The Lotus Ethos is a fully plug-in hybrid concept car that was unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show as the "Lotus CityCar". The vehicle was developed by Lotus Engineering, a separate division from Lotus Cars. The CityCar has a lithium battery pack with an all-electric range of 60km (37 miles), and after the battery is depleted the 1.2-litre petrol engine kicks in to help with charging, allowing the car to run more than 500km (310 miles). The concept car is designed for flex-fuel operation on ethanol, or methanol as well as regular petrol.

Specifications

The Ethos concept is an urban electric car with a 14.8kWh lithium battery pack that delivers a range of up to 37 miles (60km) in electric-only mode. The internal combustion engine is a flex-fuel-capable 47hp, 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that acts as a generator charging the battery pack up to 310 miles (500km). The concept car weighs less than 1400kg, and Lotus claims it will reach 62 miles per hour (100km/h) from rest in 9 seconds. Top speed is 170 kilometres per hour (110mph), with a charge-sustaining top speed of 120 kilometres per hour (75mph) and the drivetrain has CO2 emissions rating below of 60 g/km on the ECE-R101 test.

Naming and production plans

In 2011 Lotus named the concept the Lotus Ethos. It is based on the EMAS from its parent company Proton and was to be assembled in Malaysia alongside the EMAS for an estimated cost in the UK of "£30,000 plus" but never entered production.

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