Lotus wins government funding for new electric car platform

Lotus has secured financial support from the UK government to develop an all-new electric vehicle (EV) platform. 

The funding will come from the government-backed Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) following Lotus’s winning application in the Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator competition. 

Lotus won with its Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture (LEVA), which is planned to serve as “a showcase for pioneering new BEV chassis and powertrain concepts” and underpin a range of next-generation EVs. 

The platform will be further developed in partnership with lightweight engineering specialist Sarginsons Industries alongside a team of academics from Brunel University London.

Lotus says it will confirm further details of the LEVA platform in due course. 

Matt Windle, executive director of engineering at Lotus, said: “This is great news for our industry and its transition to electrification. As a collaboration between Lotus, Sarginsons Industries and Brunel University London, there's a wealth of talent involved, and we're excited to have already begun the project work.

“Following the launch of the Lotus Evija, our all-electric hypercar, this project is a key building block in our vision to deliver a full range of electrified Lotus performance cars for the drivers.

"Funding of this nature is critical to stimulate the automotive industry and supply chain as both continue to adjust to a rapidly changing landscape.”

Lotus is set to in 2021 unwrap its first all-new model in 12 years, sitting atop a new rivet-bonded platform and powered by a hybridised petrol V6.

The Norfolk-based, Geely-owned firm is also expecting to begin deliveries of the Evija midway through next year.