(Fri 11 Jul 08)

Lotus, better known for extracting as much performance as possible from its cars, has shown another side to its character by developing a "green" version of the Elise.

Known as the Eco Elise, it's based on the production Elise S, and mechanically not much has changed. The improvements are very subtle, and they include a weight-saving programme which has removed 32kg from the already minimal bulk of the Elise S.

This has been achieved in several ways, the most significant being the use of lightweight wheels, which accounts for half the weight loss. A further 1.5kg was removed by fitting an especially light audio system developed by Alpine. The overall effect is that the Eco Elise is either quicker in a straight line than the Elise S, or uses less fuel to accelerate at the same rate, and it's also superior in terms of braking and cornering.

But this is only the start of it. Lotus has fitted solar panels to the roof to provide the electrical systems with power which would otherwise have had to be provided by the engine. The seats are upholstered in woollen fabric which does not require the use of dyes (its colour comes from the selection of sheep breeds used to provide the wool for the yarn) and the main constituent in the composites used for the body panels and spoiler is hemp (farmed in Norfolk, close to the Lotus headquarters, so the energy used in transporting the product from suppliers to factory is about as low as it can be).

Lotus has also developed, in association with Du Pont, a completely water-based paint system, which involves much lower solvent emissions than normal and can also be cured at unusually low temperatures, with obvious savings in energy usage.

The driver is also part of the green process. Lotus cars have red shift lights to remind drivers to change gear at the optimum point for performance; the Eco Elise has a green shift light so that the change can be made at the best point for fuel efficiency.

This remarkable little car will be on display in the Greener Driving Pavilion at the British International Motor Show from July 23 to August 23, where it will be used to demonstrate the amount of eco-friendly technology that can be brought to production in the near future.

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