Lotus hasn’t released a truly new car since it launched the Evora back 2008. Since then, it’s made continuous improvements to it, the Elise, and Exige, but the new 2020 Lotus Evija is the first new Lotus in over a decade. I might be saying this a little early, but I say it with confidence: Boy was it worth the wait. The basics of this car are simple – it’s all-electric, delivers close to 2,000 horsepower, and has a claimed range of 250 miles on the WLTP scale. That’s not bad. Lotus says it’ll get to 60 mph in under three seconds which isn’t all that radical when you look at other supercars or even the Tesla Model S P100D, but what it does beyond 60 is damn near-mythical and outrageous at the same time.

How Fast is the Lotus Evija?

The 2020 Lotus Evija has a claimed sprint time to 100 kph (62.1 mph) in less than three seconds. Take it up to 200 kph (124 mph), and it’ll get there in less than six seconds. Seriously; nine seconds. Top speed is said to be north of 200 mph, but whether it’s 205 mph or 260 mph, we just don’t know….yet.

To put this into perspective, let’s look at some of the world’s fastest cars:

Supercar Performance Times

Yeah; the Lotus Evija is literally as fast or faster than the Koenigsegg Agera RS, Bugatti Chiron, Ferrari SF90, Tesla Model S P100D, and the Porsche 918 Spyder. We’ll still have to wait for official top speed numbers, but it appears as if it’s on par with the sprint to 60, 120, and 186 mph, so unless there’s a reason to limit top speed, the Evija will probably be up there as well.

How Big is the Lotus Evija’s Battery, and How Fast Does it Charge?

According to Lotus, the Evija has a 2,000-kilowatt, lithium-ion battery pack that can supposedly take a full charge in as little nine minutes.To achieve this, the Evija needs to be plugged into an 800-kW charger which, as you may or may not know, doesn’t exist. That should, however, make it the fastest charging electric car on the planet. On current level 2 EV chargers, the best charging time available right now is the BMW i3 – it can take a full charge on a level 2 charger in 4.5 hours. The Chevy Bolt does the same in 8.5 hours, while the Jaguar i-Pace does it in 13 hours, and the Tesla Model S and Volkswagen E-Golf will take a full charge in 6.5 hours. Naturally, these times are faster with better chargers – like Tesla’s supercharger network, for instance, or the new charger stations slowly making their way across the globe, but for basic charge times, this is what you get. We’re guessing that the Evija will take just as long when plugged into a basic home charger.

EV Charging Times

How Much Range Does the Lotus Evija Have?

That’s huge for a model that delivers nearly 2,000 horsepower through a total of four electric motors. That is based on the WLTP scale, however, and real-world usage will likely be different. Not that it matters, as only 130 will be made. We’re guessing range (and charging time, for that matter) won’t really be something that you, my dear reader, will need to worry about. And, if it is, please let me know because I want to drive it.

2020 Lotus Evija – The Basics

The Lotus Evija, also known as the Type 130, is powered by a 2,000 kW, 70 kWh battery pack. These are, of course, target specifications and we’re not quite sure what the final production model will yield, but we’re at least encouraged given these numbers.

In terms of design, the Evija is a looker, but it really doesn’t look all that different from any other supercar out there today, and it is, undeniably, a Lotus – at least when you look at it from the front anyway.Seriously, it feels like it’s all in there. It also doesn’t appear to have a standard infotainment system, but we’re guessing all that is probably handled by the digital instrument cluster ahead of the steering wheel. In the end, the Evija is certainly a car worth waiting for from Lotus, but there’s a whole lot that we haven’t covered yet, so stay on alert for fresh information, opinion, and Perspective – we’re going to ride this one out until the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette makes its debut.

2020 Lotus Evija Specifications

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2020 Lotus SUV.

Read our full review on the 2018 Lotus Exige Sport 410.

Read our full review on the 2017 Lotus Exige Sport 380.