British sports car brand Lotus has launched its first-ever electric four-door saloon model in Singapore, the Emeya. The move marks the next step of transformation for the brand, which aims to reinvent itself as an all-electric luxury carmaker.

What is the Emeya?

The Emeya is a four-door electric grand tourer (GT) saloon that competes against the likes of other high-performance four-door electric GT cars like the Porsche Taycan. However, Lotus insists that the Emeya stands in a class of its own given its performance and price point.

Despite the Emeya being a new landmark type of car for Lotus, the brand has imbued it with much of the same engineering prowess that Lotus has been famous for while combining them with the latest technologies to develop a highly-advanced car.

For example, while the design of the car is sleek and sporty, it does not feature aggressive aerodynamic elements like large spoilers or body kits. Instead, it integrates and hides them seamlessly into the car, only deploying when needed.

Some of these include the active front grille, rear diffuser and retractable rear spoiler, which are designed to deliver maximum downforce for high-speed stability. There are also eight vents around the body of the car to further assist with managing the airflow and ventilation, as well as cooling components like the brakes, electric motors and batteries.

What variants of the Emeya are available in Singapore right now?

At launch, Lotus will offer three versions of the Emeya, with the base model retailing for $415,000 without COE. The next level is the Emeya S, which is going for $438,000 without COE. Finally, the top-spec Emeya R is priced at $563,000 without COE.

Power for the Emeya comes from a dual electric motor setup, one at each axle, and in the base model, it produces 603hp and 710Nm of torque, allowing it to go from 0-100km/h in 4.15 seconds.

The Emeya S shares the same performance figures as the Emeya, but it comes with larger and more powerful brakes and additional features such as a carbon fibre spoiler and a glass roof.

The Emeya R meanwhile is the most powerful out of the three, and its dual motors develop a total of 905hp and 985Nm of torque, giving it a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 2.78 seconds, and a top speed of 256km/h. It is also the only variant to feature a two-speed gearbox, while the others use a single-speed transmission.

All three cars feature a 102kWh battery that powers the electric motors, but the base Emeya is the most efficient, as it can travel up to 610km on a full charge. The Emeya S meanwhile has a range of 540km, while the Emeya R can go up to 435km when fully charged.

The car also comes with an 800-volt battery architecture, which enables it to be charged at speeds of up to 400kW. This allows the Emeya's batteries to be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in just 14 minutes, making it one of the fastest-charging electric cars available today.

What is the significance of the Emeya?

The Emeya marks the latest step in the transformation of Lotus, which is famously known for its lightweight sports cars. However, ever since Chinese automotive conglomerate Geely took a majority controlling stake in the company in 2017, Lotus has embarked on a major brand reinvention.

The Emeya comes hot on the heels of Lotus' first-ever SUV, the Eletre, which was launched in Singapore last year. It plans to introduce its first electric sports car in 2028 to replace the Emira, its last internal combustion engine (ICE) model, while fully transitioning to an all-electric lineup by then as well.

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benjamin.chia@asiaone.com

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