Lotus has announced a collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering in order to develop and research ‘advanced propulsion technologies’. This partnership is going to lead to the development of an all-electric hypercar codenamed ‘Omega’, which will reportedly cost GBP 2 million (about Rs 18.6 crore).
Complete details of the partnership have not been revealed yet, but we know that Lotus will be leading the development of the car itself to ensure that it meets the brand’s standard of structural lightness. Williams will bring its F1 expertise and focus on the EV powertrain necessary that is necessary to give it an expected four-figure power output in order to compete with current hypercars at this price point.
This hypercar will be the first ever all-electric model made by Lotus and is a part of the brand’s plan to reposition itself as the performance-focused leader of the Geely Group, which is Lotus’ parent company. The group also includes Volvo, Polestar and LEVC, three carmakers with significant expertise in electrification.
The Omega is expected to have a four-wheel-drive system with at least two electric motors (one to power the front wheels and one for the rear) on the powertrain front, providing quick acceleration figures. Advanced battery technology should allow for a range of more than 400km, with fast charging and some sort of energy recovery system part of the package.
The Omega project is at the very least, two years away from being revealed. It remains to be seen whether Lotus and Williams will be working on any other powertrains or models together in the future. The Omega will face stiff competition when it enters the international market as it will go up against other all-electric performance cars like the Rimac C Two, Tesla Roadster as well as more traditional hypercar rivals like the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the Mercedes AMG One.
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2012 Lotus-Renault F1 race car drive experience