"Liquid-Cooled Technologies are the Future of EV Charging" - Alan Wang, Lotus Flash Charge CEO

Since its formation in 1948, Lotus has pioneered cutting-edge technologies and designs. The Geely-owned company has just unveiled its own electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, including an ultra-fast 450 kW DC charger, power cabinet and a modular unit for charging up to four vehicles at once.

Auto Futures recently caught up with Alan Wang, Vice-President of Lotus Technology and CEO at Lotus Flash Charge.

In 2018, Lotus announced plans to transform the brand from a British sports car maker to an all-electric global luxury technology brand by 2028. As part of this transition, the company is committed to developing its own EV charging solutions.

“As more governments are increasing investment into electrification in their journey to net-zero, the demand for a reliable electric vehicle charging infrastructure has never been higher than before. Lotus has developed best-in-class fast charging solutions to deliver a quick and reliable charging experience to meet customer needs,” explains Wang. 

With EVs, the faster the charging, the greater the generation of heat. Liquid-cooling technology combats this process.

"We believe liquid-cooled technologies are the future of EV charging. They help to overcome a major challenge in the development of fast-charging systems by effectively managing the heat generated during the charging processes." 

"With the advent of faster-charging electric vehicles, Lotus expects liquid-cooled technologies to be increasingly sought after by commercial customers – including charge point operators (CPOs), fleet providers and dealerships. These charging solutions will be available for commercial customers to purchase and install in Q2 2024.  The roll-out will be determined around individual customer requirements," he adds.

The company's fast-charging solutions have already been deployed in China and are expected to roll out across the majority of European countries and Middle East in Q2 2024, with Germany and Austria following at a later date. 

In a press release, Mike Johnstone, Chief Commercial Officer at Lotus Group, says: “Over the past six years, Lotus has been investing in the technology and infrastructure to accelerate the transition to electrification. We want to make it easier than ever to own an electric vehicle and with our latest offerings, Lotus is able to provide customers with the confidence to access easy, fast, and efficient charging.” 

Designed For Fast-Charging

Lotus launched its first electric hyper-SUV Eletre in 2022, with customer deliveries across UK, Europe and China taking place in 2023. It recently launched Emeya, its next-generation electric hyper-GT. 

Both vehicles integrate hardware, software, and cloud capabilities to develop a full stack of intelligent driving technologies. 

The new Liquid-Cooled All-in-One DC Charger can add up to 88.5 miles or 142 km of range to the Lotus Eletre R with approximately 5 minutes of charge. A 10% to 80% charge can be achieved in just 20 minutes with a range extension of 74 miles or 120 kilometres from a 5-minute charge when using a 350 kW Rapid Charger.

"Any electric vehicle can use the new liquid-cooled EV solutions. Ultra-fast charging solutions are particularly effective in vehicles that feature a state-of-the-art 800-volt charging infrastructure, including the Lotus Eletre hyper-SUV and Emeya hyper-GT. These vehicles are designed to handle this increased amount of electricity being passed through," explains Wang. 

Home Charging

A roll-out of its home charging solutions could be next for Lotus. The Mobilize Home charger has already been tested and approved by Lotus to make sure it is compatible with the Eletre. 

"Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement around our home charging solutions," says Wang.

Finally, we asked him for this thoughts on what EV charging and urban mobility will look like by the end of the decade. 

"Advancements in autonomous technology and robotics will be a real game-changer in the run up to 2030. In the future, your vehicle will park itself and connect seamlessly to an EV charger, without you needing to lift a finger," concludes Wang.