Lotus has canceled plans to go full EV due to low demand

In 2021, Lotus announced that the Emira would be its last internal combustion engine car, but now the company has canceled plans to go full EV due to low demand.

The Chinese-owned British manufacturer says it has now axed that plan.

But instead, it plans to release hybrid cars for upcoming models.

This change comes as most luxury car buyers are reluctant to buy EVs, even in popular markets like China.

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Lotus cancels plan to go full electric

According to CEO Feng Qingfeng, Lotus plans to develop a ‘super hybrid’ technology.

This technology will combine fast charging and a turbocharged combustion engine, promising 680 miles of total range.

“At Lotus, we have always chosen the best power technology available, whether it’s pure gasoline, pure electric, hybrid, or range-extended [EV],” said Feng.

This move could be seen as slightly unfortunate, as the sports car maker had seemingly been making big strides in EV technology.

Just earlier this year, their new Emeya EV achieved record-breaking charging time, going from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 14 minutes.

That’s remarkable and leaves most EVs – and this hydrogen car – in the dust.

But now the company has performed a complete 180 from that original plan.

The company previously rejected the use of plug-in hybrids as they compromised driving experience when the battery was drained.

However, they plan to solve this problem with a 900V architecture that will ‘flash-charge’ the battery at a rate even quicker than battery-swapping.

Unfortunately, it’s not clear which Lotus cars will get the new hybrid tech.

We certainly hope that the refreshed versions of the Eletre SUV and Emeya sedan get access to this new architecture.

The new hybrid system will add quite a bit of weight to these models.

So don’t expect any lightweight sports cars from Lotus anytime soon.

Currently, Lotus is still selling the Evija , which has a power output of 2,000HP despite being an EV.

So grab it while you can.