Lotus Debuts Wild Eletre SUV With Big Range And Bigger Performance
Over 600 horsepower will be available in the Lotus Eletre, and 0-60 will arrive under 3 seconds.
Eletre. You’re supposed to pronounce it “el-EHT-rah,” but we won’t fault you for pronouncing it wrong on the first try. We did. But that’s beside the point. Lotus has a new player in the EV game, and that’s the name of it.
Outside of the name, the crossover boasts some impressive stats. AutoWeek reports the Eletre will have 600 horsepower, and supercar stats for acceleration.
It should charge just as fast as it goes, too. Charge rates are as high as 350kW with DC charging, giving a 250 mile bump in range in just 20 minutes. Overall range when fully charged is slated to be 300 miles. The battery itself will have more than 100kWh of storage capacity, and is based on an 800 volt platform. Drive power is sent to all-four-wheels, marking another departure from the typical things that make a Lotus a Lotus. But it will do 0-60 in a very quick 3.0 seconds. It’s an all new platform, too. It shares nothing with the Evija or the other EV platform that Lotus is currently sharing with Geely partners Polestar and Volvo.
A plush interior will greet you in the Eletre, which is a significant shift from the sparse and driver focused models of years prior. Clearly, the Eletre is shifting farther and farther away from the core of the Lotus name. But maybe this is one of those cars that ends up saving the brand. EV sales and crossover sales look to likely be a strong bet for any auto manufacturer for the current market conditions. If it is priced right (we don’t know the price), meets market expectations, and uses those funds to support the sporty side of your EV operations, then you might have a successful business plan on your hands. Porsche did it.
But lets not forget it’ll also be 4,400 pounds. As AutoWeek reports, that’s six times the weight of the original Lotus 7. It is a Lotus in name, but the UK roots kinda end there. In fact, the SUV will be made in Wuhan, China. Lotus is owned by China’s Geely Group, after all. Lotus can lean back on their history of sporting cars, but they ought not lean too heavily.