Yahoo Autos Lotus Would Build an EV Before It Would Build a Hybrid
In an effort to boost corporate fuel economy, most automakers have resorted to selling hybrids. But if you were afraid Lotus might soon become one of those automakers, the good news is, you have nothing to fear.
Speaking to Autoblog, Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales said the company had no intentions of building a hybrid. According to Gales, hybrids are too bulky, heavy, and complicated for Lotus to consider. And, at least at the moment, the company isn't concerned about fuel economy.
"When you have low mass it's easy to be efficient," said Gales.
Considering that an SUV may be on the way, it's a relief to hear that the company won't go so far as to offer a hybrid. But interestingly enough, Gales then added that an electric car isn't off the table. He also said it wouldn't happen any time soon, but at the very least, an electric Lotus would be interesting.
In a sense, we've already seen an electric Lotus since the Tesla Roadster was based on the Elise. It drove pretty well but was also plagued with problems. We're not sure whether Lotus build what amounts to a better Tesla Roadster or if it would develop a dedicated EV platform. But either way, we're intrigued.
