Lotus today unveiled a new take on an environmentally-friendly car with its Eco Elise demo vehicle. The car, to be unveiled at the British Motor Show later this month, sheds just over 70 lbs of weight compared to a standard Elise S thanks to its use of sustainable materials such as hemp, ‘eco wool’ and sisal in creating the body panels and trim. An environmentally-friendly water-based paint covers these new-age materials.
What’s more, Lotus installed a shift light that will urge drivers to shift at engine speeds that are ideal for increasing fuel economy and thereby reducing tailpipe emissions. A more extreme effort to save gas involves two solar panels installed in the removable hardtop roof, now made from hemp, that lighten the load on the alternator.
Even the Hethel headquarters where all Elise models are assembled benefitted from Lotus’ green initiatives.
Lotus touts the technology used in the creation of the prototype is affordable and is intended to see production in the near future.
