Lotus unleashes the future with all-electric Eletre Hyper-SUV

MANILA: Lotus announced the price and specifications of one of the most highly awaited vehicles in its history, the award-winning Eletre Hyper-SUV, during Lotus Eletre: Unleash the Future, a global broadcast seen by fans across the world.

The Eletre is Lotus' new all-electric take on a lifestyle vehicle as it continues to evolve from a UK sports car manufacturer to a global performance car brand.

It is the first of a new breed of pure electric SUVs.  It transforms the underlying principles and Lotus DNA from nearly 75 years of sports car engineering and design into an appealing new lifestyle car for the next generation of Lotus customers.

Lotus has deliberately and responsibly established its renowned expertise in the areas of ride and handling, steering, and optimized aerodynamics. The Eletre transforms the spirit of the latest Lotus sports car, the Emira, and the groundbreaking aerodynamics of the all-electric Evija hypercar into a Hyper-SUV.

The Eletre is “Born British, Raised Globally.” It is the product of a collaboration between highly skilled and dedicated Lotus teams in the UK, Germany, and China. These include the product definition and attributes teams at Hethel where Lotus has been headquartered since 1966, the design teams at Lotus Tech Creative Center (LTCC) in Coventry, the engineering teams at Lotus Tech Innovation Centre (LTIC) in Raunheim, and the Lotus Tech engineering and manufacturing teams in Wuhan.

“Confirmation of the pricing and specs of the Lotus Eletre is a key moment in the transformation of Lotus through our Vision80 strategy. We know from media and customer feedback that they’re hugely excited by the arrival of this car – indeed, the Eletre has already won awards as 2023’s ‘most excited to see’ new model. Customer deliveries start during the first half of next year,” Lotus Cars Vice President and Managing Director Matt Windle stated. “The launch of the Eletre is the natural next step for Lotus. Two-seater sports cars are not for everyone, and we want to offer a Lotus for every stage of your life. The Eletre is the start of that.”

Many customers all across the world have already paid deposits to reserve their Eletre. There are three different variants: the Eletre, Eletre S, and Eletre R. Each variant has a choice of two powertrains. The 450 kW/603hp single-speed variant of the Eletre and Eletre S has a maximum range of 600km. Meanwhile, the Eletre R has a flagship 675kW/905hp dual-speed system and a maximum range of 490km. Torque figures are 710Nm and 985Nm, respectively, producing  a 0-100kph performance in 4.5 seconds and 2.95 seconds, respectively. With a fast charger, the 112kWh battery for both variants can be charged from 10% to 80% in just 20 minutes.

According to key Lotus officials, three main pillars – Life, Tech, and Speed – are the foundation for Lotus' ambitious vision. They also discussed how the Eletre, the first Hyper-SUV in the world, compares to the Evija, the first Lotus EV hypercar.

The Lotus User Experience/User Interface (UX/UI) team is able to produce cutting-edge real-time 3D content and experiences, thanks to “Unreal Engine” technology from the gaming industry, which was revealed by Lotus as part of the Tech story. Lotus also announced the name of the operating system, Lotus Hyper OS. The Eletre has two Qualcomm 8155 System-On-Chips, which are among its cutting-edge processors.

The user, whether the driver or passenger, is completely in charge, thanks to Lotus Hyper OS's seamless interactive experience, which offers superior performance in terms of visual effects and interactive feedback.

The Eletre comes with a next-generation digital head unit from ECARX, a leading global mobility tech firm. It reinvents in-car experience by offering fully customizable displays, hosted on an innovative Driver Information Module (DIM), and an ultra-slim floating one-billion-color OLED touchscreen for more realistic visuals and a more futuristic visual effect.

In the UK, the Eletre starts at £89,500 (approximately P6 million). Five drive modes, active air suspension, torque vectoring, matrix LED headlights, an active front grille, and 22-inch 10-spoke forged wheels are all included in the standard specification.

Lotus revealed that the Eletre has undergone testing at Nurburgring, which is just two hours’ drive from LTIC. “The Nurburgring 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,” Lotus Technology Vice President and LTIC Managing Director Maximilian Szwaj stated.

Lotus Product Definition and Attributes Director Gavan Kershaw also spent a day on the test track at Dudenhofen. “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,” he said.

Windle revealed that the Eletre isn't the only Lotus that has been at the Nurburgring. The all-electric Evija hypercar has lapped the track using an advanced vehicle simulator. “Our simulations are showing us that the Evija is very quick. That’s exactly what they should show because the car is ultra-powerful, lightweight for an EV and it’s got incredible downforce. In terms of taking the car itself to the circuit, all I can say at the moment is watch this space,” he said.

Photos from Lotus Cars

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