LOTUS GROUP - Lotus has unveiled the E-R9, a dramatic new design study for a next-generation pure electric endurance racer that could be on the starting grid of circuits around the world for the 2030 season.
Finished in striking black and gold – a
clear nod to Lotus’ pioneering motorsport heritage that led to 13 Formula 1
championship titles – the EV features a sleek fighter jet-style canopy
centrally mounted in a delta-wing upper body. Innovations include advanced
active aerodynamics with ‘morphing’ body panels and vertically mounted control
surfaces to assist with high-speed cornering.
The E-R9 has been developed by Lotus
Engineering, the globally renowned consultancy division of the business which
delivers projects for external clients. The car has been created as a
technology showcase of its philosophy, capability and innovative spirit in the
fields of advanced electrified powertrains and aerodynamics.
E-R stands for Endurance Racer, while 9
is the car’s competition number carefully chosen in tribute to Lotus’ racing
past. It was in a Lotus Mark IX that the race team made its debut appearance at
the Le Mans 24 Hours, with company founder Colin Chapman among the drivers
competing. The year was 1955, meaning the E-R9 race car concept – if raced in
2030 – would be in celebration of the Mark IX’s 75th anniversary.
The E-R9 was developed by the
engineering team of Richard Hill, chief aerodynamicist at Lotus, and Louis
Kerr, principal platform engineer on the Lotus Evija pure electric hypercar as
well as technical director, GT, Geely Group Motorsports International. Visually
it was brought to life by the Lotus Design team, led by Russell Carr, Design
Director for Lotus.
Richard Hill commented: “What we’ve
tried to do is to push the boundaries of where we are technically today and
extrapolate into the future. The Lotus E-R9 incorporates technologies which we
fully expect to develop and be practical. Lotus has an amazing history of
developing unique solutions, and we’ve done it many times in motorsport and
with our road cars.”
Chief among the car’s aero innovations
are its ‘morphing’ body panels. Located across the delta-wing profile, this
adaptability – where active surfaces can change their shape and attitude to the
air flow either at the press of a button by the driver or automatically
according to performance sensor inputs – would deliver minimum drag on the
straights and maximum downforce in the corners. Vertical control surfaces at
the rear would generate aerodynamic forces to help the car change direction,
without the limitations of grip at the tyre contact patch. The result is a
racer that’s partly driven like a car and partly flown like a fighter jet.
The Lotus E-R9 features an advanced
electric drivetrain powering each wheel independently, a system enhanced with
torque-vectoring. It builds on technology already integrated on the Lotus Evija
pure electric hypercar, though for the E-R9 would be fully adjustable by the
driver on the move.
Louis Kerr commented: “Battery energy
density and power density are developing significantly year on year. Before
2030, we’ll have mixed cell chemistry batteries that give the best of both
worlds, as well as the ability to ‘hot-swap’ batteries during pitstops.”
Further details and more images of the
Lotus E-R9 can be found in the March issue of evo magazine. On sale from today, it includes a
32-page supplement dedicated to the past, present and exciting future stories
of the Lotus Engineering consultancy.
From the pioneering work of Colin
Chapman in the early 1950s, via countless projects which the team has worked on
in the decades since – some never revealed before – it’s a fascinating glimpse
into a business which has done more than most to shape the automotive industry
today.