Lotus has just announced it is opening the US order books for its fully electric super SUV, the Eletre. Think of it as an electric alternative to the Lamborghini Urus, complete with a similarly daring design, a flamboyant and high-class interior, and a sub-3-second sprint time to 62 mph (100 km/h) in its most powerful guise.
In base trim, the Eletre will start at $107,000 and get a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup with a maximum output of 603 horsepower and 524 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough for it to hit 62 mph in 4.5 seconds and go from 50 to 75 mph in less than two seconds. It comes with adaptive air suspension as standard and an advanced torque distribution system, which Lotus promises will make the vehicle feel fun to drive and engaging.
There are now two flavors of Lotus
Chinese automaking giant Geely bought a 51% controlling stake in Lotus and it has helped the sports car maker expand its business by allowing it to keep making sporty cars in the UK as well as larger, more luxurious EVs in China.
The top-tier Eletre R, which starts at $145,000, features a more powerful rear motor and also gets a two-speed automatic transmission like the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron GT. The maximum combined power output goes to 905 horsepower, while torque rises to 727 lb-ft, and this helps the Eletre R cut its benchmark sprint time to 2.95 seconds. It also has a 5 mph higher top speed than the base model, hitting an electronically limited 165 mph flat out.
Both versions run on an 800-volt architecture and draw from the same 111.9 kWh battery pack. Hooked up to a 350 kW DC fast charger, Lotus says the Eletre can be charged from 10 to 80% in 20 minutes; a flat-to-full charge from a 22 kW AC charger takes 5.8 hours. No EPA range figures have been provided, but the more optimistic WLTP ratings are between 304 and 354 miles for the base Eletre and 254 to 280 miles for the Eletre R.
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Buyers will be able to spec their Eletre R with an optional set of front brakes with larger carbon ceramic rotors and 10-piston calipers instead of the standard six-piston calipers that it comes with. Four- or five-seater configurations are offered, and the latter offers the largest potential cargo room of 24.3 cubic feet or 54.1 cubic feet with the seats folded. The four-seater configuration doesn’t have folding seats, and its maximum load volume is 21.6 cu-ft.
Lotus will offer the Eletre in seven available colors: Kaimu Grey, Stellar Black, Akoya White, Solar Yellow, Blossom Grey, Red, and Galloway Green. The car will come as standard with two Nvidia Drive Orin chips that help with automated driving and also power the 15.1-inch OLED infotainment display running Lotus’ proprietary HyperOS. It also features an impressive array of 34 sensors comprised of 12 cameras, 18 radars and 4 lidar units.
Lotus says the first Eletres should reach US buyers in Q4 2024. The Eletre is built in China in the brand’s new $1.2-billion factory, built by its majority stakeholder Geely in Wuhan. This is where Lotus plans to build all of its series electric models, including the Emeya, which is its Porsche Taycan rival, as well as a sub-Eletre SUV and a dedicated sports car.
