LOTUS ELETRE
Autocar UK|April 26, 2023
Sacrilegious to some but inviting to many more, this stonking great electric SUV from China heralds a new dawn at Lotus
MIKE DUFF
LOTUS ELETRE

TESTED 20.4.23, WUHAN, CHINA ON SALE JULY PRICE £121,305

Well before reaching Wuhan to experience the Lotus Eletre, I already know the answer to one question.

This is undoubtedly the most radical road-going Lotus of all time, even by the high standards of this innovative company.

Even 10 years ago, the idea of a Chinese-built electric SUV wearing Lotus badges would have been inconceivable. Now Chinese customer deliveries have started and I'm driving a near-finished European-market example.

The Eletre sits on Lotus's all-new Electric Premium Architecture, which will soon underpin two more cars, these a sleek saloon and a smaller SUV.

There's plenty of room in the Eletre's shadow for a more compact sibling, it being 5103mm long and weighing about 2400kg.

Other brand firsts include four-wheel drive (thanks to a motor on each axle), air suspension, active rear steering and support for higher-level autonomy.

Three versions of the Eletre will be launched in the UK later this year. The £89,500 entry-level car and the £104,500 S share the same 602bhp peak output from 301bhp motors, the difference instead being in sportiness of character. The £120,000 R swaps the rear motor for a 603bhp one with a two-speed gearbox, giving a system total of 904bhp. Both powertrains use a 112kWh battery pack, which supports DC charging at an ultra-fast 420kW.

So although the targeted WLTP range of 373 miles (304 for the R) is impressive, Lotus engineers reckon the ability to gain up to 248 miles of range in just 20 minutes (once public charging infrastructure catches up) is the more important statistic.

Denne historien er fra April 26, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra April 26, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA AUTOCAR UKSe alt
The venomous nature of the Cobra
Autocar UK

The venomous nature of the Cobra

Last week, Matt Prior drove a totally new kind of AC Cobra. This is a car with one of the strongest allures of all - but also an incredibly complex and controversial history.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 23, 2024
SKODA KAMIQ
Autocar UK

SKODA KAMIQ

A long getting-to-know-you trip to Spain reveals all

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
THE SEVEN-YEAR TITCH
Autocar UK

THE SEVEN-YEAR TITCH

Outgoing baby Jag is plush, practical and now eminently affordable

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
'Our time has come'
Autocar UK

'Our time has come'

Honda may be late to the EV party, but a barrage of bold new battery-powered cars is on the way. JAMES ATTWOOD speaks to boss Toshihiro Mibe at its R&D base to find out what's in store

time-read
8 mins  |
October 23, 2024
Lion kings
Autocar UK

Lion kings

Plush, powerful four-door cars are an endangered species - and now Peugeot has called time on its latest, the 508 PSE. STEPHEN DOBIE compares it with its most significant ancestor, the 505 GTI

time-read
6 mins  |
October 23, 2024
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
Autocar UK

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

Wolfsburg gives the lesser-known Golf PHEV a big-impact refresh

time-read
7 mins  |
October 23, 2024
PORSCHE PANAMERA GTS
Autocar UK

PORSCHE PANAMERA GTS

Stuttgart's latest 'bahnstormer targets driver appeal over outright punch

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
MERCEDES-AMG GT 63 PRO
Autocar UK

MERCEDES-AMG GT 63 PRO

Hardcore variant of V8 sports car engineered with track days in mind

time-read
3 mins  |
October 23, 2024
TESLA REVEALS ROBOTAXI
Autocar UK

TESLA REVEALS ROBOTAXI

Firm unveils Cybercab coupé and 20-seat Robovan in autonomy push

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
DACIA PLOTS AMBITIOUS EXPANDED EURO LINE-UP
Autocar UK

DACIA PLOTS AMBITIOUS EXPANDED EURO LINE-UP

Firm teases something different’ ahead of impending C-segment reveal

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024