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Lotus has hit us with a new electric SUV that has enough power to make some modern sports cars tremble in fear. Check out the Lotus Eletre.
Lotus EVs and Their First SUV
Lotus is a British car manufacturer that’s primarily known for their performance sports cars, hypercars, and for their history in Formula 1. You may know the brand from some of their more popular models like Lotus Elise, Evora, or even the Espirit after having been featured with James Bond. Recently, Lotus has taken a step away from their gas-powered engineering and announced that the Emira is the last Lotus to feature an internal combustion engine. Following that news, the completely electric Lotus Evija hypercar was introduced in a limited quantity of 130 vehicles. Four electric motors generating 1,970 horsepower propelled the Evija to 60 mph in under 3 seconds and allowed it to reach a top speed of 200 mph.
While the Evija is ludicrous in terms of EV performance, it is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the electrified plans at Lotus. Their next electric model is sure to shake up the EV space once again as they deem it “The world’s first pure electric Hyper-SUV”. The electric SUV segment is in its relative infancy as models like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Audi e-tron, and BMW iX have only recently appeared on lots, but now Lotus is giving those vehicles a new challenge to overcome. Here’s what we know about the all-new Lotus Eletre, Lotus’s first SUV and their next chapter in electrified performance vehicles.
The Lotus Eletre
We’ve been teased for a couple months now on what Lotus was calling the Type 132, but now it’s here in all its glory. The Lotus Eletre holds some visual similarities to the Lamborghini Urus in my opinion, but with more angles and LED work baked in to give it that EV future aesthetic that’s been making the rounds. The tagline Lotus gave the Eletre was “Carved By Air” and that can be seen in some of the unique aero found on this SUV.
Mini rear wings curl out the back of the roof, there’s an indented section along the doors to produce a vent behind the front fenders, and there’s plenty more that we’ll get into in a bit. Looking at it from the side also reveals the true length and streamlined roofline of this electric SUV. It takes on almost wagon-like proportions with its modest nose and that elongated C-pillar at the rear. That longer design plays into the handling performance at high speed that the Lotus Eletre climbs to and it also makes for some added room in this Hyper-SUV.
Lotus Eletre Performance
The first stat Lotus hit us with was 0-60 mph in under 3 seconds… in an SUV. Talk about the ultimate grocery getter. But in reality, the Lotus Eletre is crafted more for the enthusiast drivers out there and not really the point-to-point commuters. The team of engineers and designers at Lotus have created an all-new architecture specifically for this new SUV endeavor. It was made in such a way that every seat inside is said to provide a captivating, luxurious, and thrilling experience. The Eletre still exemplifies what makes a Lotus a Lotus – just in an electric form with more seats and a higher ground clearance.
The all-new 800V dedicated electric vehicle architecture features an aluminum and high tensile steel construction, high-voltage power distribution system, and a flat battery pack that creates a lower center of gravity. The battery pack itself was specially made to provide a great balance between performance and efficiency. That battery powers two specially engineered Lotus motors that integrate the controller and reducer into the design to reduce weight and size. One motor at each axle helps the Eletre achieve all-wheel drive and combines for an estimated 600 horsepower. This setup can achieve a top speed of 161 mph, 0-60 mph in under 3 seconds, and has a range of up to 373 miles.
Underneath this Hyper-SUV is a suspension that truly embodies what Lotus vehicles are known for, great handling at high speeds. The Lotus Eletre features a five-link suspension at the rear that’s been tuned to provide an exceptional ride and even better handling. Along with that advancement is standard air suspension and Continuous Damping Control, plus active ride height, rear wheel steering, active anti-roll bar, ceramic disc brakes, and torque vectoring utilizing the brakes are going to be available.
Lotus Eletre Interior & Technology
Inside is where Lotus mixes its sports car background with a bit of tech and luxury. The seating features four individual seats rather than your typical bench found in the second row. Those sporty bolstered seats feature a wool-blended fabric on them that is said to be 50% lighter that the typical luxury upholstery, leather, and that equates to some weight saving to further the performance of the Eletre ever so slightly. Speaking of weight saving, nearly every hard point inside this SUV is made of recycled carbon fiber resin to create both a cool and practical material.
Up front, the driver receives a Formula 1-esque steering wheel and is met with a highly technological, yet minimalistic dashboard design. Lotus looked at every point of weight reduction they could when putting together the interior, so that played into how thin they made the dashboard. The digital instrument panel is recessed into a thin display and the front passenger even receives their own display for music or search for a location on the GPS. While Lotus strived to reduce weight, they still found it necessary to include an LED light system that communicates incoming notifications via color change.
Then there’s the 15.1-inch OLED touch-screen in the center of the design handling infotainment duties. Lotus worked alongside their Chinese development team to create what they consider a new standard in automotive infotainment experience. The infotainment system features a unique user interface that’s been crafted with ease of use, customizable, and helpful by providing passengers with curated content. That large display can fold flat when not in use, a unique concept not widely used in today’s market. When information needs to be displayed and the infotainment screen is folded, Lotus provides that information to the driver via an augmented reality heads-up display.
The front seats aren’t the only ones enjoying the Lotus Eletra tech though. Rear seat passengers not only get to enjoy the luxury of not having to bump shoulders with each other, there’s also a rear seat infotainment screen integrated into the rear console. There’s also the connectivity front featuring 5G compatibility. This allows for a continuous connection to the Lotus Eletra through a Lotus smartphone app. The app will provide owners with the ability to purchase new over-the-air features, vehicle information, remote features, and location services.
The company plans to keep the Eletra system up to date with over-the-air software updates and it is already imbued with a LIDAR system that is prepared to provide autonomous driving. That LIDAR system will already be in use with all of its advanced safety and driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control, cross traffic alerts, lane keeping assists, and more.
What’s Next in the Lotus EV Plans?
The Lotus Eletre is planned to be manufactured at an all-new hi-tech facility in China later this year and will reach customers sometime in 2024. Pricing hasn’t been officially announced, but it isn’t farfetched to see this Hyper-SUV start at a price point over $100,000. There was also mention by guest presenter and Formula 1 driver Jenson Button that plans for the next Lotus EV are already in development and in the later stages of design. Possibly another electric hypercar? Or maybe a compact SUV that will carry a more approachable price? We’ll keep an eye out on it, but for now, enjoy this latest addition to the Lotus family.
