Lotus has abandoned plans to become a purely electric brand.
Future models will have completely new V6 and V8 engines.
Developed by Horse, the gas engines will be used in hybrid versions of the Emira and an upcoming supercar.
When the Emira came out in 2022, Lotus claimed it would be its last production vehicle powered by a combustion engine. From that point forward, the Hethel-based niche brand planned to launch only electric vehicles. For a while, it kept its promise, as the Evija, Eletre, and Emeya were all EVs. However, the Eletre SUV has since received a four-cylinder gasoline engine for the strangely named For Me in China.
There’s more to come on the ICE side from Lotus. The Emira will switch to a completely new V6 engine, while the future supercar is getting a V8. Both engines are being developed by Horse, a 50:50 joint venture between Lotus’ parent company Geely and Renault. The future performance models will both be hybrids.
