Lotus Emira plug-in hybrid coming in 2027

It's Part Of A Pivot Away From An All-Electric Lineup

Lotus is moving ahead with rumored plans to build a plug-in hybrid version of the Emira with its new "Hyper Hybrid" system, CEO Feng Qingfeng told analysts during the automaker's second-quarter financial results call. This plug-in hybrid system will first appear in an SUV, likely the Eletre, as Lotus looks to augment its EV lineup with plug-in hybrids.

The Emira plug-in hybrid will debut in 2027, timed for the implementation of stricter Euro 7 emissions standards that will likely also see the discontinuation of the turbo-four Emira, which uses an engine sourced from Mercedes-AMG, as well as an "upgrade" to the V6 model, which is powered by a Toyota engine, reports Autocar.

Tapping The Brakes On EVs

Following disappointing initial sales of the Eletre SUV and Emiya sedan, Lotus in 2024 postponed plans for an all-electric Emira successor and backed away from messaging that it would become an all-EV brand. Its strategy shift began to come into focus earlier this year with CEO Feng's announcement of the "Hyper Hybrid" system at this year's Q1 earnings call.

This new plug-in hybrid system will use the same 900-volt electrical architecture as Lotus' all-electric models, allowing for DC fast charging from 10% to 80% in 12 minutes, Feng said at the time. Two electric motors and a gasoline engine will send power to all four wheels, and Lotus has quoted an all-electric range of up to 186 miles (likely as measured on China's CLTC testing cycle).

This isn't the first time Lotus has considered a plug-in hybrid. The Evora-based 414E prototype broke cover in 2010 with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine and electric motor developing 408 horsepower, and a 17-kilowatt-hour battery pack affording 35 miles of electric range. It never got the nod for production, however.

Turbulent Times For Lotus

The Emira has been the backbone of the Lotus brand, both as the last of its traditional sports cars and as a strong seller, accounting for about 5,000 of the brand's approximately 12,000 global sales last year. Updated for the 2026 model year, the addition of a plug-in hybrid will allow the Emira to keep that position for some time to come.

That should be good news for the workforce at Lotus' original production facility in the United Kingdom, where the Emira is built (EVs are built at a newer facility in China). Just last week, Lotus said it would cut 550 jobs at its U.K. headquarters as tariff woes took hold. Deliveries in the first half of 2025 decreased by about half, while Emira deliveries fell 64%, as Lotus halted exports to the United States due to the Trump Administration's new tariffs.

Exports to the U.S. resumed in July after negotiations brought tariffs on U.K.-made cars down from 27.5% to 15%, and while Lotus did post a net loss of $313 million in the first half, that was an improvement over the same period in 2024, when Lotus reported a net loss of $424 million.