Lotus unveils Eletre hyper SUV

Lotus has unveiled its entry into the growing souped-up SUV segment. Officially named “Eletre,” the British automotive company’s hyper SUV, which for a long time has gone by the codename Type 132, promises more than 600 horses of pure electric power.

“The Eletre is a bold and revolutionary new car, delivering on our commitment to move Lotus into completely new automotive segments as we widen our global appeal and accessibility. This is a momentous point in our history and a clear signal of our ongoing desire to transform our business. It is a true Lotus, and we’re confident it will delight performance car customers and offer a distinct alternative to the segment’s established players. The Eletre has the soul of a Lotus and the usability of an SUV. Alongside the Emira sports car, this is the perfect two-car garage from Lotus,” said Lotus Cars Managing Director Matt Windle.

The Eletre falls a hair short of being the world’s most powerful SUV as the title is still held by Aston Martin’s 697hp DBX707 SUV since Lotus has not yet disclosed the Eletre’s maximum power output. The reigning king of the hill, however, packs a four-liter twin-turbo V8 engine while the Lotus hyper SUV draws power from two electric motors juiced up by a high-density battery.

Nevertheless, the Eletre immediately joins the exclusive “two-second club” as Lotus’ hyper SUV can go from zero to 100kph in less than three seconds.

In terms of range, Lotus says that the target is 600km on a single charge. A 350kW charge time of just 20 minutes should give the 4WD SUV a 400-km range.

The Eletre is built on Lotus’ all-new and highly versatile Electric Premium Architecture (EPA). The low-to-the-ground design means outstanding handling, and the EPA can easily adapt to accommodate C+ to E+ vehicle class battery sizes, motors, component layouts and intelligent driving technologies.

The platform will be the basis for an all-new range of premium lifestyle performance electric vehicles from Lotus. Led by the Eletre, which means that Lotus plans to add more super SUVs in the near future.

“The Eletre, our Hyper-SUV, is a new performance car from an iconic performance car brand and it will appeal to independent-minded and adventurous driving enthusiasts — those who love the thrill of driving. It is a unique combination of beautiful design, exceptional dynamic performance, and everyday usability, for those who dare to look beyond the conventional, and marks a turning point for our business and brand,” said Lotus CEO Qingfeng Feng.

Feng adds, “while the worldwide critical acclaim for the Emira has reaffirmed Lotus’ position as a respected sports car marque, the Eletre will make Lotus accessible to a whole new audience. It is a compelling alternative for those who desire a true driver’s car but whose lifestyle demands something more practical than a traditional sports car. And it is only the start for Lotus — there is much more to come.”

The Geely-owned automotive marque the Eletre is the first in a new range of premium lifestyle performance electric vehicles to be built at an all-new state-of-the-art production facility in Wuhan, China.

It’s now on sale across global markets with the first deliveries beginning next year in major regions like China, UK, and Europe.

Photos from Lotus

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