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Lotus has unveiled the Type 136, a new performance model featuring the lightest e-bike motor from HPS to deliver dual-use functionality.
The all-new bike harnesses design and engineering from more than 30 years of road and track cycling success, while incorporating cutting-edge technology from the present day.
The aero design has been inspired by Lotus’ gold medal-winning success in Olympic velodromes around the world, from the Type 108 bike at the 1992 Barcelona Games to the most recent competition at Tokyo 2020.
There the Hope/Lotus track bike helped the Great Britain track cycling team top the event medal table.
Handmade in Italy, the lightweight carbon fibre frame and components mean Type 136 weighs in at a claimed 9.8kg.
It also features V-shaped handlebars, wing-shaped forks, and vaulted chain stays.
Innovation continues with the battery, disguised as a water bottle and detached from the frame at the push of a button.
The bike’s Watt Assist Pro Motor system is derived from the Mars Lander Project – where limited weight and zero maintenance were critical factors to the mission’s success.
It is the lightest e-bike motor system on the market from HPS* and weighs a reported 1.2kg in total.
A compact bottom bracket shell seamlessly integrates into the bike’s frame, with the motor itself weighing 300 grams.
In tribute to Lotus’ tradition of Type numbers for its new models, Type 136 is available as an exclusive limited first edition launch production run of 136 bikes.
These will be individually numbered and available in an iconic motorsport livery.
The standard model will go on sale in Spring 2024.
Founded in 1948 and 75 years old this year, Lotus is best known as a performance brand, world-renowned for the design, engineering and manufacture of two-seater sports cars such as Esprit, Elise and Elite.
However it is also known for its success in the world of track cycling.
Type 108 was a unique design and is recognised as one of the most iconic machines of all time, inspiring a generation of professional cyclists such as Sir Chris Hoy.
The six-time Olympic Champion is now a Lotus brand ambassador.
Speaking at the world premiere of Type 136, he said: “This is an incredible bike, which says so much about the pioneering endeavours of Lotus and the iconic status of its bikes over the years.
“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 Lotus Type 136 was unveiled at an exclusive VIP event at the Lotus London brand store and was also showcased at Rouleur Live in London from 2-4 November 2023.
