Geneva 2010: Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid Concept World Premiere

Colum Wood
by Colum Wood

It’s not scheduled to debut until tomorrow, but we’ve managed to snap a few pics of the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid concept car on display at the Geneva Auto Show. Based on the new Evora, it makes roughly 400-hp thanks to a complex setup that includes the tiny Lotus range extender engine.

That 1.2-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine makes just 47-hp, but is mated to two electric motors and a lithium-polymer battery pack. It works like the Chevy Volt, with only the electric motors powering the wheels, while the gasoline engine kicks in afterwards to deliver extended range. Lotus claims 35 miles of emissions free driving, while the gasoline engine allows for a total of 300 miles.

Lotus has designed the car to put the power down independently through the rear wheels, as a result each rear wheel is capable of 204-hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque. That’s enough to propel the Evora 414E Hybrid to 60 mph in just 4.0 seconds. Lotus has equipped this range-extender engine with a single gear transmission, but it has designed transmission software to create seven imaginary gears for ideal performance driving.

There’s no word from Lotus yet if the brand is seriously considering building a hybrid, but we should have more news on that for you tomorrow.

GALLERY: Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid

Colum Wood
Colum Wood

With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.

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