Type 132 - Lotus Eletre

[Il fenomino]

16 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

found this...says 2023 reveal, expecting this year???

 

I just found an article about the new Volvo. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-electric-volvo-xc90-equivalent-could-take-embla-name

The steering wheel lokks nearly the same. Maybe all Geely cars get the same design? While the buttons remind me of current Nio cars

 

[eUKenGB]

11 hours ago, KusaKusa said:

Does the infotainment screen look different from the teasers to you guys?  The spyshots has a landscape oriented screen, but the teasers look more like a portrait screen.

I had thought that screen was just a display used in testing. I'm not a lover of big central screens like that, but I can accept them as long as there is a decent dash display IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER. Are you listening Tesla?

I really hope Lotus don't try and copy Tesla as so many other manufacturers seem to be doing. Only copy the competition when it is actually better and in this case, it most certainly is not.

Whatever Lotus put in the middle of the dash, it MUST have the important information displayed in front of the driver. Lacking that (as per some Tesla models) would absolutely be a deal breaker for me.

[eUKenGB]

1 hour ago, Il fenomino said:

The steering wheel lokks nearly the same. Maybe all Geely cars get the same design? While the buttons remind me of current Nio cars

I wouldn't be too worried about any steering wheel currently being used in testing. It would not be surprising if at this stage of development they are simply using whatever is readily available. Also helps to disguise the design in case of leaked photos. Not that anyone would be interested of course. 😉

[exeterjeep]

21 minutes ago, eUKenGB said:

I'm not a lover of big central screens like that

Agree, they always look like an after thought, and seem to be very distracting and block part of the windscreen, for shorter drives that may be an issue?

[eUKenGB]

There is also the fact that touch screens are mostly unsuitable for in-car use and largely unusable while bouncing along the road - particularly in the UK. Physical buttons are far easier to use and most importantly, don't require taking eyes off the road in order to operate.

I can accept things like the infotainment display being touch screen, but controls like Volume and other commonly used controls should be operable by touch alone, which ironically 'touch screens' are not.

The ideal user interface is a mix of direct physical control and touch sensitivity. A measure of the quality of the design is the ratio of each and just how they blend these 2 interfaces.

In my opinion, Jaguar got it almost perfect with the I-Pace which I consider has a superb interior (exterior not too shabby either 😀).

I hope Lotus don't disappoint.

[eUKenGB]

Something else occurs to me. Will the new SUV have any towing capability?

I'm fully aware of what towing does to range, but that's not insurmountable. What is however is if the manufacturer does not 'homologate' its towing credentials. For example, Jaguar's I-Pace is rated to tow only 750 kgs, despite the F-Pace being a lot more than that. So the I-Pace is legally limited to a relatively small towing capacity.

Tesla's Model X has significantly greater capacity, but the Model S is not rated at all, so cannot tow.

There was none of this nonsense in the past. Just put a towbar on what you wanted. But nowadays it's a different matter and the question remains - what will be Lotus' views on towing.

[exeterjeep]

On 24/12/2021 at 19:53, TomE said:

Yes, UK dealer deposit.

I suppose there was nothing to report from your recent visit to the factory about type 132..

[TomE]

No, other than the imminent launch which we already know about.  Also, first Evija customer deliveries start in June ⚡

[ramjet]

While I was reading this I went and looked at Polestar and Zeekr as I have never heard of them really. I am not even sure whether they are in Australia or not. I know I haven't seen any on the roads. Mind you, I have only ever seen one Smart4Two and two Elises, so I don't think that I am the best authority.

Anyway, saw the rear end of the Polestar 2 and was not very impressed at all.

[exeterjeep]

Seen a few polestars, parked next to one in the supermarket car park, it is ok ish, but too big for what I want. So may have to skip the type 132 and wait to see the 'smaller' one.

[electro_boy]

1 hour ago, ramjet said:

Anyway, saw the rear end of the Polestar 2 and was not very impressed at all.

I think the design is quite polarising.  You either get it and think it's great or just a big slab.

I've only seen a glimpse of a Polestar on the road and I quite liked it looked classy and understated in white.

 

[eUKenGB]

My thinking on this is that despite the Polestar and Zeekr possibly being based on the same Geely platform as the upcoming Lotus 132, there's no reason for the remotest similarity in actual looks. The basic sizes will likely be similar, but the shape of the body panels would be unique for each manufacturer.

Take the Ioniq 5 compared to the Kia EV6. Same platform, but even different wheelbase and totally different look - inside and out.

So I think the 132 will be uniquely Lotus, even if sharing the same platform as those other Geely brands.

[Il fenomino]

While the design is talked about a lot, I wonder what the car will be fitted with technology wise. Will there be a head up display? Will there be an app? How much autonomous driving features will there be? All that is still a mystery. 

[C8RKH]

1 hour ago, Il fenomino said:

All that is still a mystery.

And I'd be very happy if none of it was on a car "for the drivers!"

[KusaKusa]

For those comparing to the Polestar 2, the Polestar is based on an existing ICE architecture, so it won't be similar in stature, dimensions, or proportions with anything else including Lotus.  The new Zeekr, upcoming and not yet revealed Polestar 3, and Lotus Type 132 will be based in similar platforms.

[NedaSay]

The Zeekr 001 is based on Geely/Volvo SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture), The Polestar 2 is based on Volvo/Geely CMA (Compact modular Architecture).

Type 132 was rumoured to be using SPA(Scalable Product Architecture) as it was package protected to go full EV. However SEA appears to be a refined version of SPA, and has been designated by Geely as the one platform to carry the group and all its brands forward.

All these architectures have one thing in common, as they all stem from the same base philosophy: the distance between the centre of the front wheels and the pedal box is fixed! For the rest any company of Geely group can do whatever they please. They just know that they are using the same steering rack,as well as the firewall that is in the same spot and front hard points are set in stones lengthwise.  The propulsion system can be tweaked as one seas fit provided it fits the compartment dedicated to it. Within the realm of SEA/ SPA or CMA Lotus can do whatever they please the length of the vehicle is not affected passed the hard point mentioned above and suspension wise it is a free for all... Off course brands are invited to pick from the group supermarket parts which is quite extensive but as Lotus showed with Emira you can source from outside the group if you so need.

[MJON]

On 25/01/2022 at 13:44, exeterjeep said:

Seen a few polestars, parked next to one in the supermarket car park, it is ok ish, but too big for what I want. So may have to skip the type 132 and wait to see the 'smaller' one.

Type 134 is the midsized SUV according to reports looks like 2024 

On 25/01/2022 at 17:11, C8RKH said:

And I'd be very happy if none of it was on a car "for the drivers!"

Agreed, but a large SUV “for the drivers” nah! Mind you, zero to 62 in 3 seconds… Why 🤢

[C8RKH]

4 minutes ago, MJON said:

Why 🤢

Yes. Indeed. Bloody pointless. I'd prefer them to focus on range to be honest than speed.

[Bibs]

With one comes the other usually. If you want more range, don't rag it so much! 

[exeterjeep]

And hopefully it drives and feels like a Lotus.

[Il fenomino]

Well it won't drive a Lotus. It will be a heavy SUV. But for people who drive in 2.5 ton cars, the type 132 will probably feel better to drive. So as long as Lotus build the lightest and sportiest cars of the class, it will feel like the Lotus heritage is honoured. At least for me. But I'm more interested in the type 133.

[electro_boy]

13 hours ago, MJON said:

Agreed, but a large SUV “for the drivers” nah! Mind you, zero to 62 in 3 seconds… Why 🤢

Creating a good efficient electric drivetrain has the byproduct of it also being capable of high torque and quick 0-60 times.  I don't think everyone is particularly aiming for 0-60 in 3 secs they are just trying to create high quality efficient electric drivetrains.  For sure the sporty brands, Lotus, Porsche etc... will need that quick launch for reputation but when you see Kia's and VW etc that can also do very respectable quick launches its most a byproduct.

Think of it a bit like tuning a turbo engine, whereby with a different map and telling the waste gate to allow more boost you suddenly have more power.  Yes I have simplified this a lot but its pretty much what happens.  You can take an efficient 1.0 litre turbo 4 pot good for 50mpg and 100bhp.  Give it a retune to produce twice as much boost and suddenly its producing 200bhp (and considerably less than 50mpg).

Similar with EV drivetrains, the drivetrain will spend most its time in the "100bhp tune" and produce good range but the motor controller can very easily just request more current from the battery and suddenly you are in "200 bhp tune".  Of course it can't maintain that for long, batteries will deplete very quickly, over heat etc.... so the car will soon have to revert back to the lower tune.  But for a short while a 0-60 launch in 3sec is totally possible.

[MJON]

@electro_boyFully understand instant torque and acceleration is a factor with electric motors but it can be infinitely controlled and I think this needs to be taken into consideration within design controlled parameters. Just have this vision of multiple heavy electric SUV’s outside school gates, (or any other built up area for that matter)with that ability to instantly and silently launch at high speed with a touch/slip of the pedal. They don’t need to be set up this way, hopefully this will be addressed as part of further development. 

[electro_boy]

Totally agree with you @MJON

I just assumed that level of power or that kind of throttle map would only be enabled in track mode or ludicrous mode or what ever Tesla call their super fast mode and would be hidden away in the menu system and not something you could accidentally turn on.

But even still with that in mind, I don't see why huge SUV / family wagon needs to have this mode at all.  I guess its because it gets the headlines.  I also think its because EV cars used to and I guess still are thought of as boring so having these headline grabbing figures makes them seem cooler and appeal to people more? 

 

[eUKenGB]

I don't really think this is a problem at all. It's all just down to the mapping of the accelerator pedal and power to the motor. An EV will NOT inappropriately shoot away at the merest touch of the pedal, any more than any fast ICE powered car will.

The difference is that the response of the EV's motor to pedal input is WAY more accurate, consistent and controllable, at all speeds, than an ICE can ever be.

This difference is even more apparent in motorcycles where the direction of the vehicle is affected (even controlled) by the twistgrip (I'm careful to not use the term throttle). An electric motorcycle provides a level of control, a feeling of connection between twistgrip and rear wheel and hence direction when manoeuvring at low speed that previously has only been the stuff of dreams. Outright performance, with that unrelenting acceleration is great fun, but that almost infinitely fine grained controllability is what sets EVs apart from their ICE brethren.

No matter how many times I have tried to explain this to people, I am always aware that it's not really sinking in. Then later they come back to me, after they have actually driven/ridden an EV (car or bike) and admit they didn't get it, but now they do.

The EV driving experience is simply superior. Don't get bogged down in some misguided belief that there has to be a load of mechanical clatter and the (often unpleasant to others) roar of hot gasses exiting a pipe. You just need to get your head around the fact that those do NOT add to the experience.

For me the thrill of driving is being able to move oneself and vehicle at the maximum rate with clinical precision. Every bend is an opportunity to practice observation, prediction and taking the correct line, sometimes at the highest speed (that is safe and acceptable in those circumstances). None of this is improved by making loads of noise, both inside and outside a car. It really isn't - unless you're more concerned with shouting to others "hey, look at me".

If what you want is to DRIVE, then electric power is the superior choice.