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Lotus opens a hybrid and electric vehicle division
By Yoann Besnard on 26 February 2008 | 
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Lotus Engineering has announced that it has set up a research and development division dedicated to hybrid and electric vehicles.
The new Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Group has already developed a lower-emissions Vauxhall Astra which sees its CO2 emissions decreasing by 15%. The company collaborated with Continental Division Powertrain on this project.
The news doesn’t come as a surprise. Indeed, the carmaker has helped Tesla to build the famous electric roadster and gained a recognized expertise in the area of green technologies. With this new division, the British carmaker, owned by Proton, shows its commitment and observers are expecting the company to launch an electric sports car in the future. Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive Officer for Group Lotus remained silent when being asked and said: "over the next five years, Lotus will further reinforce its position as a world leader in green transport engineering."