The new manufacturing facility in Norfolk where Lotus will build the Evija hyper-car is being prepared for final-prototype production.
Series production and first customer deliveries of the all-electric two-seater will begin in the summer.
The assembly hall is situated at the company’s historic home in Hethel and has been built next to its 2.2-mile test track.
The result is a versatile work-space that will see Lotus hand-build up to 130 examples of the Evija. The first year’s production is already allocated to customers around the world (
www.lotuscars.com).
Phil Popham, CEO of Lotus Cars said: “This is the newest car production facility in the world, and to witness it move from the drawing board to reality has been deeply satisfying.
"It is the perfect sleek and high-tech production home for the Evija.” At a recent unveiling of the completed facility with 1,400 Lotus employees in attendance, Mr Popham said: “With our new factory ready, we are ahead of the pack in the emerging EV hyper-car segment and 100% ready for some healthy competition.”
Work on the new Evija factory began in summer 2019, and the interior has been fitted on three sides with gantries that frame the build stations.
These have been designed and engineered to be unobtrusive, yet robust enough to carry the power, data and compressed-air systems required to assemble the Evija.
An overhead gantry crane, multiple vehicle lifts and a wheel alignment ramp have also been installed.
The interior is illuminated by more than 30,000 of the latest low-energy LED lights.
A ‘state of the art’ light tunnel will house the rigorous final inspection, before each Evija is driven out directly onto the Hethel test track for dynamic validation.