The Lotus Emeya Sedan Is Pretty Much the Eletre SUV But Low
Based on the same platform as the Eletre, the Emeya goes up against the Porsche Taycan, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S Plaid.
There’s another new Lotus in town: meet the Lotus Emeya. If it looks familiar–it is. Built on the same platform as the Eletre SUV we reviewed a few months ago, this sedan billed by Lotus as a “Hyper-GT” aims for the Porsche Taycan, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S Plaid. It’s another step in Lotus’ new future as a maker of “luxury lifestyle vehicles.”
While the details of the Emeya are scarce, there are a few things that Lotus revealed about its super sedan. It will go zero-to-60 in 2.8 seconds, and it will go at least 155 mph. It’s built on the same electric platform that Lotus developed for the Eletre, which is the basis on which most of Lotus’ future cars will be built. There are no confirmed horsepower or range numbers, but it’s likely to share the Eletre’s two powertrain options with the possibility of a top-trim dual-motor 905 horsepower variant. For the Lotus fundamentalists in the back: No, it won’t be lightweight.
Yet the primary difference is that the Emeya will be more focused on performance than the Eletre. Being a lower-slung sedan body, Lotus can take more liberties to go up against a strong segment of EV super sedans. Even if sales are fairly slow for the Taycan, Air, and Model S Plaid relative to other EVs, each are extremely strong products to compete with. Visually, it shares many details and overall character with the Eletre but greatly benefits from being lowered. Still, when you put them side-by-side, the resemblance is obvious.
With the Eletre to bolster overall sales, the Emeya is put forward as a “flagship model” in a lineup of a single sports car in the Emira, and the Eletre SUV. But they don’t call it a sedan, but an “electric grand tourer.” Lotus’ chips are down on the table. Now it’s time to see where it goes for the once small sports car maker from Hethel.
Got a tip? Email tips@thedrive.com
