Another popular car brand has drastically changed its electric car plans, preferring to sell vehicles with hybrid powertrains instead.
Premium automaker Lotus has announced that it will produce hybrid versions of future models as it backtracks on its pledge to go all-electric by 2028.
Under original plans, the British brand launched its Vision80 strategy with new electric vehicles and its own range of EV charging solutions.
This saw the Norfolk-based manufacturer publish updates about its ultra-fast 450 kW DC charger, power cabinet and modular unit for charging up to four vehicles at once.
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The Lotus CEO said the brand would be moving away from its aim of being all-electric by 2028
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Lotus launched its first electric “hyper-SUV” in 2022, with customer deliveries of the Eletre taking place across the UK, Europe and China last year.
However, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Feng Qingfeng, CEO of Lotus, stated that the brand was constantly looking at what the best options are for its customers.
He said: “At Lotus, we have always chosen the best power technology available, whether it’s pure gasoline, pure electric, hybrid or range-extended [EV].
“Luxury car engines are already very powerful, and the driving experience is quite similar, with eight-cylinder and 12-cylinder engines performing well.”
In the first nine months of 2024, Lotus reported that it had delivered more than 7,600 vehicles, an impressive year-on-year increase of 136 per cent.
Its total revenue also reached $653 million (£521million), more than double the level year-on-year.
Lotus also announced the Emeya, a next-generation “hyper-GT”, which starts from £89,500, has a battery range of 379 miles, a top speed of 159mph and a staggering acceleration speed from 0-62mph in just 2.78 seconds.
Since the start of the year, the brand has also launched its Hyper Electric EV technology which provides “high-performance with a combined range of over 1,100km (683.5 miles)”.
Recently, more car brands have been warning of the difficulties involved with switching to electric vehicles amid slow uptake.
At the start of October, Stellantis announced an extension to the suspension of production of its electric Fiat 500 model until the start of November.
The major automotive conglomerate said there had been poor demand for the vehicle, with original plans seeing production halted until October 11.
In a statement to trade unions, Stellantis warned that the European electric vehicle market was “in deep trouble”.
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Lotus has delivered more than 7,600 vehicles so far this year
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A Government spokesperson told GB News: “We’re committed to delivering greener transport by supporting the transition to electric vehicles.
“We will provide certainty to manufacturers by restoring the 2030 phase-out date for new petrol and diesel cars, and are committed to accelerating the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. We will set out further details due course.”
