Although the Tesla Roadster shares only 7% of its parts with the Lotus Elise, anyone with just a basic interest in cars can see the similarities between the two autos. With that in mind, it may come as a surprise to many that Lotus wants to build its own electric sports car to compete against the Tesla Roadster and Fisker Karma. Lotus CEO Micheal Kimberley said in an interview with Financial Times that consumers should not be "surprised to see an electric Lotus shortly."

This is actually a convenient step for the sports car manufacturer, which has been looking into electric-powered motors—like the one in its 1997 Zytek Electric Elise concept—for the past ten years. Unlike the original electric Elise that had a range of approximately 100 miles, the new car will utilize a regular gas engine to expand its range to around 300 miles.  

[via Motor Trend]