[ Music ] ^M00:00:07 >> A couple of years ago if you weren't doing a hybrid you weren't in the main stream of auto making. Now if you're not doing a range extender, you're not cool. Lotus has one here this is their Evora, the larger of their sporty cars, fitted out as a range extender hybrid. Now a refresher on what that means. The electric motors power the car, a tiny gas engine runs a generator that charges the batteries that run the electric motors. Let's go see that apparatus, it's in the back over here. Ok now back here under this clear cover and I'm not sure that's a production thing or not. Here is the electric motor, the battery apparatus but up there is where we start. That's a 1.2 liter 3 cylinder, lean burn gas engine, turns a generator which then powers the batteries. The batteries power an electric motor for each of the rear wheels. Now let's talk about some specs. 35 miles on a charge before you have to run the generator and then with a full tank of petrol you can go 300 miles in the generating mode so real world distance, that's why range extenders are called range extenders. Now that power combination goes out through a 7 speed transmission but not really, it's a virtual 7 speed. There are no gears, not even a CVT but what it does have are 7 synthesized levels of regeneration drag, so you can kind of do full downshifts with those paddles you see on the wheel, it gives you that sporting downshift feel. Oh by the way when you do that you will hear an engine because it has Harmon Cardon virtual engine audio technology. No I'm not kidding. You can select V6 sound, V12 sound or my least favorite V6 or V12 plus futuristic engine sound, yeah like I'm 14 still. All in 0-60 is an impressive sub 4 seconds, kind of in the same range as a Tesla roadster. Now on an entirely different note that same Lotus power train technology is being shown in a slightly detuned form here on this car. This is the proton city car. Everyone's doing city cars these days. Smart, Toyota, Aston Martin, but this one here is a little more down to earth than that later but still has the same basic Lotus power train, a range extender, a 3 cylinder 1.2 liter motor to run the generator all of that, the design here is done by Zuzaro, Itel design. The car will be made by Proton which I'm told is the largest auto maker in Malaysia, news to me and of course the power train technology from Lotus. Now beyond the guts of this car if you look around the cabin you see a very fresh, very concept look, those 3 screens that handle all the information displayed those never make it to showrooms, not this decade and every door has a little stock full of controls that I will bet you snaps off within a month of ownership but of course that's car show stuff too. ^M00:02:45 [ Music ]
