Lotus, positioned

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The sports car brand is back in the country with a new showroom and a new EV

AUTOHUB GROUP, holder of the Lotus Cars franchise in the Philippines, recently opened in a new location — still at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig — and took the opportunity to locally unveil the sports car marque’s first “four-door electric hyper grand tourer,” the Emeya.

Located at the corner of 38^th Street and 11^th Avenue, Triangle Drive, the “state-of-the art” facility, said Autohub Group President Willy Tee Ten, represents an “unwavering commitment to elevating the Lotus brand and delivering exceptional customer experience in the Philippines.” Meanwhile, Lotus Cars Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa President and CEO Dan Balmer declared in a press statement, “We are proud of our continued partnership with Autohub Group in the Philippines. Together with the professional team at Lotus Manila, we look forward to welcoming our new and existing customers to experience the complete Lotus model range at this dedicated space.”

During our conversations with Mr. Tee Ten, it became evident that the executive is a champion of electrification, and believes that additional EV-friendly government policies will further open the minds of people to the more earth-friendly powertrain. However, we asked him what this means for a brand like Lotus which has traditionally positioned itself as a driver’s car — one that has made a name through capable, visceral, and robust internal combustion engines (ICE).

“Actually, Lotus maintains that all their cars are all driver’s cars,” he insisted. “The Emira is the last of the ICE. And the Emeya and the Eletre (electric crossover) are both vehicles you have to test-drive to see that the drive sensation is still there. Lotus made sure of it.”

Lotus Manila shared that the Emeya “brings together Lotus’ design and engineering DNA, with the latest cutting-edge technologies to set a new benchmark for what it means to drive an electric car. Emeya seamlessly blends the excellent dynamic performance that Lotus is renowned for, with world-class refinement, comfort, usability, and connectivity — bringing drivers the ultimate grand tourer package.” The base variant is priced at P8 million, the S model is at P8.5 million, and the R model goes for P9.5 million.

The top-spec Emeya R boasts an impressive 905hp on tap, courtesy of an EDS 2 (high-power rear motor) two-speed transmission which helps the EV go from a standstill to 100kph in 2.78 ticks — onto a top rate of 256kph. WLTP-certified range for this is up to 485 kilometers between charging sessions. The base and S variants are meant for usability and range — promising up to 610 kilometers on a fully charged battery. Electric motors rated at 450kW enable a zero-to-100kph time of 4.15 seconds, and the claimed top speed is 250kph.

For now though, EVs exist alongside internal combustion mills in the Lotus portfolio — well and good for the myriad of customer profiles. “We’ve got our petrol heads who are into our iconic sports cars, and then we’ve got families who like to hang out with their friends. Then we go full circle with the electric vehicles which are geared more for lifestyle,” reported Lotus Asia Pacific Marketing and PR Manager Pei Leng Tan to “Velocity” in an exclusive interview. “This is exactly where we need to be; we’ve got the product offerings and we’re in the right place.”

She acknowledged that the Philippines is a “very diverse” market, and that there are multiple generations of customers from the old to the new, reckoning that Lotus EVs are attracting a younger demographic. “It’s pretty similar to the rest of the region that we look after, (and EVs) have a vast potential for performance in terms of sales and reach to our new target group.”

Ms. Tan added that she saw a lot of interest in the EVs — and the brand in general — when Lotus Manila recently had a pop-up display here. “I’ve seen the interest and desire for Lotus grow exponentially. We have a very diverse portfolio, so there’s a Lotus for everyone.”

Ms. Tan echoed Mr. Tee Ten’s sentiment about how Lotus EVs are similarly designed to appeal to drivers. “(The cars) look good, they would want to be seen in one,” she enthused. “From a technological perspective, we’re constantly innovating and introducing new technologies in our cars that will support the driver in having a similar experience (with ICE vehicles). That’s from an electric vehicle perspective; it’s still a Lotus through and through.”

Mr. Tee Ten promised about the Emeya, “It fits both former and current Lotus owners who love the feel of the car. It will still be there; the power will always be there. We, of course, cater to the more premium segment — the Lotus lovers and their children. Lotus is also for the younger generation such as successful entrepreneurs who want a good car with fantastic features and power.”

“We love the Philippines and definitely want to ramp up our presence here in the market,” concluded Ms. Tan.