Electric sports car to be ‘pure’ Lotus

An electric Lotus sports car will arrive in 2026 to cap the first phase of the marque's EV reinvention and will represent the “pure essence"of the brand.

The model, codenamed Type 135, will sit on a bespoke sports car EV platform currently being co-developed by Lotus and Alpine. The car will be designed and engineered in Hethel, Norfolk, ensuring that it can build on the lineage of the fabled sports cars that have been produced there, such as the Elise.

The new platform will give the sports car a ‘mid-engined’ style of layout, most likely with the battery pack stacked in the middle of the car rather than under the floor. That will allow the Porsche 718 Boxster rival to sit lower and ensure a weight distribution more in keeping with its sports car remit.

While the Type 135 will be a small contributor to sales volume, it will be a vital model for the brand, said commercial chief Mike Johnstone.

“It's a carthat needs to be at the bullseye of the brand, which signifies exactly what Lotus stands for in an electric age,” said Johnstone. “That’s in noway to diminish the Eletre, 133 and 134. They are very much Lotus models, but the most pure essence of Lotus will be the 135."