Type 135 to be true to lightweight Lotus Ethos

Development of the keenly anticipated electric successor to the Lotus Elise looks to have hardly been affected by the split with Alpine. Codenamed Type 135 and due in 2026, the two-seater will sit on a new platform dubbed ‘E-Sports’. The platform incorporates the Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture (LEVA), said to be 37% lighter than the equivalent structure in the Emira, which will give the EV a ‘mid-engined’-style layout.

This structure houses the batteries behind the seats, rather than under the floor, which keeps the driving position low and the weight in the centre of the chassis, à la Elise, Exige and Evora. It can accommodate a battery capacity of up to 99.6kWh, but the Type 135 is likely to use a 66.4kWh unit to save weight.

Lotus has confirmed the platform will offer singleand twin-motor drivetrains, with between 469bhp and 872bhp – but it remains tight-lipped on the specifics of the Type 135.