SWEET!
Jerry Garcia's Lotus
By Stuart Schwartzapfel EmailJuly 15, 2008 | 12:41:34 PM
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/07/lotus-eco-elise.htmlSo the engineering superheroes at Lotus have churned out yet another iteration of the street legal go cart we like to call Elise. Aptly named “Eco Elise”, the Elise S-based concept will nail 60 MPH in less than 5.8 seconds but treads lightly thanks to sustainable materials and across-the-board reductions in energy required at the time of manufacture.
The Elise S is already pretty damn efficient considering the grins its capable of producing - 34 MPG combined fuel economy, 196 g/km CO2 emissions and a dry weight of about 1,896 lbs. New to the party are reusable materials like Hemp, eco wool and sisal that have been used in place of traditional body panels and interior trim pieces while water based paint solutions lower emissions during the application process. The concept, or ‘demonstrator vehicle’ as Lotus calls it, is set to debut at the 2008 British Motor Show [July 23- August 3].
Considering current gas prices, Lotus founder Colin Chapman may have been looking into a crystal ball when he founded a sports car company shouting “performance through light weight” from the rooftops. Yes, ditching unneeded heft is a sure way to up the performance ante and reduce complexity but it also improves fuel economy because the engine does not have to work as hard.
Well the boys in Hethel remained faithful to their captain with the Eco Elise, which is 70.5 pounds lighter than the already bantamweight Elise S to which it is based. Hell, even the lightweight Alpine stereo accounts for a 3.3 lbs weight reduction. The composite body panels and spoiler are made from hemp technical fabrics, beloved by Phishheads and rope manufacturers alike for its strength. Seats are also made from hemp. A cool touch, solar panels have been set into the hard top as an additional source power for the electrical systems.
Lotus and Du Pont teamed up on this one to develop a completely water-based paint system for primer, color and lacquer. Lotus says this represents the first time it has been possible to hand spray a water based “A” class production paint finish. The system consumes less energy thanks to the special paint's low cure temperature and there is an overall reduction in solvent emissions. Lotus says this technology is expected in production cars sometime soon.
Mike Kimberley, CEO of Group Lotus plc commented "This Eco Elise is a great example of the advanced and affordable green technologies Lotus is developing. We are at the cutting edge of environmental technology and are determined to push forward with our green agenda. The Lotus brand values of lightweight, fuel efficient, and high performance are more relevant today than they ever have been. We are keen to ensure that Lotus as a company and its products offer an ethical, green option that appeals to our customers".
