The performance data of the Lotus Elise-E lightweight electrical sports car that Evonik Industries (Essen, Germany) presented at the recent Car Symposium in Bochum, Germany are impressive, as is its extensive usage of performance plastics. The vehicle weighs just 950 kg, has a power of 150 kW, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds. The top speed is limited to 200 km/h.

Acrylic side windows, structural foam, and carbon fibers combine to deliver sports car performance in  electric vehicle."The purpose of exhibiting the vehicle was to show the automotive industry what can be achieved with our expertise in chemicals," says Klaus Hedrich, Head of the Evonik Automotive Industry Team. Thanks to the combined use of innovative storage technology and lightweight components coupled with lightweight tires, the sports car is the first-ever model to weigh less than 1,000 kg. With the exhibit, Evonik demonstrated that electrical cars, which are currently used primarily as city vehicles, can also be part of the sports car segment.

The vehicle is a combination of automotive components made with the specialty chemical components of the Evonik Group and the sophisticated automotive technology of the British sports car manufacturer Lotus. The weight of the electrical sports car's body has also been reduced with Evonik technologies. The sandwich structure with Rohacell polymethacrylimide (PMI) structural foam and carbon fibers makes the body 60-70 percent lighter than a comparable steel structure. Evonik also applied a new resin infusion process with an innovative epoxy resin formula based on Vestamin hardener technology to manufacture it. This process allows for class-A surfaces and reliable quality in the serial manufacture of composite automotive body parts.

Side windows made of Plexiglas acrylic resin also contributed to weight reduction, as they have a weight-saving potential of 40-50 percent compared to conventional glass. In addition to reduced weight, further advantages of the glazing comprise excellent transparency, high resistance to weather, pleasant acoustics and excellent design freedom.-[email protected]