Lotus understands that recharge performance is a key issue for electric car owners. Automobile Propre was invited to discover the Emeya, an electric GT equipped with a 102 kWh battery that promises 10-80% charge in 14 minutes. According to the brand, this is the fastest recharging model in Europe.
Lotus, a story of performance
In recent years, Lotus has completely transformed. Now owned by the Chinese multinational Geely, the famous British brand already achieves 63% of its sales with electric models. The company has embraced electrification with passion. In 2023, Lotus also had its best year in its 76-year history with 6,970 units delivered worldwide (all powertrains combined). The choice of electric seems to be the right one. To stand out and keep up, the brand has decided to focus heavily on technologies related to the electric vehicle ecosystem.
Lotus is particularly aiming to excel in recharge performance. The British firm aims to become a leader in this field in Europe, and its new electric GT could help it achieve this ambitious goal. To better understand this transformation, Lotus invited Automobile Propre to discover the Emeya and its ultra-modern innovation center, the Lotus Tech Innovation Centre, in Frankfurt. Located 160 km from the famous Nürburgring circuit and 9 km from the airport (allowing teams to travel regularly to China), this workspace is where the brand’s future is shaped.
A move to 100% electric by 2027
An 11,000 m² engineering center housing 200 experts from 10 different nationalities. In Frankfurt, Lotus imagines, designs, tests, and develops new products and solutions for a new era of mobility. The employees at the innovation center are also working on developing autonomous driving technologies. For its transformation, the British firm aims for a complete shift to electric by 2027. All current models in development are battery-powered. After the launch of the Eletre in 2023, the brand aims to speed up.
It will have 5 100% electric models by 2027. While in Frankfurt, our main goal is to witness the performances of the Emeya firsthand. An all-electric Hyper GT that is set to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024. Despite being 5.1 meters long and weighing 2.5 tons (quite heavy for a Lotus!), it has impressive features. Like its big sister, it has a relatively short hood, showcasing the importance of aerodynamics in its design. However, where Lotus aims to stand out with the Emeya is in its charging performance.
The Emeya can handle up to 400 kW of power
On paper, the GT promises a 10-80% charge in 14 minutes. It can handle up to 400 kW of power, making it the only car in Europe (to date) boasting this capability. Achieving this result required extensive engineering work to minimize resistance and power loss. Unlike the Eletre, which features “bottom-cooling” cells, where the cooling zone is at the bottom, the Emeya utilizes a next-generation “side-cooling” battery.
This battery cooling technique involves “introducing a dielectric fluid inside a battery, in direct contact with the cells and all heating elements, such as busbars or electrodes.” With increased voltage, they were able to reduce current to increase power. Time for the test! We witnessed a live recharge. The 102 kWh (800V) NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) battery manufactured by CATL in our car had dropped to 9%. We plugged into an Alpitronic charger capable of delivering 400 kW of power.
A 10-80% charge in 15 minutes and 28 seconds before our eyes
Slight disappointment: the 10-80% charge was achieved in 15 minutes and 28 seconds. There was a small deviation from the brand’s statistics, but power delivery can vary from session to session, especially based on weather conditions. Nevertheless, it is still very impressive. Regarding the charging curve, we observed that the Emeya can handle 400 kW (even 400.2 kW) up to 35%. After that, power decreases to around 350 kW up to 50%, and then gradually decreases to 200 kW at 80%.
While not exactly as promised by the brand, it must be acknowledged that it is impressive. This is the first time we have seen an electric car recharge so quickly. The 15-minute window seems like a good compromise for a short break on the highway. Just enough time to use the restroom and grab a few items at a highway rest stop. Achieving this performance, however, requires access to a 400 kW charger, which is still relatively rare in Europe. But fear not, on a 350 kW charger, the Emeya still only takes 20 minutes to reach a 10-80% charge.