The Lotus->ke49 Nemesis was able to shatter the U.K. land speed record for an electric vehicle in September 2012, but many people didn't even know this vehicle existed. Did Lotus create an electric model while no one was looking?

No, the Nemesis isn’t an all-new electric vehicle built by Lotus in an attempt to rebuild its damaged image. The Nemesis is actually a one-off Lotus Elise converted to electric power by Ecotricity – a Great Britain-based renewable energy company.

Typically, when you think of the electric vehicle, you imagine the likes of the Nissan Leaf->ke3484 and Mitsubishi i-MiEV; you think, a slow and ugly buggy that looks as if the manufacturer built it out of spite rather than to actually sell. Well, first we had Tesla->ke1842 eliminating the ugly and slow stereotypes rather effectively and now you have this Nemesis ripping that stereo type to shreds and stomping it into the ground.

Click past the just to read our full review on the Lotus Nemesis.

2012 Lotus Nemesis by Ecotricity

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2012 Lotus Nemesis by Ecotricity
  • Engine/Motor: Two 125 Kw electric motors
  • Horsepower: 330
  • Transmission: Two-stage belt-driven reduction unit
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

On the outside, the Nemesis is essentially an Elise with some mild aerodynamic improvements. The front clip is replaced with one that has a slightly smaller opening, allowing just enough airflow to the motor while limiting drag. The convertible top is gone and in its place is a hardtop roof that slopes downward toward the rear of the car, helping air simply slip from the top of the car.

Around the rear of the car, you have dual circular LED taillights. In place of the dual exhaust on the backside of the Elise turned Nemesis, there's a pair of power cords to plug this EV in. From the side, you’ll notice that the typical air vents are closed off with a set of panels, since there is no need to cool a rear-mounted engine on the Nemesis.

The exterior of the Lotus Nemesis is draped in a dark grey with black highlights in the pattern of the British flag.

Overall, we love how Ecotricity took the Lotus Elise and made it into a clean-looking hard top.

Exterior Dimensions:

Length

3,816 mm (150.2 inches)

Width

1,701 mm (67 inches)

Height

1,202 mm (47.3 inches)

Curb Weight

1,166 kg (2,520 lbs)


Interior

There are no complete images of the interior, nor did Ecotricity give us any information on the interior. We can only assume that the interior is essentially gutted to keep the curb weight low. The only image of the interior that we have shows us a slight glimpse of the gauges and an interface system for the batteries and electrical system. You also get the obligatory “FIRE” shut-off switch – a lesson obviously learned from Fisker…

Motor and Battery System

Powering this beast are two 125 kW motors that total out to 330 horsepower and a massive 600 Nm (442 pound-feet) of torque. The beauty of electric torque is the fact that it is virtually available from idle – no torque curve - so you get instant tire-frying fun. The transmission is a very simple two-stage belt-driven reduction unit. This is essentially a low-tech CVT without the slushbox effect you get from many traditional CVTs.

The batteries can store up to 36 Kw of power, which allows the Lotus Nemesis to travel 100 to 150 miles on a single charge; fairly impressive for a high-performance EV. When it’s time for a recharge, just hook the Nemesis up to its 50 amp rapid charger and it is topped off in only 30 minutes. If you don’t have access to the rapid charger, it takes a more cell-phone-like 2 hours to charge it on the fast charger.

The battery is capsuled in a double-skin carbon-fiber and aluminum honeycomb structural energy storage system (SESS).

Motor and Battery Specs:

Motor Type

Two 125 Kw electric motors

Total Output

330 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque

Transmission Type

Two-stage belt-driven reduction unit

Battery Capacity

36 kW

Electric Range

100 to 150 miles }}

Charging Time

30 minutes (rapid charger) to 2 hours (fast charger)

Acceleration (0 to 100 mph)

8.5 seconds

Top Speed

151 mph (U.K. record at the time}


Price and Availability

Ecotricity did not release an actual cost to manufacture the EV supercar, but it did let us know that it was less than £1 million ($1,614,100 at the current exchange rate) and it took 18 months to build it. From what we can tell, Ecotricity has no plans to build more units.

Built Cost

< £1 million

Built Time

18 months

Selling Price

Not for sale


Conclusion

This car is a complete dose of EV awesomeness and it is something that we would love to see more of from Ecotricity. With what this buggy cost Ecotricity, we would be shocked to see another one, but maybe with time, it could become a profitable venture. Regardless, Ecotricity can hang its hat on the fact that it now owns the U.K. land speed record for an electric vehicle. Hats off to them!