Could caterham take over the Elise/Exige chassis

[Scotty C]

thoughts?

[Mikie711]

Would be an expensive set up as not as simple to make an elise chassis as it is a 7's. Are Lotus selling all the tooling or just the design?

[campbell]

It has potential.

Or Redford.

Not sure about tooling sales. Our G Robertson might offer a hint ...

[tonyg]

I think it's pure speculation and a bit of good publicity for Lotus, but who in their right minds is going to take on a product which has less than 10 years to live in most countries?

[TarmacTerrorist]

I think it's pure speculation and a bit of good publicity for Lotus, but who in their right minds is going to take on a product which has less than 10 years to live in most countries?

It can easily be converted to a EV platform. Already been done. Although it is best part 25yrs old it was so far ahead of itself the principle is still very much modern technology.

I can see it happening, but on a very small scale from how lotus made it.

[hendeg]

I think it's pure speculation and a bit of good publicity for Lotus, but who in their right minds is going to take on a product which has less than 10 years to live in most countries?

Jim Ratcliffe already has. He seems to do alright for himself out of his exploits.

[fd]

Rather that making new EV's this kind of business should be being encouraged to make tedious, commuter, ICE vehicles more environmentally sustainable : https://transition-one.eu/ but look at the range compromise . . .

Quite how you're going to fit a reasonable battery into an elise within sensible mass and volume restrictions and still have a sportscar that will go both to the shops and back is something I'd like to see . . . as would Lotus (and every other manufacturer) having to completely redesign their platform architectures

Despite being dismissed and slated by many, hydrogen fuel cell tech is still coming, toyota making large investments in the tech, and a lot of investment into hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles which require a higher duty cycle to justify the investment in a technology change or to make them practical. Add the large investments being made in renewable derived hydrogen which are starting to happem and this will trickle down to passenger vehicles, in time, and perhaps fuel cell hybrids will give truly practical zero emission vehicles.

https://www.garrettmotion.com/news/medi ... contender/

BEV's are a legislated sticking plaster, it's difficult to see that they will be the technology of choice in a decade.

[Mikie711]

BEV's are a legislated sticking plaster, it's difficult to see that they will be the technology of choice in a decade.

I don't disagree with anything you have said however I doubt anybody knows with any certainty what the technology of choice will be in a decade, it my not even have been invented yet.

More likely to be a blend of all that are available no and then. I do think that there is a bit of a con going on though to have everybody change to electric fo pretty much everything. All new houses after 2025 will have to run renewable heating source, which currently excludes gas & oil. 2030 no more ice cars. Where exactly is all this extra electric coming from?
We (UK) currently import approx 40% of our electricity, and it has been rising since 2004.
Interestingly, Scotland is a net exporter and our biggest customer is Engalnd!

[tonyg]

BEV's are a legislated sticking plaster, it's difficult to see that they will be the technology of choice in a decade.

That was obvious to anyone with half a brain cell.
While they work well for local trips (up to half car range out and back) there is no chance of them ever being suitable for mass long distance travel (IMHO).
Even if the electricity generation supply was up to it (which it could be made to do, but not cheaply i suspect). How does the electricity transport network cope?
40 cars charging at 250kW is a 10mW drain on the system.
Can your typical motorway service station supply that on top of what it is already using? - I doubt that there is that much headroom in the supply to these places (but am willing to be proved wrong).

[TarmacTerrorist]

The only way I can see pure ev working long-term is if we can develop some sort of wireless charging on the main road network. Ie. You have a small battery onboard (less weight and rare earth materials required) that will do say 120 miles off grid. Soon as you drive on the grid you draw power from it to move and recharge the battery at the same time. No filling stations required, less weight to move around, more economical, monthly bill for electric used. I'd sign up to it. I get impatient at the pumps already, £40 and I'm usually bored and on my way. Sitting around even for 10mins for a charge, fcuk that.

[hendeg]

Despite being dismissed and slated by many, hydrogen fuel cell tech is still coming

VW CEO says fuel cell cars 'not the answer' to emissions-free mobility