Lotus Emeya electric car: Porsche Taycan rival to be unveiled next week

The Porsche Taycan rival from British sports-car maker Lotus will be known as the 2024 Lotus Emeya when it is unveiled on 7 September, European time.

Known during development under the codename Type 133 – and previously mooted to wear the Envya or Etude names – the Emeya will be the company's third electric car, following the Eletre large SUV and Evija hypercar.

A rival for the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron GT, the new Emeya will be the first Lotus sedan since it applied its badge and twin-turbo V6 power to the Vauxhall Carlton (or Opel Omega), a distant relative of the Holden VN Commodore, in the 1990s.

While Lotus and Volvo's electric-car spin-off Polestar are both owned by Chinese car giant Geely, the Emeya is not expected to share its underpinnings with the similarly-sized Polestar 5 electric sedan due next year.

Instead, the Emeya will be underpinned by the UK specialist's Electric Premium Architecture, as used under the Eletre SUV.

The Eletre provides features including adjustable air suspension, active anti-roll bars, rear-wheel steering, and a limited-slip differential on the rear axle.

If it borrows mechanicals from the Eletre, the Emeya could utilise a 112kWh battery pack and two electric motors capable of up to 665kW, linked as part of an 800-volt electrical system good for rapid charging at up to 350kW.

As previously seen in spy photos, the Emeya features a coupe-inspired four-door body, akin to the Porsche Panamera and Audi A5 Sportback.

The Emeya is expected to borrow heavily from the Eletre's screen-heavy interior, as well as lidar and high-resolution camera systems for semi-autonomous driving capabilities.

More details are due at the 2024 Lotus Emeya's official unveiling on September 7, European time.