lotus envisions its electric E-R9 to shapeshift like a fighter jet

looking ahead all the way toward endurance races of 2030, lotus reveals images of its concept E-R9. with its dramatic profile, the new design study envisions a next-generation pure electric endurance racer. the car is envisioned in black and gold, the company’s signature color scheme made famous by its john player cigarette sponsorship during formula 1 races of the 1970s. above all, the EV is defined by its sleek fighter jet-style canopy and advanced active aerodynamics with ‘morphing’ body panels.

images courtesy of lotus

the lotus E-R9 is designed by lotus engineering to showcase its philosophy and innovative spirit towards advanced electric powertrains and aerodynamics. E-R stands for endurance racer, while 9 represents the car’s competition number carefully chosen in tribute to lotus’ racing past. the team made its debut appearance in a lotus mark IX at the le mans 24 hours in 1955. if raced in 2030, the E-R9 would celebrate the mark IX’s 75th anniversary.

with the E-R9, lotus exhibits innovations in aerodynamics, chiefly with its ‘morphing’ body panels. along its delta-wing style profile, active surfaces will be able to change their shape to adapt to the air flow either at the driver’s press of a button or automatically according to performance sensor inputs. this adaptability would deliver minimum drag on the straights and maximum downforce in the corners. vertical control surfaces at the rear would generate aerodynamic forces to help the car change direction without the limitations of grip at the tyre contact patch. the result is a racer that’s partly driven like a car and partly flown like a fighter jet.

richard hill, chief aerodynamicist at lotus, comments: ‘what we’ve tried to do is to push the boundaries of where we are technically today and extrapolate into the future. the lotus E-R9 incorporates technologies which we fully expect to develop and be practical. lotus has an amazing history of developing unique solutions, and we’ve done it many times in motorsport and with our road cars.’ technical director and engineer louis kerr continues, projecting future developments in the field of electric racing: ‘battery energy density and power density are developing significantly year on year. before 2030, we’ll have mixed cell chemistry batteries that give the best of both worlds, as well as the ability to ‘hot-swap’ batteries during pit stops.’