Lotus goes green; unveils first all-electric HYPER-SUV Eletre
Lotus Eletre is set to take on other luxury performance SUVs such as Tesla Model X, Ferrari Purosangue, Lamborghini Urus, Bentley Bentayga, and Aston Martin DBX.
Automotive company might not be a popular brand in India, but it is familiar to all Formula One enthusiasts. The British marque’s racing pedigree has a rich motorsport legacy. With the entire automotive industry transitioning towards zero emissions, even Lotus has felt the need to go green.
The sports car brand recently unveiled its first electric vehicle (EV) called Eletre. The battery-powered vehicle is also the first SUV from the British moniker and will be offered in three variants— Eletre, Eletre S, and Eletre R, with prices ranging from £89,500 (approx Rs 74.23 lakh) to £120,00 (approx Rs 99.53 lakh).
Lotus Eletre electric SUV
Exterior design
The new Lotus Eletre flaunts a contemporary coupe-like exterior styling familiar to the class of high-performance luxury SUVs. It gets a heavily-raked windshield to go with a sloping roofline, which lends the car an aerodynamic-friendly profile. Further, aiding aerodynamics are futuristic air vents integrated into the front bumper that give the impression of a devilish smile on the SUV’s face.
Flanking the air vents are sleek headlights, hiding themselves in the dark panels accompanied by sharp-looking LED DRLs mounted above. Flared wheel arches draped in black cladding enhance Eletre’s SUV stance and are filled up nicely with large alloy wheels which are available in multiple designs.
Eletre exterior highlights
Other neat aerodynamic tricks include the hidden rear spoiler that unfolds at high speeds and the fin-like wings on the roof. The British marque is offering Eletre six exterior paint options including Natron Red, Galloway Green, Stellar Black, Kaimu Grey, Solar Yellow, and Blossom Grey.
Interiors and features
The space inside the cabin has been amplified thanks to the massive glass roof which gives the cabin an airy feel. The carmaker has also utilised artificial fibre for the carpets and boot liners that are recycled as well as recyclable.
In terms of equipment, the new Lotos Eletre is brimming with features, including a mammoth 15.1-inch OLED touchscreen display embedded with the brand’s latest Hyper operating system powered by two Qualcomm 8155 chips. The infotainment system is loaded with EV range assistant, predictive routing and onboard navigation and offers Over-the-Air (OTA) updates for these techs.
Lotus interior highlights
Other notable creature comforts include ambient lighting, a 23-speaker KEF Reference audio system, matrix LED headlights, 12-way electrically adjustable front seats, additional touchscreen displays for rear-seat occupants, four-zone climate control, and illuminated door sills, to name a few.
The top-spec Eletre R receives additional benefits like carbon ceramic brakes, a dynamic handling package, high-performance rubber, active anti-roll dampers, carbon fibre upgrades, stainless steel pedals, and black wheels along with rear-wheel steering that helps manoeuvre this huge SUV measuring over 5 metre in length.
Performance and range
All three variants of Eletre feature a common 112kWh battery pack that is paired with two different powertrains. The base and mid-spec trims are powered by a pair of electric motors churning out 450kW (603 bhp) and 710 Nm of peak torque. Both these variants return a claimed WLTP-certified range of 600 km on a single charge. Lotus claims a 0-100 kmph acceleration time of 4.5 seconds.
On the other hand, the top-spec Eletre R is powered by a twin motor setup that delivers a massive 675kW (905 bhp) of power and 985 Nm of torque. As a result, the car is able to achieve a speed of 100 kmph from a standstill in a meagre 2.95 seconds. However, the claimed WLTP range drops to 495 km. All variants come with a dual motor configuration, hence, offer all-wheel drive as standard.
Lotus Eletre all-electric powertrain
Underpinning the car’s battery pack is an 800V architecture that supports DC fast charging up to 350 kW. The company claims that it will take just 20 minutes for the battery to be rejuvenated from 10% to 80%. The SUV has been equipped with four driving modes: Range, Tour, Sport and Off-Road (a first in Lotus).
It also gets an upgraded rear differential that helps send power to the rear wheel having the most grip in order to get out of tricky situations. The top-spec Eletre R comes with an additional Track mode offering a lowered ride height, launch control, an open front grille, anti-roll control and more performance-oriented settings for the dampers.
Edited by Megha Reddy