After the published teasers, Lotus officially presented the Theory 1 electric concept, which heralds the arrival of the next generation of Sino-British sports cars.
The Theory 1 is an electric supercar with a three-seat configuration like that of the McLaren F1. It is powered by two electric motors that together deliver 1,000 hp. The concept has four-wheel drive and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds before reaching a maximum of 320 km/h. The battery with a capacity of 70 kWh enables a range of 402 kilometers.
The carbon body allowed the car to weigh under 1,600 kilograms, and the Theory 1 features many more visible carbon components inside and out including the “butterfly” doors. The concept looks slimmer, narrower and prettier than the larger Evia, and although the body is graced with curves, it’s clear that Lotus’ designers had the original 1977 S1 Esprit in mind when they designed it.
However, Lotus is not calling this concept the Esprit, but it’s definitely easy to imagine a production version with the fame badge. It’s also easy to imagine many of the concept’s technical and design ideas coming to life on a production car that will be available for purchase in a few years.
One of the innovations we could see on a road-legal Lotus is Lotuswear, a textile-covered adaptive robotics system developed with Motorskins that can provide haptic feedback to the driver through the seat and steering wheel. , and can also function as buttons.
Steer-by-wire is a system that might bother Lotus fans who like the unfiltered steering feel of cars like the Elise. This system gives drivers the ability to adjust the ratio of handling to feel, even though it would actually be a virtual feel. Lotus enthusiasts will probably prefer the use of the engine and battery as active structural elements that will be able to take forces directly from the suspension, something that the V8 engine of the Lotus F1 car Lotus 49 could do in the late 1960s.
What is already in use on the road are Pirelli P Zero Elect tires, which have been developed to reduce rolling resistance and increase range by 10 percent. They are currently used for the Lotus Eletre SUV and the Emeya four-door coupe, two cars that carry Lotus badges but don’t seem like “pure” Lotus products to many enthusiasts.
On the other hand, the Theory 1, despite its electric drive, feels like a real Lotus, relatively light, “clean” and focused on the driver, which makes it worthy of the famous logo.