Lotus

September 8, 2009

Lotus to Unveil Range-Extending Engine-Generator for Hybrids at Frankfurt Show

Lotus Engineering announced today that it will unveil a range-extending engine-generator for series hybrid vehicles at the Frankfurt Motor Show, held later this month.

Attached to the hybrid's electric motor via the crankshaft, the Lotus Range Extender sustains vehicle operation beyond the range provided by the vehicle's batteries.

Lotus said in a statement that the 1.2-liter, three-cylinder engine-generator can use gasoline or alcohol-based fuels, was designed for maximum fuel efficiency and can recharge the batteries of a series hybrid as well as provide direct power to the electric motor that propels the vehicle.

The Range Extender features an innovative architecture comprising aluminium monoblock construction, integrating the cylinder block, cylinder head and exhaust manifold in one casting. Lotus said this results in reduced engine mass, assembly costs, package size and improved emissions and engine durability.

The engine-generator is optimized between two power generation points, giving 15 kilowatts of electrical power at 1,500 revolutions per minute and 35 kilowatts at 3,500 rpm via the integrated electrical generator.

Lotus said the Range Extender's low weight (123 pounds) makes it ideal for the series hybrid drivetrain configurations for which it is designed. The engine uses an optimized two-valve port-fuel injection combustion system to reduce cost and mass.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 8, 2009, 12:25 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Emissions, Ethanol, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Lotus
Technorati Tags:: Battery Electric

May 28, 2009

Stop the Presses: NHTSA Recalls 345 Tesla Roadsters for Improperly Tightened Bolt

"IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT ADDRESSED PROMPTLY, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRASH."

So reads a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice issued today announcing the recall of 345 Tesla Roadsters, and from the sound of it you'd think the problem was on the scale of, say, steering wheels falling into drivers' laps at highway speeds.

But, nooo. We're talking about a bolt on a rear flange hub that wasn't tightened quite as tightly as it should have been.

So, will 345 Roadster owners be driving to Tesla repair facilities to have their, um, bolts tightened? Nope.

Instead, Tesla has decided its technicians will make house calls at owners' homes or offices. There, according to Tesla spokeswoman Rachel Konrad, the technicians will unscrew the bolt, clean it, and put it back on with just the right amount of torque.

But wait, there's more: Since the technicians are gonna be working on the recalled vehicles - if cleaning and tightening one bolt per car can really be called work - Tesla has instructed them to perform full inspections of the vehicles and upgrade their software for free.

All this and it's not Tesla's fault that the bolts weren't tightened quite enough in the first place. The bolts were improperly torqued during assembly by Lotus, the contract manufacturer of the Roadster chassis. Lotus is conducting a similar recall on some Lotus Elise and Exige vehicles.

"This has nothing to do with Tesla's powertrain or intellectual property whatsoever," Konrad said.

Glad to hear it.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett May 28, 2009, 3:33 PM
Categories:: Lotus, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

February 27, 2009

Lotus Developing 'Omnivore' Engine To Run on Gasoline and a Variety of Alcohols

Illustration of Lotus Engineering's omnivore engine doesn't disclose much about its inner workings.

It's not a particularly lovely beast, but Lotus Engineering says its prototype "omnivore" engine will thrive on all kinds of fuels and that's likely to make it a winner in the world to come -- when petroleum is fading away and biofuels from a variety of sources and in a variety of chemistries are developing to fill the void.

Lotus says the blocky internal combustion engine has the "potential to significantly increase fuel-efficiency" for sustainable alcohol-based fuels (ethanol, methanol. propanol and butanol ) and can also run on gasoline.

The prototype one-cylinder engine will be displayed at the Lotus Cars stand at the Geneva Motor Show next week (media days begin Tuesday and the show opens to the public Thursday for an 11-day run).

Lotus Engineering -- the research and consulting arm of Lotus Cars -- says the engine is a two-stroke, single-cylinder monoblock (the cylinder head and block are one piece) that uses a unique variable compression system and direct fuel injection.

The design can utilize high octane, alcohol-based biofuels better than the four-stroke (intake-combustion-power-exhaust) engines now used in cars and trucks, the company said.

We'll let our engineering gurus explain the precise working of the system in a later posting, but the short version is that Lotus claims the engine design and mechanics permit asymmetric exhaust timing, a continuously variable exhaust opening point and a compression ratio that changes to meet load demands.

Lotus has been deeply involved in alternative energy and powerplant technology for years.

It is collaborating on development of the Omnivore engine with Queen's University of Belfast, in Northern Ireland, and Orbital Corp. Ltd. of Australia, and said the program is being sponsored by Britain's Renewables Materials Link program, which helps fund collaborative industry and scientific segment research into uses of renewable materials for sustainable development.

The Omnivore program is one piece of Lotus' research into the processes involved in operating an engine on mixtures of alcohol-based biofuels and gasoline.

A previously displayed effort was the Lotus Exige 270E Tri-fuel concept (gasoline, ethanol, methanol or any combination of the three) shown a last year's Geneva Motor Show.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell February 27, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Auto Shows, Biofuels, Butanol, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Lotus, Methanol
Technorati Tags:: Biofuels

January 2, 2009

Lotus Reportedly Developing Its Own Electric Sports Car - A Tesla Competitor?

Lotus, which builds the Tesla electric roadster under contract and has said it will spend upwards of $100 million in the next few years developing green car technologies, says it wants to launch an electric sports car of its own.

In a report in London's Financial Times newspaper, Lotus Chief Executive Mike Kimberly says we shouldn't be surprised to "see an electric Lotus shortly. We are working on the technologies that will go behind it."

Indeed, Kimberly said in an interview earlier last year that the company had six electric car projects under way, along with a multitude of hybrid car projects. The context then was projects being done for outside clients, but perhaps Kimberly was being cagey and at least one was being developed for the Lotus brand.

Whether he was talking to the Financial Times about a retail model or merely a concept that will show off Lotus' R&D, design and car-building prowess was unclear.

The report quotes Kimbely saying the Lotus electric car car would "become one of the showcases for the world of what you can do with electric vehicle technology."

If it is to be a retail model - and we hope that's the case - it would likely compete with the Tesla and with the upcoming Fisker Karma.

Lotus, which is owned by Malaysian automaker Proton but remains based in England, also is working, according to the report, on a range extender system for plug-in hybrids.

Click here for Inside Line's take on the report.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 2, 2009, 8:43 AM
Categories:: Lotus, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Lotus Developing Electric Car

September 25, 2008

Will Lotus Engineering Help Chrysler Plug In To The New Automotive Era?

When Chrysler showed off its prototype electric vehicles the other day, the standout was the bumblebee yellow-and-black Dodge EV, a racy electric sports coupe based on the Lotus Europa.

That wasn't just a case of one carmaker giving a nod of appreciation to another's design expertise: Chrysler and Lotus are teaming up.

The companies have released any details of their cooperative agreement, but best guesses are that Chrysler will be working with the engineering half of Lotus, not the car building unit.

As Senior Editor Bill Visnic reports for Edmunds Auto Observer today, Lotus Engineering has put a lot of effort and cash into development of various efficiency-enhancing technologies, from lightweight structures to biofuels compatibility and CO2 emissions reduction.

"Although nobody's confirming it yet, it appears Lotus may play a substantial engineering role in Chrysler's attempt to recover ground lost to GM, Toyota and others in the rush to introduce electrification and internal-combustion advances" to the U.S. auto market, says Visnic.

You can read his full report here.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); John O'Dell September 25, 2008, 10:58 AM
Categories:: Chrysler, Lotus, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Chrysler

August 5, 2008

Ballot Measure Would Ban Most SUVs, Sports Cars From Swiss Roads

America's auto-emissions regulators have nothing on the youth brigade of the Swiss Green Party.

The youth have obtained the 100,000 signatures needed to put a measure before Switzerland's voters that would ban passenger vehicles that have a curb weight of more than 4,820 pounds, emit more than 250 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, or have front ends deemed dangerous to pedestrians.

The measure would also ban diesel cars lacking particle filters. Non-compliant cars registered before the measure goes into law would be fitted with a governor limiting them to 62 miles per hour.

The measure, which is viewed as moderate by its proponents, would remove all but the most fuel efficient models from Swiss roads. The forbidden list contains 785 models. In Porsche's lineup, for instance, all but the Boxster and Cayman fitted with 2.7-liter engines would be barred.

Lots of Mercedes-Benzes, BMWs and Audis would be history, as would every Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. Not all automakers would suffer. Lotus's entire lineup, for example, would be compliant.

The vote has not been scheduled and could be a couple of years away. Also, more than 90 percent of initiatives presented to Swiss voters since 1848 have been rejected. But "moderates" can hope.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 5, 2008, 11:22 AM
Categories:: Audi, BMW, Diesel, Emissions, Ferarri, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Lamborghini, Legislation, Lotus, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Plug-ins and Electric, Porsche, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Audi

Lotus Introduces Hybrid External Sound Technology for Improved Pedestrian Safety

Lotus today unveiled technology for electric and hybrid automobiles that mimics the sound of an internal combustion engine to alert pedestrians to the vehicles' presence.

Because Lotus hasn't yet unveiled a hybrid of its own, the British automaker demonstrates the technology using a Toyota Prius. Turn on your computer speakers and watch the video to hear it.

Lotus could have gone with any number of sounds -- heart-pounding gallop and screaming fighter jet are two of our faves -- but true to character Lotus went with high-revving race car.

So on your way to a Quickie Mart for a pint of Chunky Monkey you can achieve 48 miles per gallon and feel like you're at the wheel of the blue #20 Gulf-Porsche 917K Steve McQueen drove in Le Mans.

At least we think that's the case. In the four-page press release Lotus issued announcing the "Safe & Sound" technology, there was no mention of how or when the techology will be implemented.

We've left messages and sent emails to Lotus seeking answers to those questions and will update this piece when they are provided.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett August 5, 2008, 8:41 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Lotus, Plug-ins and Electric, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Lotus

July 30, 2008

Stop the Speculating: A Hybrid Lotus Is in the Works, Perhaps Even Five

For reasons that mystify us, quite a few blogs today were speculating that Lotus might - might - be developing on a hybrid sports car.

One of the better blogs wrote: "The words of Lotus' head man Mike Kimberley support this notion when he says that the automaker wants to offer 'guilt-free, high performance motoring.' "

We hadn't seen that quote and the blog give any indication when and/or where it was uttered. But the fact is, Lotus Group CEO Mike Kimberley (pictured here) has been much more forthcoming than that.

In the September/October issue of "proActive: The official industry newsletter of Lotus Engineering," published and distributed last fall, Kimberley was asked:

"How important are biofuel/hybrid/electric vehicle projects for Lotus Engineering?"

His reply:

"Very important and increasingly so. Client confidentiality means I can't talk about particular projects or name names. We are working on three biofuels projects at the moment - we have a biofuel Exige that we have developed - it does 0-60 in about 3.8 seconds. We have five hybrid projects on the go and we also have six electric vehicle projects that are ongoing, not including Tesla, because we are not involved on the electrical side for that vehicle."

The real question isn't will there be a hybrid Lotus, but when. On that, the chief executive's lips remain sealed.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 30, 2008, 5:44 PM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Lotus
Technorati Tags:: Fuel Economy

July 9, 2008

Lotus Provides a 'Different Perspective' With Its Eco Version of the Elise

We all know that the Tesla Roadster is, more or less, an electric version of the Lotus Elise. Which begs the question: Why isn't Lotus making a green Elise?

Apparently, some like-minded individuals at the British carmaker asked the same thing, and today they provided an answer in the form of the Eco Elise.

As Lotus mentions in the opening paragraph of a press release, the Eco Elise "promotes a different perspective on 'green,' one which does not revolve solely around tailpipe carbon dioxide."

According to the statement, the car is partially comprised of sustainable materials, including locally farmed hemp, an "ethically produced" woolen fabric free of dyes and harmful chemicals, and sisal, which we all know is the agave Agave sisalana that yields a stiff fiber used in making rope. Lotus uses it in floor mats.

These materials, when "combined with hi-tech water-based paint solutions, showcase new affordable green technologies."

The Eco Elise is 70 pounds lighter than the Elise S -- excellent! -- and the dashboard sports "a green economy gear change display" -- or shift indicator -- which is hardly worth mentioning, except that Eco Elise owners who don't know how to drive might experience better mileage because of it.

Two flexible solar panels set into the hemp hardtop help charge the car's electrical system. Be sure to click on the photos to get a better look at this beautiful car.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 9, 2008, 1:40 PM
Categories:: Lotus

June 24, 2008

Group's Goal: 26% of Cars in Netherlands EVs by 2025

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

So often automotive advancements are stymied by chicken-and-egg problems, perhaps the most often heard these days being, "We'll build more fuel-cell cars if you build a hydrogen infrastructure" and it's twin brother, "We'll build a hydrogen infrastructure if you build more fuel-cell cars."

A Dutch consortium of companies has decided one such problem can be avoided by investing in electric-car production and electric recharging stations simultaneously.

Operating under the banner of Electric Cars Europe, the companies have pooled $200 million with the objective of using it to accelerate the implementation of electric cars in the Netherlands. Specifically, they want 26 percent of the vehicles in the Netherlands to be electrically powered by 2025.

It's a lofty goal. There will be about 7 million vehicles on Dutch roads by 2025. The consortium wants 1.8 million of them to be EVs.