Lotus creates a tri-fuel engine for the Exige 270E
By Susan Wilson
Lotus is certainly doing its best to be the “Green Vehicle” poster company of the year. First, with the Eco Elise sporting hemp composite body parts and now with the Exige 270E that can use any combination of bioethanol, methanol, and gasoline.
Lotus is also convinced that new technologies will allow biofuels like methanol to be synthesized using CO2 sucked up from the atmosphere and hydrogen. This would make the car at least a neutral carbon vehicle since the CO2 from the tail pipe would be offset by the CO2 synthesized methanol used to run it.
The Exige 270E lives up to Lotus performance standards with stats like: “(0-60 mph / 96 kph in 3.88 seconds, a top speed of 158 mph (255 km/h), 270 hp (201 kW / 273 PS at 8000 rpm).“ Great performance with a choice of fuels!
That said, what Lotus is really doing with the Exige 270E is researching the combustion engine requirements for using different fuel combinations. Lotus believes that biofuels will be the fuel of the future – especially if it can be synthesized using atmospheric CO2. The reason biofuels will be so popular is that very little modification needs to happen to today’s car engines and fuel lines for the switch to biofuels.
Lotus envisions the complete switch to bioethanol and synthetic methanol to be fifteen to twenty years down the road. Although the current methods for transporting and distributing the fuel would be essentially the same as what exists today, it will take that long for technology to evolve and gear up for the massive quantities of biofuels that will be needed.
At the same time that Lotus is researching engine requirements, it has also exhibited further green research with its inspired Eco Elise. Along with creating fuel from recaptured CO2, Lotus has researched using recyclable natural materials in creating high performance sexy cars.
Just as the Tesla has shown that electric cars don’t have to be performance wimps, Lotus is proving that performance doesn’t mean environmentally damaging.
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Stumble It!
August 21st, 2008
As a former Lotus engineering guy, I am very happy to see Lotus expanding their R&D capabilities. I have formulated a plan for them to actively participate in the education field… they already partner many Universities. Google: Motorsport University Malaysia.
Mike Kimberley has made a very positive impact since taking over. Good job!
John Mansfield