Electric Supercar Ironically, in view of E-AUTO's emphasis on the internal combustion engine, a prototype Electric Elise was unveiled by British electric car specialists Zytek Automotive, in cooperation with Lotus, two months ago in Detroit. Zytek have replaced the Elise's engine with a 300V nickel cadmium battery pack and two of their specially developed electric motors, each of which weighs just 13 kg but generates 100 brake horsepower. With a total weight of just 875 kg, it will be the first electric car to have a power to weight ratio equivalent to many supercars. Moreover, if it does enter production it should not cost owners any more. Owners would then lease the batteries, paying around the same price per kilometre that they would buying petrol.
Commercial production begins in Norway within two years.
New Cars from Norway Lotus are also involved in another electric car success story - in Norway. Work began on a full-scale production plant earlier this year, with the first commercial vehicles expected by late 1998 or early 1999. The average speed is low, the typical daily travelling distance is less than 50 kilometres and the number of occupants is 1.2. The CityBee matches these specifications perfectly. The two-seater car was designed and built as an environmentally friendly electric vehicle from the ground up.