Nyobolt EV: Ultra-fast charging Lotus Elise-inspired sports car will add a full charge in 6 minutes

A new concept electric sports car that can add 155 miles of range in just six minutes has been unveiled, bringing hope of more lightweight, affordable EVs.  

Created by the partnership of battery experts Nyobolt, design and engineering firm Callum, and Julian Thomson, the designer of the original Lotus Elise, the NyoBOlt EV concept bears a startling resemblance to the two-seater from Norfolk but features the latest in fast-charging and lightweight battery technology.  

Cambridge-based Nyobolt says the systems could transform how EVs are made, focusing on smaller but rapid-charging batteries to reduce costs and material use.

Thomson was asked by Nyobolt to design a “nimble and lightweight” model to showcase its new technology and the famous designer returned to one of his most famous creations for inspiration. Engineering specialists Callum were then tasked with turning his designs into a working prototype. 

Although clearly heavily inspired by the Elise, the carbon fibre-bodied Nyobolt model is 100mm wider and 150mm longer than that car and sits on 19-inch alloys. Features including the clamshell front and rear, and removable roof panel have found their way onto the new model while the famous roundel tail lights have been enhanced with a full-width light bar. 

“The aim was to evolve the design and bring it up to date while keeping that iconic sports car character that was so well received in the Elise,” explained Aleck Jones, creative lead at Callum. 

“Typically, you run into feasibility issues with initial sketches and a design loses impact as it moves from concept into reality, but incredibly – and thanks to the close working relationship between Callum’s design and engineering teams – we have been able to realise our early images and unique vision in the real world.

“Nyobolt’s technology allows this car to tick all the boxes that made the original Elise such a desirable drivers’ car with a cult following, but it’s electric. These two things don’t usually come hand-in-hand due to weight and battery packaging constraints.”

Nyobolt says that its new lithium-ion battery technology is smaller, lighter and faster to charge than existing systems. The Nyobolt EV, uses a relatively small 35kWh battery to keep the weight of the car close to one tonne. That means a maximum range of 155 but a charging time of just six minutes using existing ultra-rapid infrastructure. The battery has been tested with more than 2,000 fast charging cycles without significant performance loss.

The firm says the technology will go into production in early 2024 and opens the door for  nimbler, more efficient EVs with a lower purchase price, lower running costs and lower use of scarce raw material.

It has not confirmed if the technology will appear in a production version of the concept car but the idea of an electric version of the Lotus Elise is sure to get many buyers excited. 

Sai Shivareddy, CEO at Nyobolt, said: “Unlocking the challenges faced by electric vehicle designers has been key to the development of our breakthrough fast-charging batteries. Previously, enabling a light weight fast-charging vehicle was not possible without compromising its lifetime and so people have been relying on costly and large battery packs in the vehicle. With our unique technology we have achieved a six-minute charge car, and developed smaller battery packs that can deliver more power and charge in less time.

“Our partnership with Callum shows how adoption of system-level technology innovations can transform the future of electric vehicles and increase accessibility of EVs, including to the 40% of UK households who can’t charge their vehicle at home overnight.”