Lotus launches £20,000 e-bike inspired by Olympic track bikes

Lotus has launched its new Type 136 electric bike, which is inspired by the company’s world-beating track bikes, and comes with an eye-watering price tag of £20,000.

As is usually the case with Lotus bikes, it is built for performance, having been sculptured through wind tunnel testing and the input of renowned aerodynamicist Richard Hill, who has helped to create most of the brand’s bikes over the last three decades.

The fully carbon frame is accompanied by a lightweight HPS electric bike motor system, which is the lightest in the brand’s line up at only 1.2kg.

Only 136 will be available on initial release, setting any prospective buyers back £20,000, before a permanent model with either SRAM Red or SRAM Force components will be made available from spring 2024.

Anyone interested in the first edition of the bike can register their interest on the Lotus website.

Inspired by Olympic and World Championship success

Lotus, which is better known for its exploits in the automotive industry, has a long and illustrious history in the world of track cycling, where it has created some of the most iconic bikes in the last three decades.

Many of these bikes have been defined by Lotus’ willingness to divert from normal designs to eke out performance benefits. That resulted in plenty of success at the biggest cycling events in the world, starting in 1992 when the Type 108 propelled Chris Boardman to success in the individual pursuit at the Barcelona Olympics – a bike that remains one of the most instantly recognisable in cycling history.

World Championship time trial victories have followed and in recent years Lotus has grabbed the track headlines through its Hope HB.T bike used by the British team at recent Olympics.

It’s these bikes that have provided inspiration for the Type 136, Lotus says.

“Inspired by the pioneering and rebellious Lotus track bikes of the past, the Type 136 pays homage to its Olympic heritage with a super-light design, supercharged efficiency, and signature Lotus performance,” it says.

• Read more: British Cycling unveils new Hope-Lotus track bike ahead of Paris Olympics

A performance e-bike

Inspired by Olympic track bikes, it’s no surprise that the Type 136 is a performance-driven e-bike in every sense of the word.

Just like the famous Lotus track bikes, this new Type 136 catches the eye thanks to its unique shapes and angles.

It's easy to see how the Hope Lotus HB.T track bike has informed this bike, with high seatstays and a dramatically wider fork than normal. The wing shape is also significant, providing a cutting edge to reduce drag.

© Lotus

The wide fork stance is a feature taken from the Hope-Lotus HBT track bike

These are joined by deep tube profiles, all created with aerodynamics in mind.

“The type 136 is engineered with the perfect balance of aerodynamics, lightness, comfort, and technology to provide a champion-level ride, every time,” Lotus says.

“With a frame carved by air in a virtual wind tunnel, and co-crafted by Lotus Design and iconic aerodynamicist, Richard Hill.”

An e-bike and a mechanical bike

Beyond the aerodynamic design, another foundation of the bike is the lightweight HPS electric bike motor system.

Electric bicycles often have a reputation for being cumbersome but with this system, Lotus says that the overall weight of the bike is only 9.8kg.

© Lotus

The Lotus is lightweight for an e-bike at 9.8kg

That opens up the possibility for the bike to be used as a regular mechanical road bike when the battery is removed, with a relatively minor weight penalty for an electric bike. In Lotus’ words, it’s “a true dual-use road bike".

The bike uses a Watt Assist Pro Motor, harnessing F1 technology from HPS, in what is the key to the bike's lightweight nature. The system as a whole weights just 1.2kg, while the battery itself tips the scales at just 300g.

Perhaps most uniquely of all, the battery is disguised as a water bottle and can be removed from the frame at a switch of a button.

Keep up to date with the latest tech news, features and pro bikes on the GCN website, linked here, and let us know what you think of the Lotus Type 136 by voting hot or not in the GCN app.