2,000-HP Lotus Evija X Instantly Wrecked At Goodwood Festival Of Speed

All eyes were fixed on the Lotus Evija X at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Having set the third-fastest-ever lap at the Nürburgring in April, expectations for a blistering time on the 1.2-mile hill climb were high – or at least they were, as the 2,000-horsepower supercar was wrecked at the start line.

It’s unclear what happened, but the footage shows the Evija X set off from the finish line in a cloud of smoke as all four tires struggled to transfer all that electric fury to the tarmac. The EV suddenly veered to the right, slamming into the protective hay bales, which ripped the pricey exposed carbon fiber bodywork clean off the front end. The impact was hard enough that the car spun around once more, coming to a rest with the tail in the hay bales.

What Could Have Caused The Crash?

CarBuzz has contacted Lotus to learn more about the crash and will update you once we receive a reply. Based on the commentary of the incident, it is believed to be a software issue. “This is quite tricky, [because] what’s happening is you’ve got four electric motors, and trying to manage them with a computer when you get a big burnout like that… it’s [a] computer software issue. This isn’t driver error. Something happened with the power going to the individual wheels that has spat him off there,” said Harry Metcalfe, one of the Goodwood FOS commentators.

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It’s unclear who was driving the Lotus at the time of the crash, with no given name or driver on the official entry list. However, the ‘regular’ Lotus Evija (fielded by Lotus Technology Innovative Limited) was piloted by Scott Maxwell, a Canadian racing driver. It will be interesting to find out what caused the crash. Watch closely, and you’ll see that Evija X took off from the line in a straight line, which makes the sudden crash all the more surprising. There’s a possibility that one of the wheels lost traction, sending it into the haybales. However, this is merely speculation, and we’ll have to wait for Lotus’ official reason.

Hopefully The Last Crash We See At Goodwood This Year

With any luck, Lotus can repair the Evija X with relative ease. We don’t expect it to line up for another run up the hill, but we’re guessing the electric hypercar will be fixed in the coming months. Lotus must be very disappointed; after setting an incredible time at the Green Hell, the Norfolk-based brand likely hoped to make headlines with a rapid time at Goodwood. There’s always next year, though.

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While the Goodwood Festival of Speed is a treasure trove of exciting automotive moments, we mustn’t forget that motorsport is inherently dangerous, and crashes do happen. The hill climb has very little space for error, so if a driver makes a mistake or something malfunctions, it can result in a crash. Last year alone, the incredibly valuable Lark #60 McLaren F1 GTR was damaged, the Hyundai RN22e concept smashed into hay bales, and a classic Jaguar lost a wheel while traveling at high speed. Hopefully, the Lotus crash is the last for the 2024 running.