The Lotus Evija won’t arrive until the first half of 2021, instead the original plan to begin delivering the electric hypercar in late 2020. The British brand had to postpone the vehicle because of a delay in the testing process due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Autocar.
“We have lost five months of testing, mainly in continental Europe,” Lotus boss Phil Popham told Autocar. “We have missed hot weather testing in Spain. It’s not as simple as moving everything to the right as you have to book facilities and there’s a queue, with everyone in the same boat.”
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While testing around Europe hasn’t been possible, the Lotus engineers have apparently had the opportunity to finetune the Evija. The power output is now above 2,000 horsepower (1,491 kilowatts), rather than the original spec of 1,973 hp (1,471 kW). There are also tweaks to the vehicle’s aerodynamics.
Lotus previously said the Evija was capable of hitting 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in under 3 seconds, 124 mph (200 kph) in around 6 seconds, and 186 mph (300 kph) in below 9 seconds. The company estimated the top speed to be above 200 mph (322 kph). The targetted range is 250 miles (402 kilometers).
The Evija uses single-piece carbon fiber monocoque chassis, and a smooth body wraps around it. For cutting through the air, there are no side mirrors or door handles. Lotus intends to use cameras to give the driver rearward visibility.
Lotus only plans to build 130 units of the Evija. The exact price isn’t clear, but the company intends the figure to be between 1.5 million and 2 million ($1.77 million to $2.36 million) at current exchange rates.
Time