Lotus Eletre electric SUV to make world debut at Goodwood

MANILA: Lotus' first electric vehicle and SUV, the Lotus Eletre hyper SUV, will make its world debut at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The Eletre, which can also be seen in the event’s Electric Avenue showcase, takes the Lotus DNA derived from more than 70 years of sports car design and engineering, and places this to an all-new lifestyle car for the next generation of Lotus customers.

The company’s famed expertise in ride and handling, steering, and optimised aerodynamics are present in the Eletre. The SUV takes the heart and soul of the Emira and the revolutionary aero performance of the Evija, and reinterprets them as a hyper SUV.

The Eletre delivers a significant number of firsts for Lotus — the first five-door production car, the first model outside sports car segments, the first lifestyle EV, the most "connected" Lotus ever. 

 

It packs 4WD, a battery capacity over 100kWh, and with a power range from 600hp to 900hp. A 350kW charger will deliver a 400-kilometer (248-mile) range in just 20 minutes. The Eletre’s target maximum range is around 600km (373 miles). For faster charging, the SUV also comes with the ability as standard to accept 22kW AC charging where available. 

Technology onboard includes the most advanced active aerodynamics package on any production SUV, and intelligent driving technologies such as the world’s first deployable Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system in a production car. A dynamic walk-up sequence that delivers a moment of theatre every time the driver approaches the car emphasizes Lotus' transformation.

Production starts at an all-new state-of-the-art factory in China at the end of this year, and first customer cars will arrive in Europe in spring 2023.

The 2022 Goodwood Festival also marks the public premiere of the ultimate four-car garage from Lotus, as the Eletre will be joined on stage by the Emira sports car and the high-tech Evija hypercar. The fourth car will be the Emira GT4.

The Emira GT4 marks the start of Lotus in performance GT racing Made by Lotus Advanced Performance, the bespoke vehicle and experiential division of the business launched earlier this year, the Emira GT4's first year of production is already sold out.

Each Emira GT4 customer will receive a homologated race car, hand-built with lightweight motorsport components and equipment to meet the latest safety regulations. Thanks to advanced composite bodywork, the car is exceptionally lightweight. Adding to the performance is Toyota’s race-proven 3.5-liter V6 engine and optimized GT4 aerodynamics derived from the road-going Emira’s body. 

Along with the Emira and Evija, the Emira GT4 will take part in the Goodwood Hill Climb throughout the event. Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button will be behind the wheel and on the Lotus stand at selected times during the event.

Photos from Lotus

Also read: The Lotus Emira will roll out from the newly opened Chapman Production Center