Who is Lotus?
Lotus is a British carmaker founded by Colin and Hazel Chapman in London. The marque became known for sports cars that put lightness and responsive handling at the heart of the drive. Its home is at Hethel in Norfolk, and its range now reaches beyond traditional sports cars.
The Lotus name covers focused sports models such as the Elise, Exige and Emira, alongside electric cars including the Eletre SUV and Emeya grand tourer. These newer models bring the marque into larger, more everyday vehicle types.
Which Lotus models are in the range?
Lotus model names span several decades. The Esprit is listed from 1984 to 2004, followed by the Elan from 1991 to 1993. The Europa appears from 2006 to 2010, and the track-focused 2-Eleven from 2010 to 2011.
The Elise and Exige are the most registered Lotus models in the EU among those listed, with 6,402 and 4,605 registrations respectively from 2010 to 2022. The Elise brought a compact, lightweight approach to the modern Lotus sports car; the Exige took that idea in a more track-focused direction. The larger Evora is listed from 2010 to 2026, while the Emira spans 2022 to 2027.
How has Lotus changed over the years?
The model range moved from the long-running Esprit to a group of sports cars that includes the Elise, Exige and Evora. The Elise and Exige are listed through 2026, as is the Evora. The Emira joined the range in 2022.
Electric models have added new shapes to a marque long associated with sports cars. The Eletre SUV is listed from 2023 and the Emeya grand tourer from 2024. In EU registration figures, the Eletre recorded 2,152 registrations from 2023 to 2025, while the Emeya recorded 266 from 2024 to 2025. The Emira recorded 1,290 from 2022 to 2025.
Where are Lotus cars recorded?
Lotus cars appear in official figures for the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, the United States and Canada. Among the listed models, the Elise has the highest EU registration total, followed by the Exige, Evora and Eletre.
Official consumption and emissions figures depend on each market’s test procedure. European figures may use WLTP or the older NEDC cycle; the United States uses EPA ratings, and Canada uses the 5-cycle test. Results from different procedures are not directly comparable, so each figure is best read in its market context.
Questions and answers
What is Lotus best known for?
Lotus is known for British sports cars that emphasize lightness and responsive handling.
Which Lotus model has the most EU registrations listed?
The Elise, with 6,402 EU registrations from 2010 to 2022.
Does Lotus make electric cars?
Yes. The Eletre and Emeya are electric models, listed from 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Why can official fuel-consumption figures differ between markets?
Markets use different test procedures: WLTP or NEDC in Europe, EPA ratings in the United States and the 5-cycle test in Canada.