Exige 265E Bio-Fuel: British, Racing and Very Green
Bio-Fuel
For many years there has been a tendency to think of environmentally friendly cars as a personal compromise in order to benefit the greater good. A history of dull, slow, limited range vehicles that left a little to be desired. However, keeping consistent with the forward thinking attitude of Lotus Engineering, a new, more exciting alternative has arrived.
The Lotus Exige 265E is the most powerful road version of the Lotus Exige ever with approximately 265 horsepower - and it runs on environmentally friendly Bio Fuel!
This emissions compliant research vehicle demonstrates that bio-fuel is a viable alternative fuel. Lotus Engineers converted the standard gasoline car in a short timescale and at a low cost to run on any mixture of up to 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
Running on E85 the 265E has a carbon cycle corrected CO2 output of less than 100g/km which is less than the stipulated 2012 ACEA* fleet average emissions target of 120g/km.
*European Automobile Manufacturers Association
Ethanol - "Sustainable Fuel"
What is Bio Ethanol E85?
Bioethanol E85 is a fuel which is a mixture of 85% bioethanol (an alcohol) and 15% petrol / gasoline. The bioethanol can be made from renewable biomass plant crops such as cereals, sugar beet, sugar cane and wood. As these plant crops grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which then partly offsets the carbon dioxide emissions produced during the burning of the bio-ethanol fuel in the car's engine.
Why Bioethanol?
Different bio-fuels were considered for this research project, biomethanol, bioethanol and biobutanol. E85 bioethanol was chosen as its characteristics allowed the engineering project team to enhance the engine performance. The fact that this vehicle uses a pressure charged engine provided even more opportunity to exploit the performance characteristics of a high-octane fuel.
Ethanol has a high octane rating, which allows an optimum timing for engine ignition and has a fast flame speed in the cylinder, so the fuel burns faster, increasing the efficiency of the engine.
Scope - "Efficient Performance"
The 265E engine started off as a production specification Exige S engine. It then underwent a series of modifications to allow it to run on the E85 fuel.
Four enlarged fuel injectors have been fitted to increase fuel flow into the engine under normal operating conditions. Two additional fuel injectors have been fitted at the supercharger inlet to increase the amount of fuel being injected into the engine under higher engine speeds and loads. This has also enabled the engineering project team to take advantage of ethanol's higher cooling effect to further cool the charge air prior to combustion, which in turn reduces the amount of power required to operate the supercharger.
A true Lotus solution where the ethanol does more than just provide energy for combustion!
The Lotus T4e Engine Management System then had to be calibrated to optimise engine performance when running on various mixes of the high-octane bio-ethanol fuel and gasoline. The re-calibrated EMS coupled with an ethanol sensor in the fuel system provides true flex-fuel capability.
This has resulted in the fastest road going Lotus Exige produced and the most environmentally friendly.
- Power - 264 bhp (197 kW) (268 PS) at 8000 rpm
- Torque - 184 lbft (249 Nm) at 5500 rpm
- Transmission - C64 six-speed gearbox Torsen type LSD
- Performance - Maximum speed: 158 mph (254 km/h)
- 0-60 mph: 3.9 seconds
- 0-100 mph: 9.2 seconds
- Renewable fuel source - BioEthanol E85
- Calibrated for flex-fuel operation
- Carbon cycle corrected CO2 output <100 g/km
- Lightweight Lotus Sport five spoke forged alloy wheel
- Lotus Sport Big Brake Kit (front)
- Uprated rear brake pads
- Lotus T4e engine management system)
- 284 bhp/tonne (212 kW/t)
- 930 kg (unladen)
- When compared with standard Exige S: 21% more power
16% more torque
"British, Racing and Very Green"
Lotus Engineering, the engineering consultancy division of Group Lotus Plc has developed a Lotus Exige that runs on bioethanol E85.
The research vehicle is a true Lotus (it weighs just 930 kg unladen) and is called the Lotus Exige 265E. 265 indicates the approximate horsepower and the E indicates the environmentally favourable bio-ethanol E85 fuel that powers this extremely high performing sportscar.
The Lotus Exige 265E is the most powerful road version of the Lotus Exige ever with approximately 265 horsepower.
