The Eletre ‘Hyper-SUV’ is Lotus’ first electric car. The 600 horsepower AWD EV will be the company’s first 5-door vehicle.
Lotus Cars have unveiled their latest electric SUV, the Eletre, during a broadcast from the United Kingdom earlier today. The Eletre, according to Lotus, combines the heart and spirit of the Emira sports car with the all-electric Evija hypercar to create an entirely new hyper-SUV category.
The all-electric Eletre will set a number of firsts for Lotus, including being the company’s first SUV. The Eletre will be Lotus’ first five-door production vehicle, as well as its first lifestyle EV, when production begins later this year.
The Eletre’s front end will include a deployable LiDAR sensor above the windshield and on both sides of the vehicle. Electric Reverse Mirror Displays (ERMDs) have replaced the side mirrors, and they contain three cameras: one for the rear-view mirror, one for creating a 360-degree vision of the SUV, and a third for the EV’s intelligent driving technology.
Lotus has said that the Eletre will have autonomous driving capabilities thanks to the intelligent drive cameras and LiDAR sensors, but to what extent is unknown at this time.
All of the body panels are constructed of aluminium, and the black components are made of carbon fibre. Both strategies were employed to lower the hyper-overall SUV’s weight. The front grill has a cluster of interconnected triangular petals that can open to cool the electric motors while driving.
As demonstrated in the video overview below, the front lamps include matrix technology and scrolling directional indicators, while the back lamps have distinctive ribbon light strips that can appear in four different colours. The Eletre will be four-wheel drive and constructed on a new 800V dedicated electric architecture with a battery pack exceeding 100 kWh, according to a press release issued by Lotus during the announcement event. The result is 600 horsepower, 260 km/h (161 mph) top speed, and a 0-100 km/h time of less than three seconds.
The Eletre’s “target maximum” WLTP range is now 600 km, while the EPA range is likely to be less. The new Lotus electric SUV can charge for 400 kilometres in 20 minutes with a 350 kW charger and accepts 22 kW AC charging as standard when available.
Lotus’ new production site in Wuhan, China, will begin production later this year, with deliveries commencing in 2023. The model will first be sold in China, Europe, and the United Kingdom. The company has yet to reveal price information.
Also Read: Lotus Evija Electric Hypercar Unveiled
Story by Kurt Morris
