Newly-launched Lotus Eletre to be offered in 3 variants, 2 EV powertrains

The upcoming Lotus Eletre all-electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) will be offered in three variants with two powertrains, the carmaker announced via a livestream broadcast.

The announcement was aired on the marque’s official YouTube channel.

Per Lotus, the three variants are Eletre, Eletre S, and Eletre R.

Both the Eletre and the Eletre S will be equipped with a 603 horsepower (hp) single-speed electric vehicle (EV) powertrain that offers a maximum range of 600 kilometers (km) on a single charge. Meanwhile, the range-topping Eletre R will be fitted with a more powerful EV powertrain that puts out a whopping 905hp dual-speed EV powertrain system with an estimated all-electric range of 490km.

In terms of torque, the Eletre and Eletre S will make as much as 710Nm of near-instantaneous pulling power while the Eletre R will offer more with 985Nm of torque. On paper, the Eletre and Eletre S both zoom from zero to 100 kilometers per hour (kph) in as fast as 4.5 seconds while the souped-up Eletre R covers the same distance in as fast as 2.95 seconds.

The 112 kilowatt-hours (kWh) battery for both EV powertrain versions can be juiced up from 10 to 80 percent in just 20 minutes using a rapid charger.

“The Eletre is truly a global car with involvement from the best engineers around the world. The Dudenhofen test track is tight, twisty, and undulating — like the perfect English B-road — and the Eletre is so enjoyable to drive, exactly like a Lotus should be. The Eletre is a true Lotus,” commented Lotus Product Definition and Attributes Director Gavan Kershaw.

Lotus said that the Eletre was tested on the famous Nürburgring track where it reportedly met its performance targets.

“The Nürburgring circuit is very challenging, and we are proving with our tests there and our simulations that we will achieve the performance targets we have set for the Eletre,” said Lotus Tech Innovation Center (LTIC) Managing Director and Lotus Technology Vice President Maximilian Szwaj.

Szwaj also revealed that Lotus is working on advanced technology, which will ultimately allow customers to drive the Nürburgring circuit autonomously. It means that would-be owners of the Eletre will be able to experience the thrilling driving performance and dynamic capability of a Lotus from the driving seat supported by autonomous driving (AD) technology.

In the United Kingdom (UK), the Lotus Eletre is priced at £89,500 (P6.01 million) while the mid-range Eletre S is priced at £104,500 (P7.017 million). The top-of-the-line Eletre R is priced at £120,000 (P8.056 million).

Plans to bring the Lotus Eletre to North America, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and other regions are already underway. Per the Hethel-based luxury car brand, the roll-out of the Lotus Eletre will begin in 2024.

Photos from Lotus

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