2010 Lotus Exige S260 W/ 2k Miles. Under Warranty on 2040-cars

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Lotus hiring 100 after securing lb100m investment

Lotus is getting a shot in the arm courtesy of corporate parent DRB-Hicom, which has announced a 100-million pound ($152.3M USD at today's rates) investment in the Hethel, UK-based manufacturer. The troubled brand was also in the news last week, with DRB announcing a new, three-year plan that would see variants of existing models introduced.
The money will create 100 new jobs in Hethel, with 45 new engineers, 40 manufacturing operatives and 18 university grads joining the team. Lotus has already seen an uptick in sales this year, according to a Norfolk-based news site, with 40 to 45 cars being produced per week and 722 road cars and 45 race cars sold between January and May. Even sales in the UK have seen a big jump - Lotus only moved 70 units in 2012, but it's already sold 80 cars in the first half of 2013.
Better yet, Lotus is citing an increased demand for its cars around the globe as the motive behind the new hires. While still quite uncertain, Lotus looks like it might finally be on the right track.

Autoblog Electric launches; we talk EV news, VW ID.4 and Kia EV6 | Autoblog Podcast #770

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. In company news, we launched the Autoblog Electric hub this week, and as such, we spend a lot of this episode talking about EVs. WE start by talking about some electric pickups on the way, EV charging and U.S. infrastructure plans, states banning ICE sales, the happiest EV owners, thoughts on the viability of smaller electric automakers and Formula 1's renewed stance against goinf electric. We also share notes on the Volkswagen ID.4 and Kia EV6 we've been driving, as well as other memorable EVs we've driven in the past year. Finally, we reach into the mailbag for a Spend My Money update before talking about late winter/spring beverages.  Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #770 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Autoblog launches Autoblog Electric Electric pickup trucks available in 2023 and beyond The current and future state of EV charging New Jersey is the next state to ban light-duty ICE vehicle sales by 2035 Rivian R1T, Mini Cooper Electric owners happiest with their EVs Thoughts on smaller electric automaker firms F1 CEO vows there will never be an electric car on the grid Cars we're driving Long-term 2022 Kia EV6 2023 VW ID.4 Other memorable EVs Spend My Money update: Replacing an Alfa Romeo Giulia with a BMW i4 Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Government/Legal Green Motorsports Podcasts Kia Lotus Volkswagen Green Automakers Green Culture Green Driving Truck Crossover SUV Electric Racing Vehicles Infrastructure Lucid

Lotus shows how drivers will be able to change the Evija's behavior

Lotus published footage of the Evija, its first series-produced electric car, undergoing shakedown testing on its Hethel, England, track. It also detailed the model's different driving modes, and the effect they'll have on the powertrain. Electric technology is heavy, and Lotus is known for making ultra-light cars, so engineers walked a fine line as they developed the Evija. Gavan Kershwa, the brand's director of vehicle attributes, explained his team managed to give the 2,000-horsepower coupe the handling enthusiasts expect from a mid-engined model by placing the lithium-ion battery pack, which is the heaviest part of the car, directly behind the passenger compartment. Matt Windle, the company's research and development boss, told Autoblog composite materials and clever packaging help offset the battery's weight. The part the steering column is mounted to is also used as a ducting for the climate control system, for example. All told, the Evija tips the scale at approximately 3,700 pounds. Enthusiasts will have five driving modes, named Range, City, Tour, Sport and Track, at their fingertips. Range mode caps the car's output at 1,000 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque and makes the Evija rear-wheel drive to maximize driving range. City makes the Evija easier to drive around town, while Tour lets the driver choose between rear- and all-wheel drive while raising the powertrain's output to 1,400 horsepower. Sport puts 1,700 horsepower and 1,254 pound-feet of torque under the driver's right foot, and it tweaks the various stability control systems to improve traction. Finally, Track unleashes the car's full potential while dialing in the highest level of torque vectoring. It also changes the chassis settings, according to the company. Lotus will continue fine-tuning the Evija in the coming months, and production is scheduled to start in 2021. Though it was delayed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 130 units are planned, and Autoblog can confirm the first year of production is sold out — but there are still build slots available, contrary to what some sources are reporting. Looking ahead, Windle told us the Evija is a trailblazer whose design language and technology will permeate future models.  Related Video: Green Lotus Coupe Electric Performance