Lotus says the forthcoming Emeya hyper-GT combines 75 years of heritage with intelligent performance. Its in-vehicle supercomputer, known as the NVIDIA DRIVE platform, acts as the brain for Lotus’ intelligent vehicles, providing high performance 'data centre-class' processing power on the move.
The all-new Lotus Emeya hyper-GT can complete up to 25 trillion operations in the same amount of time it takes the human brain to identify an image, which is approximately 50 milliseconds, or 1/20th of a second. In an all-electric automotive era, Lotus believes processing power is the new horsepower – and Emeya is a thoroughbred.
Dual NVIDIA DRIVE Orin systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) are used to process data from 34 state-of-the-art-surround sensors up to 30 times a second, offering 360-degree perception with no blind spots.
Four deployable LiDARs, 18 radars, seven 8mp cameras and five 2mp cameras combine to ensure driver confidence by scanning for obstacles at a radius of up to 200m around the car, in every direction, even in low light or inclement weather. They even reconstruct a virtual environment around the vehicle to define the best trajectory – an essential requirement in an autonomous future.
All of this processing power comes from two NVIDIA SoCs, which combined deliver 508 trillion operations per second, or TOPS, of compute in a compact form factor, measuring the size of a postage stamp, just 3mm thick.
Built on the automotive manufacturer’s innovative and versatile Electric Premium Architecture (EPA) that already underpins the Eletre hyper-SUV, the Emeya hyper-GT is Lotus’ latest iteration of a car that is truly for the drivers.
The Lotus Emeya hyper-GT hosts a suite of intelligent features, powered by the dual NVIDIA DRIVE Orin configuration, to help drivers maximise the car’s safe and secure driving capabilities and build in the headroom support for future potential features through over-the-air (OTA) software updates. For example, electronically controlled air suspension feels the road ahead at a rate of 1,000 times per second, making dynamic adjustments to ensure a confident and inspiring ride, which can be for either comfort or spirited driving.
A raft of advanced aerodynamic technologies, including an active front grille, rear diffuser and rear spoiler, combine to smooth airflow and create class-leading levels of downforce. These technologies are spiritual successors to the innovative aerodynamics that shot Lotus to fame on race circuits around the world. Packaged beneath the floor is a state-of-the-art 800-volt, 102kWh Lithium-ion battery pack. Compared to conventional 400-volt systems, the 800-volt architecture allows drivers to charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes when connected to a 350kW DC fast charger.
The interior of Lotus Emeya features a stunning 15.1” OLED touchscreen that displays beautifully crisp, clear images using over 16 million colours, with up to seven configurable screens also available. The central screen and Lotus Emeya’s intelligent ‘Digital Cockpit’ are powered by a dual-configuration setup of Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8155 processor and Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3 software.
This software and hardware enable the functionality of Lotus’ award-winning Hyper OS. Occupants will now be able to seamlessly operate the user interface with zero lag while also experiencing beautifully rendered real-time graphics with great interactive feedback for complete control.
Drivers can quickly access crucial external environment details using the expansive augmented reality head-up display. It combines real-time road information with navigation and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) data, connecting the driver to the road with instant access to crucial environmental information and avoiding distractions from excessive information.
The Lotus Emeya boasts a state-of-the-art intelligent EV routing system which is capable of learning individual driving patterns, such as departure times, destinations and routes, to offer more personalised journeys.
Backed by future-proofed hardware and software, the Emeya not only provides the very latest ADAS functionality but is also purpose-built for a safe, autonomous and connected future. With 5G connectivity enabled, Emeya supports OTA updates to ensure the car is continually improving.
Emeya production is expected to begin in 2024.
