Emissions Regulations: The Lotus Emira cannot be delivered in the United States

Imagine driving down an American highway in a Lotus Emira. Not just any road, but Highway 1 in California, which runs from San Francisco to Los Angeles. There's 405 hp from a 3.5-liter supercharged V6 in the back, strong tires eating up a piece of twisting asphalt and the waves of the Pacific Ocean on the right side. There are really bad scenes, right? Problem: Right now it's pure fantasy; In fact, such a journey is currently impossible.

It's not Famous Highway's fault, and it's certainly not your fault. Similar to California, but primarily due to the disastrous combination of the manufacturer, its product, and US emissions regulations. This mixed situation is the reason Lotus currently can't – or doesn't want to – offer its last sports car with a combustion engine. According to the trade magazine “Automotive News”, not a single customer has yet received the Emira. The sports car has been part of the regular Lotus portfolio for almost two years now.

Emissions regulations in the US are a patchwork

The manufacturer prefers to wait until the situation is fully clarified. But it's tricky. Lotus Emira can be easily registered in 36 US states. The more stringent emissions regulations of the nationwide Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) apply here, and as a result the sports car meets them. But there is the “California Air Resources Board” (CARB), which is the EPA counterpart of the state of California. CARB has traditionally made emissions regulations more stringent than the EPA, placing significantly higher approval hurdles for car manufacturers, and not just the Golden State in the western United States. 13 other US states adhere to CARB rules.

Because of this patchwork of emissions regulations in the US, Lotus reluctantly decided not to offer the Emira in the US for the time being. Now the British, who belong to the Chinese Geely group, want to prevent the Emira, originally registered in an EPA state, from ending up in a CARB state and not being allowed to register there after resale. This currently leads to the ridiculous situation in which dozens (hundreds, according to US media) of new cars on dealer lots have flat tires, even with a clearly legible “for sale” sign on their windows.

The solution is a software upgrade

But the wait will soon be over. “Automotive News” quotes a Lotus spokesperson as saying that the Emira meets all CARB requirements after a software update to the powertrain. All that remains is final approval from the California Environmental Protection Agency. Customers can take delivery of long-purchased cars that cost around $100,000. Enjoy a worry-free ride on Highway 1 in California.

Conclusion

Lotus is in a dilemma with Emira in the US. Due to strict emissions regulations, particularly in California, many examples of the sports car cannot be offered for sale. However, a software update will rectify the situation and pave the way for early delivery of already sold cars.

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