The legendary British automotive manufacturer, Lotus, has shocked the world by unveiling its first all-electric SUV to the public. Not only is it a surprise that the maker of small, lightweight sports cars has chosen to go the ever more popular route of making an SUV, but its also all electric. Fans and purists of the Chinese-owned brand will either be fainting or rejoicing. Having been a fan of Lotus since I first saw a 1980’s Esprit in the skin, I choose to rejoice at the fact that Lotus are embracing change and choosing to go electric with at least one of their models, thus ensuring their viability in today’s and the future’s market.
The new Eletre SUV bears an initially striking resemblance to the Lamborghini Urus. And to answer your next question, no, there is no relationship between Lamborghini and Geely, Lotus’ Chinese parent company. Both its front end and side profiles look like the Urus, and the dimensions are not that far either with both cars being similar in size. Apart from its strikingly good looks, the Eletre gets active aerodynamics, including a three-position spoiler, and a closing grille shutter. Other neat exterior features include lidar sensors which will enable some measure of autonomous driving operations and standard 22-inch wheels.
Power comes from a dual-motor, 602 bhp setup which Lotus says will be good for acceleration times of 0-100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds, while an insane R-spec variant will churn out more than 900 bhp and enable 0-100 acceleration in just 2.9 seconds! A good-sized battery unit will provide a range of about 500 km with everyday driving habits with the R-spec variant getting a little less mileage at about 420 km from a fully charged battery pack.
The inside of the car is where the Eletre feels particularly different from most other Lotus models, with a hollow center console backlit with LED lighting. Gone are the light-weight, simplistic design ideals which made Lotus cars notoriously nimble and zippy, replaced with plus leather, microfiber and a wool-blend fabric adorning the seats.
The vehicle’s user interface is also completely new, and according to the Eletre’s designers, completely unrelated to the google-based system currently being used by Volvo and Polestar, both of which are brands that are currently owned by the Chinese Geely automotive group. A generously sized 15.1-inch central touchscreen monitor is standard on the Eletre as is a heads-up display which will undoubtedly make the driving experience easier. You also get an 800 watt surround sound system, with a 1500 watt system being an optional upgrade.
As for pricing and availability of this all-electric beast in your market, visit www.lotuscars.com for more information
