This spring, Lotus will make history by unveiling its first-ever SUV, currently known by its "Type 132" codename. It will be followed by a four-door coupe (Type 133) and a smaller crossover (Type 134) in the coming years, with a sports car (Type 135) arriving in 2026. All of them will be electric vehicles since the recently launched Emira is the firm's final combustion-engined car.
While the first three upcoming EVs will be built in Wuhan
(yes, that Wuhan) in China, the performance machine is going to be assembled at
home in Hethel. Despite being four years away, Lotus is eager to provide an
early taste of the Type 135. Set to spawn an equivalent Alpine version, the
sports car from Norfolk will be developed together with battery cell expert
Britishvolt.
The adjacent sketch sends out Esprit vibes with a pointy
nose while the derrière makes us think of the Europa. It appears to be a
two-seater judging by the heavily sloped roofline and should be roomy and
practical (by sports car standards) thanks to the bespoke EV platform. The
unnamed car will serve as a spiritual successor of the Elise, which bowed out
last month after 25 years of production.
Set to ride on a newly developed E-Sports architecture, the
new model positioned below the Evija hypercar is expected to come in single-
and dual-motor flavors. Depending on the configuration, the platform is being
engineered for outputs varying between 469 to 872 horsepower as well as rear-
and all-wheel drive. Its structure will be 37 percent lighter compared to the
Emira’s while the batteries could sit behind the seats akin to a mid-engined
car.
We already know the platform is being developed to
accommodate 66.4 kWh and 99.6 kWh battery packs, with a range estimated at 483 to 724 kilometers on a single charge. Speaking of which,
support for 800V will translate into fast-charging capabilities. Additional and
more exact details will be disclosed in the coming years, ahead of the
confirmed 2026 release.
