Lotus is best-known for manufacturing performance-oriented, agile and fun-to-drive sports cars like Elite, Elan, Esprit, Elise, Evora and, most recently, Emira. As the company now transitions from a UK sports car company into a global tech and luxury performance brand, it has electrified its vehicle roadmap with exciting new EVs such as the Eletre hyper-SUV and Emeya hyper-GT.
It has also expanded its range of EV charging solutions. In doing so, fast charging has become an integral component of the Lotus story. Whether you’re a Lotus driver, charge point operator or fleet owner, Lotus has a solution for you.
To find out more, we spoke with the Alan Wang, Vice-President, Lotus Technology, and CEO, Lotus Flash Charge (LFC), the division that is responsible for providing fast, innovative and energy efficient charging solutions across the globe.
#LEVS: Alan, great to be speaking with you. Please can you introduce Lotus Flash Charge and what it is that makes the team so special?
#Alan Wang: Lotus Flash Charge is a key part of the electrification and business development strategy of Lotus, and specialises in providing fast and autonomous charging solutions. Our goal is to one day make charging your EV, faster and more seamless than filling up your ICE car with a tank of petrol.
The Lotus Flash Charge team of talented engineers work closely with the Lotus design team based in the UK, and the engineering team based in Germany, to bring these technologies into new markets. This is how we ensure that Lotus customers get the best of all worlds when it comes to technological innovation.
#LEVS: Why has fast charging become such an important factor in the EV sector?
#Alan Wang: It all starts with the customer. Long charging times in inconvenient locations remain one of the biggest friction points impacting worldwide adoption of EVs. This is a particular challenge for Lotus as our customers are always on the go, it is not in their nature to move slowly or stand still. This is part of the Lotus customer DNA.
This is why we’ve placed fast charging at the heart of our business plan, as we look to evolve from a UK sports car company into a global technology and luxury performance brand. Our solutions help customers overcome the charging frictions they have – from the 800-volt EV architecture inside our cars like Emeya and Eletre through to the charging infrastructure that supports it. As a vehicle manufacturer that will offer only EVs by 2028, this is how we can pioneer the shift towards a truly carbon neutral future.
#LEVS: What does a typical Lotus Flash Charge customer look like?
#Alan Wang: Our customers aren’t just Lotus drivers. They are also Charge Point Operators (CPOs), fleet providers, logistics companies and dealerships. Our commercial customers are leading the way in EV mobility and they all share a number of commonalities. They are all looking for innovative, cost-effective, easy-to-use solutions that will help to keep them ahead of the curve in a complex and developing market.
If the above description sounds familiar, and you’re at the London EV Show, we’d love to hear from you. Please do come and speak to a member of the team at our booth to learn more.
#LEVS: Why is the EV charging market so complex to navigate?
#Alan Wang: This is the million-dollar question. There is a wide array of EV solutions available on the market, all with complex system requirements and differing software demands. When you combine this with a general lack of historical context and vastly differing global standards, you can quickly see why the EV charging market is such a complex one. To encourage EV adoption across the globe, it’s so important that we simplify the solutions we provide to customers.
#LEVS: Where do liquid-cooled technologies fit into the picture here?
#Alan Wang: We believe liquid-cooled technologies are the future of EV charging. They help to overcome a major challenge in the development of fast-charging systems by effectively managing the heat generated during the charging and discharging processes. An efficient energy exchange ultimately leads to lower costs and happier customers, it’s a win for everyone. They are also renowned for taking up less space and requiring less maintenance, extending the value of the product over time.
#LEVS: So, what is it exactly that Lotus Flash Charging offering at the London EV Show this year?
#Alan Wang: We are proud to display three new liquid-cooled fast charging solutions for the first time in the UK. These products, designed for commercial customers, include:
- Liquid-Cooled Power Cabinet: An industry leading Liquid-Cooled Power Cabinet which offers a more efficient energy transfer in comparison to traditional air-cooled solutions. Offering dynamic load management, it can charge four vehicles at once when connected to the Liquid-Cooled Manual User Units.
- Liquid-Cooled Manual User Unit: Featuring an active cable management system that moves in tandem with the end-user creating a lightweight, easily accessible EV charging experience.
- Liquid-Cooled All-In-One DC Charger: This incorporation of our Manual User Unit and Power Cabinet, combines liquid-cooled technology in an all-in-one solution that offers high-efficiency and ultra-fast charging. Perfect for charge point operators and fleet owners with limited footprint.
We do also have one product that isn’t liquid-cooled. It’s an energy storage system that combines state-of-the-art design, an IP65 protection rating and smart usability to give the operator complete control over their energy.
#LEVS: What do you think the EV market in UK and Europe is currently lacking and what solutions are you providing?
#Alan Wang: On the whole it’s a positive picture across the UK and Europe. Countries like the Netherlands and Luxembourg have emerged as clear front runners when you look at accessible charging points per inhabitants, with the UK not far behind.
A recent mandate by the Council of the European Union that EV fast chargers need to be installed every 37 miles on major highways was a particularly encouraging sign that will undoubtedly accelerate EV adoption. But there is still a long way to go.
Early adopters in the UK and Europe have made their move, it’s now time to encourage the mass market. This will require more than fast charging infrastructure to work. It will need generous government subsidies, tax breaks, incentives and new technologies that meet the needs of customers.
#LEVS: What technologies and innovations do you expect to see in the future?
#Alan Wang: Advancements in autonomous technology and robotics will be a real game-changer over the coming years. Imagine if, in the future, your vehicle were able to park itself and connect seamlessly to an EV charger, without you needing to lift a finger.
This may sound futuristic, but these technologies exist today. This is the world we are building at Lotus Flash Charging and we expect it to become increasingly common place over the coming years.
#LEVS: And last but certainly not least... why the London EV Show?
#Alan Wang: We are proud to be the platinum sponsors of the London EV Show. The show is home to the latest technological innovation specific to EVs and the fact it brings together a diverse audience, ranging from Charge Point Operators (CPOs), fleet providers, logistics companies and dealers is great for us.
The community that’s involved in the event, including the seminar programmes, creates a great environment for collaborative discussion. Crucially, we aren’t just here to sell our products, we want to listen, engage and understand the challenges that our customers have so that we can create solutions for them in the future. If you are attending the show, please do visit our booth, let us know your challenge and we will work with you to understand how Lotus can provide an answer.
