Lotus will be showcasing its very own “range extender” powertrain at the Frankfurt motorshow this month. If you know how the Chevrolet Volt works you’ll basically have a gist about what range extenders are all about. A range extender engine does not power the car’s wheels. It either provides power to an electric motor or charges the vehicle’s battery, depending on needs as per what the management system tells it to do.
The Lotus Range Extender Engine is a 1.2 litre 3 cylinder engine. Its power/torque curve is optimised for 2 power generation points – 15kW (20hp) at 1,500rpm and 35kW (47hp) at 3,500rpm, which by the way is also its redline. The engine is most fuel efficient at these points in the RPM range so it can just run at these speeds without having to go into the other inefficient ranges because it does not drive the wheels directly. Peak torque is 107Nm at 2,500rpm.
The engine is a single cam engine with 2 valves per cylinder on a 10.0:1 compression ratio. It uses a monoblock construction with an integrated exhaust manifold, which means the head and block are integrated, removing the need for a head gasket. 17 parts are eliminated thanks to this and the water jacket can be optimised – the result is a dry weight of only 56kg. No fancy direct injection here – fuel is delivered via port injection and the minimum octane requirement is RON95. It can also run on ethanol or methanol.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
dr34mkill3r
on 
taboogen
on 
K'
on 
bobdbilder
on 
Mohd
on 
intelligent basher..
on 
nmh
on 
WhiteFox
on 
DeveauX
on 
obertan
on 
epol
on 
droll
on 
pulge
on 
visitor
on 
Tscks
on 
dinosaur
on 
Wak Rempit
on 
RT
on 
rexis
on 
kerelbort
on 
Najib
on 
Elvis
on 
gavin
on 
Littlefire
on 
AutoAlert
on 
Jimmy Dean
on 
Y
on 
MisterBenjo
on 
azrai
on 
allen
on 
rally_fan
on 
Norman
on 
fazron80
on 
LionelStep
on 
Ah Chye
on 
Peter
on 
tam
on 
Gordon G
on 
AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments express excitement about Lotus Engineering’s 1.2-liter 3-cylinder range extender engine, highlighting its lightweight design (56kg), efficiency, and potential applications in hybrid vehicles, especially as a range extender for EVs like the Chevy Volt or Proton models. Many enthusiasts see it as a suitable power source due to its optimized power generation points and low weight, which could improve fuel economy and reduce vehicle weight. Some debate the practicality of the engine with concerns about maintenance and efficiency at steady RPM operations. There’s optimism that Proton could adapt this technology for future affordable hybrid or EV vehicles, with suggestions for integration into models like Savvy or Saga. Overall, comments are positive, viewing this as a promising technological showcase that could lead to greener, more efficient cars in Malaysia and beyond.