Testing In China 

[Bibs]

[exeterjeep]

Some are getting to see it a reveal later this week. So are we expecting more teasers until early March.

[Beady]

any more ideas on  UK price yet ?

need a replacement for our Macan...

[exeterjeep]

Might be a bit bigger than the Macan, looks lower than the wife's Evoque, but longer. How about £50-70k. But whatever price it is it needs to do really well to help Lotus get well into the electric era.

[exeterjeep]

Just found this   http://nvl5.ru/lotus-type-132-2022/   have no idea if these are real or renders...

[MJON]

That doesn’t look dissimilar to more recent Toyota/Lexus styling. 

[Xynagy]

Lets hope its renders…

[exeterjeep]

Could not match up the side window profiles etc from the unwrapped car compared to the wrapped views from China. Have to wait a bit longer......

[Bibs]

 

[Il fenomino]

Funny. The paddle shifter say + on both sides...

Here are additional pictures: https://imgur.com/a/AJizvTE/