If I’m completely honest with myself, I’ve never been sold on the idea of an all electric vehicle. Not totally. Not yet anyway. I’ve always harbored a few concerns but that’s slowly changing. All of that changes with the arrival and announcement of a brand new vehicle from the boys (and girls) in Hethel, England. Yes, that Hethel.
Lotus just made a huge splash in both the SUV and EV markets with their new Eletre. Eletre which is apparently Hungarian for “coming to life” may be a midsize SUV but Lotus is calling it a “hyper SUV” and with your first glimpse you’d have to agree. It immediately reminds me of the Lamborghini Urus and that’s a good thing. Finally…something fun!
Fun? Fun is a lifestyle SUV that in its top trim level comes with a 905 HP motor that gives this ultimate Dad mobile a 0-62mph time of just 2.5 seconds! Fun is a top speed of 165mph (for those on the Autobahn of course)! Lotus calls that “power without compromise”. With that comes an estimated range of 373 miles. With the available DC fast charge system, Lotus says that the Eletre can garner enough of a charge in 20 minutes to give you an industry leading 250 miles (400km) of driving. The light blade on the rear glows green while charging and will show battery levels in real time.
For all of us tech nerds there’s even more. The Eletre brings active aerodynamics and the capability to support fully autonomous driving. This is achieved through a LIDAR system that scans 200 meters in all directions creating a 3D map of the surroundings. It also utilizes a forward facing Ultra HD camera that can see up to 500 meters down the road and millimeter wave radar to also detect and alert you of any potential obstacles. Upgrades to that will come in the form of over-the-air-updates. Much the same way you update the software in your phone or computer now.
The “fun” continues on the inside as well. Oh the interior. That starts with a 15.1 inch OLED center screen and HUD that is ready for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That’s perfect for the 23-speaker, 1500-watt audio system which is engineered by KEF. Jewelry-grade gold toggle switches (yes, really) and configurable ambient lighting helps complete the mood. The ambient lights also react to a variety of things such as driver mode, battery levels, and variations in climate.
Luxury also comes into play in a couple seating options. Standard are driver and passenger 20-way adjustable seating with memory settings but those options are either Nappa Leather and the new Re-Fiber which is crafted from repurposed fashion industry textiles. It’s what Lotus is calling ‘sustainable luxury’. Their words, not mine.
Storage space as this is an SUV after all is 24.3 feet (688 liters) in the rear with an additional 1.6 feet (46 liters) in the frunk. The Eletre comes with a price tag of $85,000 for the base model and goes up to $115,000 for the top R model. Given all that this vehicle brings and has the potential for, this is very well priced. The Eletre is already on sale in China, Europe, and the UK. US availability will be in 2024.
Images source: Lotus
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