Lotus to develop more electric cars

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Source: AutoCar

Lotus Engineering is to research the development a new generation of electric vehicles.

The Norfolk firm’s design consultancy division was selected by ZAP (Zero Air Pollution), a US supplier of environmentally friendly vehicles. ZAP wants to develop a range of affordable, practical and fun-to-drive electric cars.

Lotus’s challenge is to discover if such a range can be realistically developed. Not only will it study developments in electric motors, batteries and charging systems, but also styling, performance, and production costs. Staff from Lotus’s technical centres at Hethel, Michigan and Kuala Lumpur will complete the study.

This is not the first union between Lotus and eco-friendly Americans. In July 2006, Californian electric sports car manufacturer Tesla commissioned Lotus to complete final assembly of their Elise-based Roadster.
 
I actually like the name for that electric car company. ZAP. It's a bit punny, but clever. :)

I also liked the Tesla and have faith that Lotus will produce something good, so I can't wait to see what turns up. 👍
 
Lotus isn't prducing anything. Judging by the few sentences, it's pretty much all up to them though. I don't think we'll be seeing anything for a while though, the styling half of things would only come to form once the whole project would be deemed feasable. Until then they will probably just run tests with an existing Elise as a testbed.

The Tesla looks stunning though, so who knows what will happen.
 
Let's put some real information into this thread, not some automotive tabloid mishmash.

The ZAP-X Crossover Electric Car - 155 mph, 644 Horsepower, based on the
APX technical demonstrator vehicle designed & developed by Lotus
Engineering

ZAP-X features all wheel drive, 10 minute recharge time, a 350 Mile Range
and will be the center piece of the NADA Exhibition, 3rd to 6th of
February 2007.

Automotive pioneer ZAP [OTC BB: ZAAP] today announced plans to display
Lotus Engineering's advanced APX concept car at the North American Dealers
Association (NADA) annual meeting and exhibition, February 3 to 6, 2007,
confirming their choice to move ahead using Lotus' revolutionary platform
and body structure design as the basis for the development of the high
performance electric ZAP-X.
ZAP and Lotus Engineering will begin the first phase of an engineering
project to use the British consultancy's APX ("Aluminum Performance
Crossover") as a basis for designing a production-ready electric all-wheel
drive crossover high performance vehicle for ZAP in the USA market.
A combination of the lightweight aluminum vehicle architecture, a new
efficient drive and advanced battery management systems is intended to
enable a range of up to 350 miles between charges, with a rapid 10-minute
recharging time. An auxiliary power unit is planned to support longer
distance journeys.
Lotus' APX's conventional gasoline V6 engine will be replaced by
revolutionary in-hub electric motors, delivering 644 horsepower in all
wheel drive mode, theoretically capable of powering the ZAP-X to a
potential top speed of 155mph. A new strong, lightweight and highly
efficient structure based on the Lotus technology is planned to give the
car a very attractive power-to-weight ratio.
Steve Schneider, CEO of ZAP, said: "Lotus Engineering's APX technology
demonstrator vehicle is a perfect fit for our plans to introduce a full
product portfolio of electric cars. Due to the initial design by Lotus,
our cost and time to production will be significantly reduced. We believe
that the ZAP-X will become the most advanced, most practical and most
appealing flagship electric vehicle to date and will revolutionize the
industry providing the driver with the enjoyment of a sports car and the
practicality of an SUV."
Mike Kimberley, CEO of Group Lotus plc, said: "Lotus Engineering's APX is
a world-class innovative concept and was developed to showcase real
polutions to new challenges facing the automotive industry. So it's very
satisfying that ZAP's proposed new model will make use of a great deal of
the APX concept's advanced body structure and chassis technology. The
bringing together of these next-generation vehicle technologies represents
another significant step forward for automotive technology."
The APX showcases Lotus Engineering's Versatile Vehicle Architecture
technology, combining lightweight aluminum vehicle architecture with
exceptionally strong and stiff structural rigidity, as well as lower
manufacturing investment requirements. Having first been shown to the
world at the Geneva motor show in 2006, the APX concept has won the 2006
European Aluminium Awards in the "Transport and Automotive" category.
The innovative placement of the power train leaves the space previously
occupied by the conventional engine and drive train for additional battery
capacity and amenities, making it a very consumer-oriented electric car
concept. These design features will give the ZAP-X crossover the
structural strength, and potentially storage and range that no electric
vehicle has yet achieved publicly.
The development programme is proposed to be managed from a new centre of
excellence for research and development of environmentally-friendly
vehicle designs and technologies. Engineering input will come from Lotus
Engineering Inc, and the British technology consultancy's other R&D
centers in the UK, Malaysia and China.
Click to expand...

Here are some other Lotus/ZAP colaborations.



 
exigeracer
Let's put some real information into this thread, not some automotive tabloid mishmash.



Here are some other Lotus/ZAP colaborations.



Click to expand...
AutoCar is an expereienced Car magazine you know. Anyway I reckon both those images are fakes, but if they were true, then both of them are ugly ducklings.
 
The magazine didn't do a very good job of reporting the story, as these online things usually do. They always run articles that have very basic information, usually known information in the first place that's a couple of days late.

The pictures were posted on a Lotus forum by someone who works at a Lotus dealership in the states. I don't know where he got the pictures.
 
Well, you usually don't charge the car when you're in or near it, but it was one of the main questions brought up earlier. We'll have to wait and see from people who will be seeing this car this weekend.
 
exigeracer
Well, you usually don't charge the car when you're in or near it, but it was one of the main questions brought up earlier. We'll have to wait and see from people who will be seeing this car this weekend.
Click to expand...

Unless you're driving across country (which I'm sure this car isn't aimed at doing). But then why bother with such a short recharge time? If it was going to be just a commuter car, there's no difference to the driver if it's 5 minutes or 5 hours. Regardless, I'm definitely interested in more details, if only from an electrical engineering standpoint.
 

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