Future of Lotus

[TdM]

Forward looking cameras and OTA updates will solve that. Also machine to machine communications will be needed.

Automated driving is a long way off. Everything currently on the road, including experimental are fancy cruise control systems. Driver and occupant monitoring are going to be the big tech explosion in the next 3-5 years.

[C8RKH]

But that is already there too @TdM. My wife's car and others monitor the drivers inputs and also eye movements. They can detect when you are not concentrating/distracted and also when you are tired and need a break.  I regularly shoot down to see my mother, just under 300 miles one way. Often, I do the journey in one hit and all good, though sometimes, on some journeys the car dash will light up and I'll get a message that I should take a break, and to be fair, it usually does happen when I am feeling tired.

You don't need OTA updates for speed, in fact, the forward facing cameras on most cars these days will "read" the signs for speed so they will be more accurate at picking up temporary speed limit changes than OTA - for instance when the motorway goes down to 50 in roadworks.

As I said in my earlier post, the tech is actually all there.  Autonomous is just bringing it together and driving improvements/enhancements. However, you will not get autonomous UNTIL the law catches up and public ACCEPTANCE has been achieved. Until then, as now with the Tesla systems etc, the "driver" whether actually driving or not will be held accountable if the vehicle (itself through mechanical failure or autonomous systems failure) or driver (through actions or inaction) causes an accident.

A lot of people can't wait for this. Me. It sounds like hell. But I guess it is progress.

 

 

[Frickin_idiot]

14 hours ago, NedaSay said:

The skeleton is no more:

It only took nearly 8 years 3 different CEOs (DB, JMG, PP) and a new ownership...

That's an impressive addition to the site.

[TdM]

Yes camera based DMS is 'here' but still quite rare. Most are still torque based like Tesla and therefore unreliable. The newest ones are just coming to cars now. The newest developments are integration of eye tracking and DMS into the entertainment system. We will see a lot of this in the next few years (especially as ncap are now all over it).

 

Anyway, autonomous doesn't work. Hence why DMS is needed. Collaborative driving is coming soon though and it's a good idea. The industry has finally woken up to this reality after a few years of blind autonomous investment.

[Jason is Chasing]

On 11/10/2020 at 23:40, C8RKH said:

Yes. For some very happy days. For others, not so happy.

For the last 5 -7 years we've been slowly decluttering. Getting rid of all that useless shite you accumulate and realise was just a waste of money.

I do wonder what the future for Lotus will be.  A car for the drivers as electric autonomous looms on the distant horizon. So essentially a car for a dying market - quite literally if you look at all of the old farts on here!

A focus on driving involvement, handling and vehicle dynamics for drivers who just want a badge and 0-60 straight line bragging rights.

I think 2025-2030 will be the key period for the future Lotus to be shaped and at that point we'll have a clear idea about what future Lotus stands for.

 

Honestly it sounds like more than the Future of Lotus, but the Future of the Driver, the more I read this thread (I'll be 50, by the time I begin to see the changes proposed) the more I hope theres a renaissance of track rats that will keep my beloved hobby alive

[Bibs]

https://www.edp24.co.uk/business/car-firm-lotus-builds-new-factory-in-hethel-to-triple-production-1-6895371

[Frickin_idiot]

 

13 minutes ago, Bibs said:

https://www.edp24.co.uk/business/car-firm-lotus-builds-new-factory-in-hethel-to-triple-production-1-6895371

That’s really good to see, genuine investment in the manufacturing facility with an uplift in available volumes.

[scotty435]

Geely obviously believes in the brand, big investment Lotus as not seen in decades,the future looks bright. Can not wait to see what comes out of this facility in the next few years.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Surprise, surprise: it was cold and raining when the press came to visit!

Apart from that, it looks like it’s going to be a really nice place to work. Very impressive.

[Frickin_idiot]

23 minutes ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

Surprise, surprise: it was cold and raining when the press came to visit!

Apart from that, it looks like it’s going to be a really nice place to work. Very impressive.

It’ll be good to see the fruits of the investment with a factory packed full of workers and cars rolling off the lines. A welcome relief to fans of the brand and dealerships!

[Barrykearley]

Looks absolutely fantastic. But if they build 3 times the cars - they need to sell them. I’m really looking forward to seeing the building of brand awareness next 👍

[C8RKH]

"Triple" production. FFS. I am assuming the journalist who developed that headline is still in school and that school is somewhat worse than the comprehensive I attended. Journalists today, whose job is "words"  after all, they can't even get the very simple basics right.   

Anyway, I look forward to seeing the trebling of production and to welcoming many new Lotus owners to this forum over the coming years.

[Barrykearley]

Would triple.three-recurring sound as good in a headline though @C8RKH?

[jonwat]

According to this week's Autocar Lotus is developing a 750HP electric SUV 

[NedaSay]

So I guess it will only have one or maybe two motors of the Evija instead of all four lol. Just kidding Lynk and Co (the Zero is rated at 530 bhp) and Polestar ( #2 has over 400bhp) already have access to engines able to produce mostly irrelevant amount of hp.

Actually with electric power, I don't thing speaking in hp makes any sense... The smallest electric motor is able to produce senseless amount of hp these days. Lets not even talk about torque because it makes things even more irrelevant.

However ease of use ( charging speed, range or autonomy, ability to handle cold weather, ease of  service and repair...) should be keynotes in every blurb the communicate around, but as we are talking about Lotus a sports car company I guess speaking of HP kind of make sense except for the fact that Lotus has never really been about the HP...

So Lotus finally came out about the SUV, I guess the leaks coming from China were getting a bit out of control, that pesky google translate is working a little too well and the Great Chinese firewall is not as strong as it used to be I guess.

Now 750 bhp or whatever the real number will be put that SUV in the face of the big hitters i'm guessing that thing will not be priced as low as a Maccan...  I'm guessing at least a kidney and most of my liver won't be enough...

By the way remember test mule 31 testing in Hethel earlier this year, well test mule 32 has been caught in China recently

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDLv58NJYl3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

Edited October 28, 2020 by NedaSay

[Bibs]

Great podcast with Gavan...

 

[jonwat]

Autocar: Electric Lotus SUV due in 2022

[NedaSay]

Autocar is a bit late to the party but the opinion piece is not uninteresting

https://www.autocar.co.uk/opinion/new-cars/opinion-electric-lotus-suv-must-remain-true-brands-ethos

[dooie]

IMachE have posted a seminar with Uday Senapati on YouTube about the Evija and shaping Lotus's future. Get a cuppa it's an hour long: 

 

  

[Bibs]

• Project BattCon is a pilot project introducing containerised battery test facilities
• Designed to help meet increasing demand for new UK-based battery testing to support EV supply chain and OEMs
• Containers will be in operation at Lotus HQ in Hethel, Norfolk, plus the new Lotus Advanced Technology Centre in Wellesbourne, West Midlands
• Provides fast, cost-effective and efficient solution for companies developing new batteries

(Hethel, UK – 19 November 2020) – Lotus Engineering is launching a pilot containerised battery testing facility to assess energy storage solutions for the booming EV sector.

It will allow Lotus Engineering to carry out various battery cell, module and pack characterisation tests, performance evaluations, and component and lifetime testing under controlled conditions. Early feasibility study support and validation of mature designs for implementation into new vehicles will also be available.

The project has been named BattCon, an abbreviation of Battery Containerised Test Facility. The ‘containers’ are individual walk-in laboratories and will be in operation at Lotus HQ in Hethel, Norfolk, as well as the new Lotus Advanced Technology Centre in Wellesbourne, West Midlands. Each is the size of a standard 40ft shipping container and so can easily be packed up and transported as a mobile testing unit, available to Lotus Engineering customers wherever they are. Lotus has three operational units as part of the pilot scheme.

For clients, Lotus Engineering will offer an EV safety-compliant workshop facility with specialist staff experienced in testing batteries. Companies new to the EV field, and those who would otherwise need to invest in additional test facilities, will have access to a fast, efficient and cost-effective solution to develop new technologies and speed up their route to market. For Lotus itself, the new technology will support ambitious plans to launch a new range of performance vehicles.

Lotus Engineering has a wealth of experience in the design and engineering of EVs and other alternative propulsion powertrains dating back two decades. While many of the programmes remain confidential, the consultancy’s work on the Tesla Roadster (2008-12) is the best-known example.

Matt Windle, Executive Director, Engineering, Lotus, commented: “As the race intensifies for automotive and other sectors to develop new and novel battery technologies, there will be increased demand for suitable testing facilities. Project BattCon begins to address this problem by evaluating how Lotus Engineering can meet the battery testing opportunities for the UK supply chain and OEMs.”

Services available include capacity determination, resistance mapping, current and power mapping, open circuit voltage determination and heat capacity. Lifetime testing is comprised of low-voltage cycling, high-voltage cycling, self-discharge determination, storage ageing, cycle ageing, drive cycle ageing and orientation. One of the three Lotus containers features an ambient chamber, the temperature of which can be raised or lowered to replicate climatic extremes around the world.

The pilot project will conclude in spring 2021 and is co-funded by the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF), part of the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC); Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation; the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department for International Trade (DIT). Upon completion, the project will be evaluated and a decision taken about its future.

Lotus Engineering is the consultancy division of Lotus and provides a comprehensive range of technical services to many of the world’s best-known automotive manufacturers and suppliers. In 2020 it is celebrating 40 years since it was formally incorporated.

[exeterjeep]

I found an article suggesting that the SUV could get announced later this year, and to start build in China shortly. Mind you how many times have articles appeared to indicate that a new Lotus was on its way, but nothing actually happens.  Bought the autocar mag as above so I could show the wife what we could replace her RR evoque with....

https://carbuzz.com/news/the-lotus-suv-is-coming-sooner-than-we-thought

[duncx]

Looking at that carbuzz article and the first picture - they had better not be thinking of fitting the Elise/Exige S3 lights to the front of the thing, people will most likely want to be able to drive an SUV in the dark

 

[exeterjeep]

Cause sometimes it is dark when taking the kids to school.

[Techyd]

That doesn't appear to have any interesting styling cues, certainly nothing from the Evija anyway (digital wing mirrors would be something) but then I guess there's not a lot you can do with what is essentially a brick with headlights.

How official are these pictures?

I would have expected something better than that if that's what it will look like, so I'm disappointed at this point in time 😞

There's definitely more to be done with the front and rear arches

[stephenwhyte]

It’s all guesswork - all will be revealed I’m sure, when Lotus are good and ready. In the meantime best to just ignore all the press speculation and guesswork.....