- Lotus’ Emeya electric sedan is the fastest-charging production EV money can buy
- The Emeya can charge from 10-80% in 14 minutes, according to Lotus
- U.S. deliveries of the Emeya are to come at an unannounced date
Lotus cars have traditionally stood out for being among the lightest in the segment, but in the future they may be known for another attribute, fast charging speeds.
The company on Monday announced that its Emeya electric sedan, which started deliveries in China in March, was able to charge from 10-80% in just 14 minutes in a recent test, which is a new record for production cars.
The 14-minute charge was completed by independent consulting firm P3, using a 400-kw DC fast-charger. The testing showed that the Emeya’s charge peaked at 402 kw and averaged 331 kw. That was higher than other vehicles included in the test, such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS, BMW i7, Tesla Model Y, Genesis G80, Xpeng G9, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Nio ET5, and BYD Atto 3.
Noticeably missing from the list is the Porsche Taycan, which is the closest rival to the Emeya. The Taycan has just been updated and is officially rated at being able to charge at up to 320 kw.
Lotus Emeya
To handle high charging speeds, the Emeya features an 800-volt electrical system and a specially developed cooling system for the battery that, thanks to a “cell-to-back” design, is claimed by Lotus to fit 20% more cells than a typical battery of the same physical size.
The Emeya’s battery has a 102-kwh capacity and the most potent version of the car has 905 hp on tap. Top performance includes a 0-62 mph time of 2.8 seconds, a top speed of 159 mph, and a range of 379 miles on the WLTP cycle used overseas. Something closer to 300 miles would be likely using the stricter EPA test cycle.
There are few places where chargers delivering 400 kw or more can be found, at least in the U.S. However, Lotus has developed its own 450-kw DC fast-chargers and has installed some at locations in China, and the company plans to install them in other countries as well.
In the Lotus Eletre R SUV due in the U.S. later this year, a 10-80% charge will require around 20 minutes using one of Lotus’ 450-kw chargers. Lotus hasn’t announced timing for the launch of the Emeya in the U.S. Both the Electre and Emeya are built in China.
