Lotus will return to combustion engines for its cars - Engadget

"Lotus announced it would end production of gas-powered vehicles to become a pure EV company. Since then, the world has solved climate change, found a way to produce clean gas from air and ended all geopolitical crises threatening access to global fuel supplies. Consequently, Lotus has announced its long-telegraphed plan to resume building cars with internal combustion engines. The Geely-owned outfit has today unveiled Focus 2030, its plan to use ICE, hybrid and electric powertrains across its range."

"Hybrids will likely take most of the focus, and Lotus is proud of the Hybrid-X technology found in the China version of the Eletre, the Eletre X. (Given the company's love of faux-Latin names beginning with E, Eletre is the glorious SUV you can throw around a track like a sports car.) Hybrid-X will also be a key pillar of the new Type 135, its new supercar expected to debut in 2028, of which we only have the above teaser image."

"The 135 will be an all-new flagship, equipped with a hybrid V8 capable of 986 horsepower that it's hoped will be manufactured in Europe. Given this pivot, Lotus is also gearing up to announce an update to its last gas-powered car, the Emira, in the coming weeks. The company said the update will show off "the most powerful and lightest Emira built," to cater for seemingly insatiable demand for gas-powered sports cars."

"The announcement also lays out a new vision for the company in the run-up to the end of the decade with a focus on reduced expectations. Back in those optimistic pre-2020 days, Geely was hoping to turn Lotus into a giant selling 150,000 units a year. Now, it's scaling that target down to 30,000 units with the hope of fina"

Lotus announced a shift from a pure EV strategy to Focus 2030, using internal combustion, hybrid, and electric powertrains across its range. Hybrids are expected to be the main focus, supported by Hybrid-X technology used in the China versions of the Eletre and Eletre X. Hybrid-X will also be a key element of the Type 135 supercar, expected to debut in 2028, featuring a hybrid V8 producing 986 horsepower and planned for European manufacturing. Lotus also plans an update to the Emira, aiming to deliver the most powerful and lightest Emira built. The company is also adjusting its production expectations downward toward 30,000 units annually.

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