Electric Lotus Evija to emit F1 car sounds

Car makers are readying themselves for an electric future and composing sounds which battery-powered vehicles will use to not only alert pedestrians of their presence but to also distinguish between brands.

Niche sports car brand Lotus says it has found the perfect warble for its Evija hyper electric vehicle (EV) through digitally manipulating the unforgettable Cosworth-Ford V8 engine sound made by the  Lotus Type 49 Formula One cars introduced in 1967. Graham Hill won the 1968 F1 Drivers’ Championship in a Type 49.

Music producer Patrick Patrikios, who is tasked with creating the sound, says they realised that slowing the Type 49’s engine note down created a similar frequency to the natural driving sound produced by the Evija’s electric drivetrain.

Patrikios, who has written and produced songs for a number of stars including Britney Spears, says: “There’s purity to that V8, a raw edge and an emotion that stirs something in your soul. We wanted to create a soundscape for the Evija that was recognisably and distinctively Lotus, an audio blueprint for its future electric cars.”

The composer has been a Lotus fan since childhood and who currently owns a Lotus Evora.

He has also developed chimes and tones for everything from the activation of the indicators to the seatbelt warning for the Evija, which is powered by four electric motors (one at each wheel) for total  outputs of 1,471kW and 1,700Nm, making it the most powerful production car in the world.

It’ll scoot past 100km/h in less than three seconds, passing the 300km/h mark in about nine seconds on its way to a 321km/h top speed. 

Production is set to begin this year and only 130 units will be built at a price of about £2.4m (R50m).