Lotus, the British sports car brand that is going all-electric with its road cars, has revealed a track-inspired electric road bike. The new Type 136 benefits from the brand’s 30 years of experience in performance road and track bicycle development.

“I am proud to launch the Lotus Type 136 as the next chapter in our high-performance journey,” said Feng Qingfeng, CEO, of Lotus Group. “For the past 75 years, Lotus has been relentlessly pushing the boundaries of innovation on the road and track. Type 136 shows that we continue to do so. Launching alongside Eletre, Emeya, and Evija, it will further expand global perceptions of what to expect from Lotus.”

Like the velodrome-specific bikes designed by Lotus in recent years, the Type 136 features new achievements in bicycle lightweighting. Handmade in Italy, the carbon-fiber frame and state-of-the-art components give the e-bike a total mass of just 9.8 kg (21.6 lb). It features V-shaped handlebars, wing-shaped forks, and vaulted chain stays.

It comes with the lightest e-bike motor from HPS (High Performance Systems) to deliver “dual-use” functionality. The Watt Assist Pro motor propulsion system is derived from the Mars Lander Project, for which limited weight and zero maintenance were critical factors to the mission’s success. The system has a mass of just 1.2 kg (2.6 lb), while the motor contributes just 300 g (10.6 oz) but packs 125 W/kg. An innovative 193-W·h battery shaped like a water bottle is easily detached from the bike’s frame with the push of a button.

Lotus is unique in the automotive industry for its success in the world of track cycling, where its pioneering spirit and passion for pushing the boundaries is legendary. Its Type 108 broke many new bike design boundaries and is recognized as one of the most iconic machines of all time, inspiring a generation of professional cyclists such as Sir Chris Hoy, a six-time Olympic Champion and Lotus brand ambassador.

“This is an incredible bike, which says so much about the pioneering endeavors of Lotus and the iconic status of its bikes over the years,” said Hoy at the Type 136 world premiere event in London. “As a teenager, I vividly remember watching Chris Boardman powering Type 108 to a gold medal in Barcelona in 1992 and smashing records on Type 110 to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France two years later.”

The Type 136 will be available as an exclusive limited First Edition launch production run of just 136 bikes with pricing of £20,000 (€25,000). These will be individually numbered and available in an iconic “Black Gold” Lotus motorsport livery. With full Campagnolo Super Record wireless groupset and Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO 60 wheelset.

The standard model is scheduled to be available for purchase in Spring 2024 in either Yellow or Black. There are two models to choose from, either £16,999 (€19,950) SRAM RED or £15,199 (€17,950) SRAM FORCE, both with DT Swiss wheelsets.

Founded in 1948, and 75 years old this year, Lotus is best known for the design, engineering, and manufacture of lightweight two-seat sports cars. However, that is changing with the brand’s all-electric journey began with the halo Evija, the “world’s most powerful series production road car,” followed by the Eletre “hyper-SUV” and the Emeya “hyper-GT.”