Lotus could share with other automakers EV platform developed with Renault's Alpine

LONDON -- Lotus could sell to other automakers a version of the electric sports-car platform it is developing with Renault's Alpine brand.

The platform will be used to underpin an electric replacement for the A110 sports coupe in 2025 as part of a wider EV makeover for the Alpine brand, Renault CEO Luca de Meo said.

Lotus CEO Phil Popham said there would be "synergies" with Alpine in the timing of an upcoming of electric model for Lotus. The platform will be adaptable enough to spin off different model variants, Popham said. He did not say when the new Lotus EV will launch.

The platform will potentially be available for other automakers from Lotus Engineering, Popham said.

"It is a sports car platform, developed with the attributes of a sports car, but the economies are not just about having an OEM as a partner, but also about having maximum flexibility to deliver potential multiple derivatives," he said.

Lotus and Renault have been in discussion "for a number of months" over collaboration on the platform, Popham said.

The decision to partner with a Alpine, which is a Lotus competitor, was made for financial reasons. "Any sports car has more challenges for a business proposition simply because of the [low] volumes of that segment," Popham said. "It's makes sense to have an appropriate partner, and Alpine and Lotus are a natural fit."

The two companies both build low-volume sports cars that appeal to a certain enthusiast more interested in the purity of the driving experience rather than outright power.

Both put great emphasis on their cars' light weight as the key to achieve good dynamics, and both build their cars around a central 'tub' made from bonded aluminum to keep the weight down.

Popham would not comment on the construction of the new electric sports car platform, but the company is not expected to switch to using carbon fiber to offset the weight of the batteries because it wants to keep the purchase price as affordable as possible.

Renault's De Meo said he expected the Alpine version to sell for close to the 58,000-euro ($70,324) start price of the Alpine A110.

Lotus helped engineer Tesla's first car, the Roadster, which was based on the Lotus Elise sports-car platform and cost $109,000 when it was launched in 2006.

"That was an engineering job for third-party. The difference now is that electrification is part of our core strategy," Popham said. "Battery technology and electric motor technology has moved on leaps and bounds since then."

The Tesla Roadster could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 4.6 seconds thanks to its 248-hp motor. It had a top speed of 125 mph (201 kph). The range was measured by the U.S. EPA at 244 miles. Tesla in 2017 announced a new roadster, but CEO Elon Musk said this year that car had been delayed.

Popham would not be drawn on the potential range of the Lotus EV but said that that it could be valuable to owners to reduce range in a bid to lower weight.

"Obviously range is created by more battery capacity, more capacity means more batteries, which that means more weight and that's what we'll have to research more," he said. "It's about balancing packaging and weight."

Lotus is developing an electric hypercar called the Evija that will begin deliveries later this year, Popham said. Just 130 cars will be sold at 1.7 million pounds ($2.11 million) each plus taxes.

The UK brand is also continuing development on what will be its last combustion-engine model, Popham told Bloomberg in an interview. The car code-named Type 131 will be priced between 55,000 pounds and 100,000 pounds and have enough interior space to be compatible with every-day use.

Lotus has previously said it would lift production from below 1,600 cars last year to at least 5,000, a plan Popham told Bloomberg remains on course. He also said that cooperation with Alpine may extend to Formula One racing, in which Lotus was a major force throughout the 1980s.

Popham said the alliance with Alpine showed how "the world is changing."

He said: "It's quite encouraging that two potential competitors are willing to collaborate for the greater good and I think we will both benefit significantly from that."

Lotus is owned by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, whose brands also include Volvo and Lynk & CO.

Bloomberg contributed to this report