With the recent news that Lotus has decided to scale back and delay its plans to go all electric with hybrid versions of its EVs and potentially similar treatment to prolong the life of the Emira, we reminded of the company’s hybrid plans in 2009.

Lotus developed a small internal combustion engine that could act as a range extender for other manufacturers’ otherwise battery-powered models. It was laced with Lotus innovation. The tiny 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine could run on petrol, ethanol or methanol just like the Exige 270E, which itself had huge environmental benefits.

The range extender was constructed from cast aluminium with a one-piece block, cylinder head and exhaust and weighed just 56kg. It could operate in two modes: the first generated a 15kW while running at a steady 1500rpm, while the second mode operated at 3500rpm for 35kW, delivering a faster charge when necessary.

It’s all very different to the plans to hybridise the Eletre and Emeya, and indeed the battery assistance that’s mooted for the Emira. Back in 2009, there was a suggestion that the Jaguar XJ could be one of the adopters of Lotus’s range extender. What very different companies both Lotus and Jaguar are today compared to a decade and a half ago.