For many years now, race teams have begun to adopt electric technology in some form or another. So, it makes sense that sports car manufacturers that focus on true performance would be working on engineering better, faster, and longer-range electric racecars. This year, Lotus has revealed a new design study for their next generation of electric vehicles: the Lotus E-R9. Lotus has hinted at a re-entrance into the world of racing, and this electric endurance racer could be the start of a new era for the brand.

Electric endurance racing

Electric range is a concern for drivers and automotive manufacturers alike. When buying electric vehicles, range is one of the biggest factors that drivers look for — because we don’t have the option to stop and recharge just anywhere, like you could refill the gas tank of a standard combustion engine. As electric endurance racing develops to push cars to their limits as hard and for as long as they can, that technology will trickle down, bettering our consumer-based electric vehicles.

The Lotus E-R9

The new Lotus E-R9 is an electric endurance race car that truly displays the future of racing, not only for the brand but for the sport as a whole. The new racer, the E-R9, has been developed by a specialty sector of the company, Lotus Engineering, and was designed to operate as a true showcase piece to show off what the team has been working on for several years. The ‘morphing’ body panels of the racer exemplify the vehicle’s active aerodynamics, and EV features make the car stand out for its potential implications in the world of racing as well as production electric sports cars.

The E-R9 racer and Evija hypercar

The Lotus E-R9 is just one example of the company’s focus on producing better electric vehicles. The E-R9 features the same electric drivetrain system available in their production hypercar, with a torque-vectoring system promoted by an advanced electric drivetrain which powers each wheel independently. The Evija is just the beginning of electric cars for the brand, and Lotus has only hinted out what their all-new lineup of cars will look like, both on the outside and under the hood.

The new Lotus E-R9 is undoubtable a cool new competitor to the world of electric endurance racing, but it isn’t set to hit the track quite yet. In fact, between now and it’s official racing debut in 2030, a lot of adjustments and changes could still be made to the car.