Lotus Range Extender Engine Heading for Series Production

Technology | admin | June 22, 2010 at 9:40 am

A collaboration between Lotus Engineering and Fagor Ederlan will develop the Lotus Range Extender Engine for series production.

Lotus Engineering, the automotive consultancy division of Lotus Cars Limited, and Fagor Ederlan, part of the Mondragon Corporation Cooperativa, the biggest co-operative group in the world, have completed a joint technical and market study analysing the best route to production for the Lotus Range Extender Engine.

The study has culminated with an agreement for Lotus Engineering to develop the engine for series production and sale by Fagor Ederlan for the global automotive market.

Unveiled at Frankfurt Motor Show last year, the three-cylinder 1.2 liter Range Extender engine is optimized between two power generation points, giving 15 kW of electrical power at 1,500 rpm and 35 kW at 3,500 rpm via the integrated electrical generator. Its low mass of 56 kg makes it ideal for the series hybrid drivetrain configurations for which it is designed.

The high efficiency, low mass design will enable low emissions vehicles to be produced cost effectively across a wide range of hybrid vehicle applications, as already demonstrated in both the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid and the PROTON Emas concepts, which were shown at the 80th International Geneva Motor Show this year.