Lotus hails processing power as the new horsepower for its latest sports car, Emeya Hyper-GT
Electrification, autonomy, advanced safety systems, high performance motors and complex connectivity are quickly becoming the norm for the latest generation of cars. High performance cars are packing more electronics and processing power into tighter spaces – both on the chip and in the physical available space.
Combining such complexity and density results in a crowded RF environment that places higher significance on Electro Magnetic Compliance (EMC) in design, prototyping, testing and qualification.
In response to such increased levels of complexity, the large automotive test houses have geared up to be able to provide the EMC engineering consultancy and testing capabilities to enable component and vehicle manufacturers to achieve compliance to the rigorous standards that are in place.
As an example of how extreme the electronics have become, the latest Lotus Emeya hyper-GT sports can is able to complete up to 25 trillion operations in the same amount of time it takes the human brain to identify an image, which is approximately 50 milliseconds, or 1/20th of a second. Lotus believes that in an all-electric automotive era, processing power is the new horsepower and in these terms, the Emeya is a thoroughbred.
Throughout its 75 years of history, Lotus has taken the position that performance must be combined with intelligence. The in-vehicle supercomputer on the Emeya is the NVIDIA DRIVE platform, which acts as the brain for Lotus’ intelligent vehicles, providing data centre-class processing power.
Systems-on-Chip
Dual NVIDIA DRIVE Orin systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) are used to process data from 34 state-of-the-art-surround sensors up to 30 times a second, offering 360-degree perception with no blind spots.
Four deployable LiDAR sensors, 18 radars, seven 8 megapixel cameras and five 2 megapixel cameras combine to ensure driver confidence by scanning for obstacles at a radius of up to 200m around the car, in every direction, even in low light or inclement weather. They even reconstruct a virtual environment around the vehicle to define the best trajectory. Such perception technology is at the heart of the safety systems that define Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) as well as being an essential requirement in an autonomous future.
All of this processing power comes from two NVIDIA SoCs, which combined deliver 508 trillion operations per second, or TOPS, of computing power in a compact form factor, measuring the size of a postage stamp, just 3mm thick.
Built on the automotive manufacturer’s innovative and versatile Electric Premium Architecture (EPA) that already underpins the Eletre hyper-SUV, the Emeya hyper-GT is Lotus’ latest iteration of a car that is built on Lotus’ performance heritage.
According to Maximilian Szwaj, Vice-President of Lotus Technology and Managing Director, processing power is quickly becoming the new horsepower, which is why, with the Emeya, Lotus has built a supercomputer on wheels.
“It is packed with high-tech features designed to provide customers confidence, safety and satisfaction. It is also fully future-proofed and ready for an autonomous future, with software that can be continually updated over the air,” he explains.
Ali Kani, Vice President of Automotive at NVIDIA, added: “With NVIDIA DRIVE Orin as the brain of the Emeya, Lotus customers will be able to experience new convenience and safety features throughout the life of the car.”
Technological innovation
The Lotus Emeya hyper-GT hosts a suite of intelligent features, powered by the dual NVIDIA DRIVE Orin configuration, to help drivers maximise the car’s safe and secure driving capabilities and build in the headroom support for future potential features through over-the-air (OTA) software updates. An electronically controlled air suspension feels the road ahead at a rate of 1,000 times per second, making dynamic adjustments to ensure a confident and inspiring ride, which can be for either comfort or spirited driving.
A raft of advanced aerodynamic technologies, including an active front grille, rear diffuser and rear spoiler, combine to smooth airflow and create very high levels of downforce. Lotus says that these technologies are spiritual successors to the innovative aerodynamics that shot the company to fame on race circuits around the world.
Packaged beneath the floor is a state-of-the-art 800-volt, 102 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack. Compared to conventional 400-volt systems, the 800-volt architecture allows drivers to charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes when connected to a 350kW DC fast charger.
Electronically defined interior
Software and electronics also define the interior of the Lotus Emeya, which features a 15.1” OLED touchscreen that displays crisp, clear images using over 16 million colours, with up to seven configurable screens also available. The central screen and Lotus Emeya’s intelligent “Digital Cockpit” are powered by a dual-configuration setup of Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8155 processor and Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3 software.
This software and hardware enable the functionality of Lotus’ award-winning Hyper OS. Occupants will now be able to seamlessly operate the user interface with zero lag while also experiencing well-rendered real-time graphics with great interactive feedback for complete control.
Drivers can quickly access crucial external environment details using the expansive augmented reality head-up display. It combines real-time road information with navigation and ADAS data, connecting the driver to the road with instant access to crucial environmental information and avoiding distractions from excessive information.
Smart and Future Proofed
The Lotus Emeya boasts a state-of-the-art intelligent EV routing system which is capable of learning individual driving patterns, such as departure times, destinations and routes, to offer more personalised journeys.
Backed by future-proofed hardware and software, Emeya not only provides the very latest ADAS functionality but is also purpose-built for a safe, autonomous and connected future. With 5G connectivity enabled, Emeya supports OTA updates to ensure the car is continually improving.
The Emeya will be the flagship model in Lotus’ line-up of electric vehicles. Production is scheduled to begin during 2024 and is an important part of the company’s vision to become a global performance brand by 2028.
- UK manufacturing steps up to COVID-19 crisis - April 2, 2020
- Clustering Innovation - March 12, 2020
- A Global Monitor - March 6, 2020