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The consumer market is on the cusp of deliveries of the Lotus Emeya – the hypercar manufacturer’s first four-door model ever. Today, Lotus Cars shared winter test footage that caps off a three-year development program that spanned 15 countries. Check out the sleek Emeya tearing through the snow in the video below.
The Emeya is Lotus Cars’ second all-electric model and arrives as an encore to the Eletre hyper-SUV, which began production in 2022. The Geely-owned sports car manufacturer has vowed to go all-electric and intends to utilize a $1.2 billion factory up and running in China to deliver the speed and luxury of vehicles like the Eletre and bolster annual sales outputs from 5,000 units per year to 150,000 by 2028.
The Emeya will continue Lotus’ journey toward that goal when it arrives this year. Originally known as “Type 133,” the Emeya is the automaker’s first four-door coupe and debuted in 2023 with some impressive specs like 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 2.8 seconds.
While the public may have only grown privy to the incoming Emeya in the last year or two, Lotus has been working behind the scenes around the globe to ensure the hyper-GT matches the hype when deliveries begin. Today, Lotus announced that the final phase of Emeya’s intensive testing and development program is complete and blessed us with footage to celebrate the milestone.
Lotus Emeya completes testing, deliveries begin soon
Leading up to deliveries this year, Lotus’ global engineering team put the Emeya through its paces, subjecting the all-electric GT to rigorous controlled and real-world tests across 15 countries and two continents – navigating everywhere from the autobahn in Germany to Alpine passes of Mongolia, as well as track runs at Nürburgring. Hotter environments tested the hyper-GT’s capabilities at temperatures as high as 40℃ (104℉).
The final phase of this three-year program took place in the Arctic Circle, where temperatures got as low as -25℃. That wasn’t cold enough, however, so Lotus engineers put the Emeya in a freezer to test its capabilities at -40℃. The results of the program have been encouraging, and the Lotus team believes it is now ready for Emeya deliveries as it is confident in its quest to offer the public an electric hyper-GT that is a “true Lotus.” Per Emeya Regional Vehicle Line Director Sylvain Verstraeten:
The testing process at Lotus is rigorous and covers a comprehensive performance assessment of everything from suspension and steering through to battery and tyres. Emeya is the ultimate all-electric grand tourer, designed and engineered to deliver the optimum driving experience for our customers 365 days a year and in all conditions. We’re incredibly excited for customers to be able to experience Emeya for themselves
Looking ahead, Lotus said it will continue some additional in-market testing in the Middle East, United States, and Australia ahead of deliveries in those respective markets. Deliveries of the Lotus Emeya are expected to begin in China, where the EV is built next month. Other markets should see the Hyper-GT later this year. With two BEVs launched, Lotus still has the following models in its pipeline:
- 2025 – “Type 134,” a new D-segment SUV
- 2026 – All-new electric sports car, known as “Type 135”
As promised, here is the winter test footage from Lotus in the Arctic Circle. Enjoy!
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