Lotus is gearing up for final prototype production at its new Hethel manufacturing facility in Norfolk, UK, with series production and first customer deliveries of the all-electric Evija hypercar are scheduled for this summer.
Lotus will hand-built up to 130 examples of the Evija, as the first year’s production allocation has already been designated to customers around the globe.
“This is now the newest car production facility in the world, and to witness it move from the drawing board to reality has been deeply satisfying. It’s a testament to the commitment of all involved, and is the perfect sleek and high-tech production home for the Evija at our iconic Hethel headquarters,” stated Lotus CEO Phil Popham.
Watch: Lotus Puts The 2,000 HP Evija Electric Hypercar To The Test Without Any Driving Aids
Popham unveiled the completed hall to more than 1,400 Lotus employees, telling them that the company is “ahead of the pack in the emerging EV hypercar segment and 100% ready for some healthy competition.”
Work on the new factory began last summer, with the interior fitted on three sides with gantries to frame the build stations. They were designed and engineered to be sleek and unobtrusive, yet robust enough to pack the necessary power, data and compressed air systems required to assemble a hypercar.
Other facility features include more than 30,000 high-density, low-energy LEDs, and a state-of-the-art light tunnel. The project itself needed co-ordination from 20 specialist contractors, with more than 50 experts on side during the past six months.
As for the car itself, it is the world’s first all-electric British hypercar, boasting 2,000 PS (1,972 HP). According to Lotus, the Evija can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in under three seconds and 186 mph (300 km/h) in under nine seconds, while offering a full EV driving range of 250 miles (400 km).
