Lucky day for our photographer near the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden: Crossing a giant frozen lake on a snowmobile, he stumbled upon this prototype of the 2024 Lotus Envya. The driver showed a strange behaviour when our man started shooting the car from all angles: he did do – nothing! The explanation for the driver’s calm reaction came minutes later – in form of a tow-truck. Just seconds before our man came racing in on his machine, the Envya prototype had a total breakdown and couldn’t move a millimetre. Bad luck for Louts.
The Lotus Envya sedan will be a follow-up to the Lotus Eletre electric SUV. Internally codenamed Type 133, Lotus bosses previously confirmed it would retain the E naming strategy of the British brand, with earlier trademarks suggesting either Etude or Envya. The latter is most likely.
The car that will attempt to tackle the Porsche Taycan has previously been shown in shadowy teasers by Lotus itself, but this development prototype is the first of the car in reality – if you wish to call a frozen lake the natural habitat for a Lotus…
The car was originally slated for a 2023 reveal, but with recent setbacks pertaining to global supply chain shortages, we wouldn’t be surprised if it only launches in 2024.
From a design perspective, the Envya/Type 133 prototypes seem familiar. Not only is the split design a dead ringer for the teaser we saw before, but it appears to be an advancement of the split design showcased on the Eletre. Lotus appears keen to create a consistent design language across all its models.
The interior will feature seats and a steering wheel that are shared with the Eletre SUV. Other details easily gleaned are that the Envya will be a four-seater with a full-length center console, and that it will have a coupe roofline and, at least the availability of, a full glass roof.
Not much else is known at this stage, but Lotus has the potential to reach into a deep pool of industry knowledge to challenge the Porsche Taycan. Lotus is owned by Chinese automaker Geely, which also owns Volvo and Polestar. While Lotus bosses have enthused that Lotus models must retain an individual identity, the potential wealth of knowledge available from Polestar could come in handy. The Polestar 5, for example, is coming with a sedan-type body and an 872-horsepower all-wheel drivetrain which is something Lotus will definitely be interested in.
AUTOMEDIA
No comment yet, add your voice below!