LOTUS EMEYA 450kW 102kWh 4dr Auto

The battery-powered Emeya is a luxurious Lotus four-door GT Tourer built to take on premium Teutonic rivals. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

The Emeya is another different kind of luxury Lotus EV, a Taycan-style four-door luxury GT with dramatic pace and a rather unique feel, inside and out. Whether Colin Chapman would have liked it is debatable but you might.

Background

Lotus is a different brand these days. And so are the cars it makes. There's still a combustion Emira sports car. And there might in future be a replacement Elise roadster. But only if the company's new generation of huge, Chinese-built luxury electric vehicles sell - and sell well. The 'Electric Premium Architecture' that supports these has already yielded us one model, these days Lotus's bestseller, the Eletre SUV. Now here's another, the Emeya. This is a four-door GT, generally pitched from just over the six-figure price point and targeted at well-established luxury GT EVs like Porsche's Taycan, the Audi e-tron GT and the Tesla Model S. It's certainly an international product, designed in Coventry, dynamically developed in Frankfurt and screwed together in Wuhan. But is it recognisably a Lotus? It's take a look.

Engines and Tech Spec

The Emeya may be prodigiously heavy but it's also extremely fast. All versions use a dual motor powertrain linked to a 2-speed gearbox assembly on the back axle and a big 102kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack. With the Emeya and Emeya S models, that means 603bhp and a decent 379 mile range with the standard model - or 336 miles with the S. Rest to 62mph with these two mainstream variants is just 4.2s away once you engage launch control. If that's somehow not enough, there's the top Emeya R, which adds an extra motor on the back axle to up output to a frankly manic 905bhp; which means a Ferrari-slaying 0-62mph time of just 2.8s. Top speed rises fractionally over the S - to 156mph. And range falls to 270 miles. Given a kerb weight comparable to three Series 1 Elises, you might think all that power would be needed if the Emeya is to fulfil its Taycan Turbo ambitions. But it's been signed off at the Nurburgring Nordschliefe by the same people who brought you the Emira sports car (step forward Gavan Kershaw and team), who know that if the Emeya doesn't sell, there won't be an Emira replacement. So compared to a Taycan, steering and ride get a more involving tune, the latter an all-round multi-link suspension dual-chamber air-sprung setup. For a supple ride, you'll need to keep the car in its default 'Tour' drive mode. Switching to 'Track' unsettles things considerably. The top R version adds rear-wheel steering and active anti-roll bars, neither of which you might feel are absolutely necessary. There's talk of a base rear wheel-driven version appearing later in the production run. Across the line-up, active aero bodywork boosts downforce when you need it - and drive range when you don't. Surprisingly, there's no provided EV drive sound. Lotus, it seems, doesn't believe in this kind of thing and you can imagine that Colin Chapman wouldn't have had much time for it either.

Design and Build

Underneath the Emeya's elegant, swept-back German design is most of the hardware used by the brand's Eletre SUV, though Lotus has had to adapt this quite a bit to fit with this GT model's lower-slung stance. The Geely EPA platform is the same, but the battery cells that sit on top of it have been repackaged, the designers making the casing 20mm thinner and relocating the cooling plates to the sides, rather than underneath. Some might find the exterior looks divisive; the slanting insectoid-style front end; the kamm-style tail with its full-width light bar. But it makes a statement, which is what a car in this segment needs to do. Wheel options range from 20 to 21-inches. Your perception inside at the wheel will depend on whether you've previously tried an Eletre, with which this car shares much of its cabin design. If you haven't, then the spacious luxury on offer here will come as a very pleasant surprise. You'd be happy switching to it from a Taycan or an EQS. The transmission selector and belt line are high-set, to give you the feeling of being embedded in the car - you're actually 70mm nearer the ground than in an Eletre. As usual in this era, a huge central touchscreen dominates - in this case 15.1-inches in size. Unfortunately, all the instrument cluster information must be compressed into a narrow letterbox-shaped display. But there's proper luxury here. The real Alcantara trim and carbon fibre switchgear is classy, there's a lovely mix of woven fabrics and leather, the seats are brilliant and build quality from the Wuhan factory seems to be as good as the Teutonic competition. Surprisingly, the Emeya has a lengthier wheelbase than the Eletre (by 60mm), which means excellent rear seat space; there's a choice of two or three-seat rear lay-outs. A low centre tunnel makes the latter feasible. The boot isn't as large as the 5,139mm body length leads you to expect, rated at 509-litres. It would be bigger were it not for the fact that the top R model's back axle motor and 2-speed gearbox assembly must be accommodated.

Market and Model

Prices are very similar to those of the Eletre SUV. They start at £89,500 for the base Emeya model, but you'll probably want to stretch at least to the mid-level Emeta S, which prices from around £102,000. The top Eletre R costs around £130,000. With both the two top variants, you'll be offered the optional 'Lotus Dynamic Handling Pack' for a sharper driving feel. This includes intelligent anti-roll control and active rear-wheel steering. There's also an 'Active Aero Pack'. Standard equipment includes 20-inch wheels, with a range of 21-inch rims additionally available. There's an optional Carbon pack for the exterior. For inside, there's a choice of either four or five-seat configurations with a choice of nappa or vegan leather upholstery. With the five-seat set-up, you can specify an optional 'Comfort Seat Pack', which includes massaging rear seats and for the front seats includes ventilation, heating, a 2-way cushion extension, 2-way head rests and 4-way side bolsters. You're going to want the 'Intelligent Glass Roof'. And the 'Touring Pack' includes soft-close doors, a hands-free tailgate, illuminated side sills and configurable ambient lighting. You can also add side cameras, a 'Parking Pack' and a tow bar. If you want autonomous driving aids, you'll be offered the 'Highway Assist Pack'.

Cost of Ownership

Lotus says the Emeya can charge from 10 to 80% in 14 minutes, but that's based on use of a 400kW charger and at the time of this car's launch, there weren't actually any of those yet in the UK. Quick charging is a result of an advanced cell-to-pack battery structure which Lotus claims allows 20% more cells to fit in the same space than with a standard modular architecture. The Emeya has a newer cooling system then the Eletre and can charge its 112kWh battery (102kWh usable) at a 331kW average speed. Helping with long journey DC charging is a clever navigation system that will chain together charging stations, re-routing if a location becomes occupied. You might still think though, that a 100-litre fuel tank might be more convenient - and we wouldn't disagree. The charging port has been placed on the front wing, which means electricity coming through to the car will be as close as possible to where it's needed, which cuts down on unnecessary internal cabling and the extra weight that would bring. Forget overnight home charges though - from a typical 7.4kW garage wallbox anyway, which needs around 17 hours for a full charge. A five year warranty is standard in the UK. Lotus offers roadside assistance across Europe for five years after vehicle purchase.

Summary

If this car wasn't badged as a 'Lotus', it would be so much easier to approach it without preconceptions. But it is and we must. Vast numbers of those who love the brand are going to be put off by the fact that this GT is electric and weighs two and a half tonnes. But, by and large, they're not the people the Emeya is targeted at. To survive, Lotus needs a new audience, people who want the kind of practical, luxurious, well assembled and technologically current model that Lotus as it was could never conceivably have built on its own. Like its Eletre SUV showroom stablemate, the Emeya provides just that. As some writers have observed, the design ethos is more spa break than Spa-Francorchamps, but at the same time, there are also hints here of the kind of handling character that most Teutonic rivals just don't have. We'd like to see a lighter, more affordable single motor rear-driven version later in the production run. By which point Lotus will probably be a brand perceived quite differently. Hopefully though, its products will still be just that little bit uniquely 'Lotus'. As this one is.

Body Glass

One touch windows with anti-pinch

Brakes

Electronic parking brake

Hill start assist

Auto hold function

Torque vectoring brake

Traction control system (TCS)

Electronic brake assist (EBA)

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

Adjustable regenerative braking

Autonomous emergency braking system (AEB)

Braking override system

Cast iron rotor rear brake discs

Lotus aluminium floating rear calipers

Chassis/Suspension

Air suspension with 2-chamber air spring

Integrated chassis control

Communication

Bluetooth

Front 15W wireless phone charger

In-built e-sim card with 5G capability

Lotus app

Roadside assistance call

Driver Aids

Electric power steering

Adaptive cruise control

Rear park assist

Front park assist

Continuous damping control

Front cross traffic assist

Rear collision warning

Lane keeping aid

Rear cross traffic assist

Traffic sign information

Blind spot detection

Visual park assist

Collision mitigation support front and rear

Driver Convenience

RNC (Road Noise Cancellation)

Driver Information

Trip computer

Driver monitoring system

e-Call (emergency call)

Augmented reality head up display

12.6" driver and co-driver instrument display

Electrical brake pad wear indicator

Over the air software update via WiFi

In-vehicle app store

Online navigation

Virtual personal assistant with voice recognition

Driving Mirrors

Automatic dimming rear view mirror

Automatically dimming exterior mirrors (left and right)

Auto folding door mirrors with memory

Entertainment

FM/DAB+ radio

15.1" OLED full HD centre console screen

8" rear seat display

KEF premium audio system

Type-C USB sockets x 4

Exterior Body Features

Frameless Doors

Illuminated door handles

Metal tread plates

Rear side wing doors

Rear boot

Front and rear flush door handles

Lotus active aero - front grill, rear boot spoiler

Touch activated electric charging port cover

Exterior Lights

Adaptive front lighting system

Puddle lights

LED daytime running lights

Matrix LED headlights

LED 3rd brake light

Rear LED light strip

ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam) Function

Automatic headlight activation via dusk sensor

Car greeting sequence using lights and welcome sound

Car goodbye sequence using lights and lock sound

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Heat pump

4 zone automatic climate control

Air quality system

PM2.5 filter

Electrically adjustable front row air vents

2nd row B pillar air vents

2nd row electrically adjustable air vents on rear of centre console

Interior Features

Heated multi function steering wheel

Front and rear grab handles

2 cup holders in centre console

Glove box with electric lock

Second row hanging hook

Side hooks in boot

Under boot floor storage

4 way electric adjustable steering column with memory

Foldable rear centre armrest with integrated cup holders

Hard parcel shelf

Interior Lights

Touch sensitive light switch

Packs

Interior carbon pack - Emeya

Safety

Warning triangle

Side airbags

Passenger airbag deactivate switch

Door open warning

Full size driver and passenger airbags

Curtain Airbag

3 point height adjustable front seatbelts

Child locks on rear doors

Front and rear seatbelt reminder

TPMS (Tyre pressure monitoring system)

Front motorised pretensioner retractor

Post impact braking

Driver far side airbag

Driver and passenger pretensioner with adaptive load limiter

Escape switch in boot

Life Detection and Care (LDC)

Rear outer seatbelts with progressive load limiter

Safety vests

3 point rear seatbelts x 3

Anti roll over program

In-car life presence detection

Seats

Heated front seats

ISOFIX on outer rear seats

3 seat bench in 2nd row

40/20/40 split folding rear seat

8 way power adjustable front seats

Single front passenger seat

4 way power lumbar support for front seats

Memory front seats and driver seat greeting function

Security

Keyless entry

Electric steering column lock

Anti theft wheel bolts

Digital key

Card key with NFC function

Keyless automatic start

UWB (Ultra wideband) key

Vanity Mirrors

Driver and passenger vanity mirror and light

Vehicle Charging

Type 2 mode 3 charging cable

22 kWh AC on board charger

350kW CCS DC fast charging

Wheels - Spare

Tyre repair kit

Electric Vehicle Data

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Charge Time (Mins): 720

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Power Supply - kW: 11

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Percentage Change: 0-100

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Charge Time (Mins): 330

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Power Supply - kW: 22

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Percentage Change: 0-100

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Charge Time (Mins): 25

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Power Supply - kW: 270

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Percentage Change: 10-80

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Charge Time (Mins): 20

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Power Supply - kW: 350

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Percentage Change: 10-80

Coupler/Connector Type: CCS Type 2

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Years: 8

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Mileage: 100000

Battery Capacity in kWh: 102

Battery Leased: 0

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - City - TEL: 695

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - City - TEH: 554

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb: 580

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb - TEL: 610

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb - TEH: 499

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb - TEL: 17.6

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb - TEH: 21.4

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb - TEH: 2.9

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb - TEL: 3.5

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - City - TEH: 344

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - City - TEL: 432

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb: 360

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb - TEH: 310

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb - TEL: 379

Battery Capacity % guaranteed under warranty: 70

Charging Port Location: Left Side Rear

Usable Battery Capacity: 98.9

Maximum Charging Rate - kW: 350

Emissions - ICE

CO2 (g/km): 0

Standard Euro Emissions: N

Noise Level dB(A): N

CO: N

HC: N

NOx: N

HC+NOx: N

Particles: N

Engine and Drive Train

Cylinders - Bore (mm): N

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): N

CC: 1

Cylinders: N

Cylinder Layout: N

Number of Valves: N

Camshaft: N

Fuel Delivery: N

Catalytic Convertor: N

Engine Layout: N

Compression Ratio: N

Transmission: AUTO

Gears: 1 SPEED

Engine Code: N

Fuel Consumption - ICE

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: N

EC Urban (mpg): N

EC Extra Urban (mpg): N

EC Combined (mpg): N

General

Coin Series: N

Coin Description: 450kW 112kWh

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Based On ID: N

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 50E

Timing Belt Interval Mileage: N

Timing Belt Interval Frequency - Months: N

NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: N

NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: N

NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: N

NCAP Safety Assist %: N

NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: N

Badge Power: 611

Badge Engine CC: 0.0

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Generation Mark: 1

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: No

Performance

0 to 62 mph (secs): 4.15

Top Speed: 155

Engine Power - BHP: 611

Engine Power - PS: No

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

Engine Power - KW: 450

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 524

Engine Torque - NM: 710

Engine Torque - MKG: 72.4

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

Tyres

Tyre Size Front: 255/45 R20

Tyre Size Rear: 285/40 R20

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Type: 20" ALLOY

Wheel Style: 5 SPOKE

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Vehicle Dimensions

Length: 5139

Width: 2005

Wheelbase: 3069

Width (including mirrors): 2241

Height: 1459

Weight and Capacities

Minimum Kerbweight: 2480

Gross Vehicle Weight: 2980

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): N

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 2250

Max. Loading Weight: 500

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 509

No. of Seats: 5

Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 1338

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 11.6

Body Glass

Rear privacy glass

Brakes

Lightweight brake discs with 6 piston calipers in red

Lightweight brake discs with 6 piston calipers in green

Lightweight brake discs with 6 piston calipers in black

Driver Convenience

Homelink

Exterior Body Features

Pearlescent paint

Metallic paint

Black Lotus badges

Lotus wordmark gloss black in rear

Electrically folding heated side rear view cameras with right and left dashboard E-mirror display, featuring blind spot display and viewpoint settings

Intelligent glass roof

Additional pearlescent paint

Special pearlescent paint

Glass roof

Interior Features

Vegan leather upholstery

Alternative special nappa leather upholstery

Additional special nappa leather upholstery

Special Nappa leather upholstery

Alcantara and carbon fibre steering wheel

Packs

Comfort seat pack - Emeya

Carbon pack - Emeya

Extended carbon pack - Emeya

Highway assist pack - Emeya

Extended interior carbon pack - Emeya

Lotus active aero pack - Emeya

Lotus dynamic handling pack - Emeya

Parking pack - Emeya

Touring pack - Emeya

Paint - Metallic

Metallic - Stellar black

Paint - Pearlescent

Pearl - Fireglow orange

Pearl - Boreal grey

Pearl - Solar yellow

Pearl - Akoya white

Paint - Solid

Solid - Kaimu grey

Safety

Dark tri colour seatbelts

Light tri colour seatbelts

Light grey seatbelts

Red seatbelts

Yellow seatbelts

Black seatbelts

Towing

Electric towbar

Trim - Leather

Nappa leather - Magnetite with anthracite and grey stitching

Vegan leather - Quartz with light grey and yellow stitching

Nappa leather - Carnelian with orange and grey stitching

Nappa leather - Gold with tan and black stitching

Nappa leather - Jasper with black stitching

Wheels - Alloy

21" 5 spoke aero gloss black alloy wheels

21" 5 spoke aero grey alloy wheels

21" 5 spoke aero silver alloy wheels

21" 10 spoke gloss black alloy wheels

21" 10 spoke grey alloy wheels

21" 10 spoke silver alloy wheels