Lotus unveils electrified road bike

MANILA: Lotus has unveiled its electric performance road bike, dubbed the Type 136.

According to the British automotive brand, the Lotus Type 136 harnesses design and engineering excellence from its experience in producing successful track bicycles for more than 30 years. In addition, the electric road bike also enjoys cutting-edge technology from the present day.

Power will come from a 300-gram motor, which is a part of Watt Assist Pro Motor system — the lightest electric bike motor from High Performance System (HPS).

The said motor system was also derived from the Mars Lander Project, an outer space motor vehicle that highly values limited weight and zero maintenance.

Energy is supplied by a battery pack cleverly disguised as a water bottle.

Holding the parts together is a light carbon fiber frame with various state-of-the-art components that have been hand-made in Italy. These include V-shaped handlebars, wing-shaped forks, and vaulted chain stays, which help it carve through the air with speed and efficiency.

Overall, the weight of the Lotus Type 136 is 9.8 kilograms.

“This is an incredible bike, which says so much about the pioneering endeavors of Lotus and the iconic status of its bikes over the years. As a teenager, I vividly remember watching Chris Boardman powering Type 108 to a gold medal in Barcelona in 1992 and smashing records on Type 110 to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France two years later,” said six-time Olympic Champion Sir Chris Hoy.

Per the Hethel-based brand, the Lotus Type 136 will have a limited run of only 136 units. It will be sold in the springtime (from March to June) of 2024 and will be priced at €25,000 (approximately P1.497 million).

“I am proud to launch the Lotus Type 136 as the next chapter in our high-performance journey. For the past 75 years, Lotus has been relentlessly pushing the boundaries of innovation on the road and track. Type 136 shows that we continue to do so. Launching alongside Eletre, Emeya, and Evija, it will further expand global perceptions of what to expect from Lotus,” Lotus Group Chief Executive Officer Feng Qingfeng noted.

Photos from Lotus

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