The ongoing transformation of Lotus to a truly global performance business and brand has reached its most significant milestone yet – the arrival of the Eletre hyper-SUV.
The Lotus Eletre is a striking and progressive new model, the first of a new breed of pure electric performance SUVs. It takes the core principles and Lotus DNA from 75 years of sports car design and engineering, evolving them into a desirable all-new lifestyle vehicle.
It’s aimed at a new generation of Lotus customers; those who value the world-class dynamic performance and striking design which have always been part of the Lotus experience, and who also need a practical, versatile and spacious family-focused vehicle – one that’s packed with the latest digital technology to make their driving life safer and more convenient.
The Eletre is a true Lotus. It takes the heart and soul of the latest Lotus sports car – the Emira – and the revolutionary aerodynamics of the all-electric Evija hypercar, and reinterprets them as a hyper-SUV. It delivers class-leading ride and handling, steering and aero performance – areas of automotive design and engineering where Lotus has both pioneered and dominated throughout its 75-year history, on road cars and race cars. It is also the epitome of beautiful design, efficient and elegant engineering solutions, embracing technology, the best craftsmanship, advanced materials, innovation and ingenuity, and pushing new boundaries. These are the very things which made Lotus great in the first place.
The Eletre is the latest in a long line of Lotus road cars whose name begins with the letter E, and it means ‘Coming to Life’ in some Eastern European languages. It’s an appropriate link as the Eletre marks the start of a new chapter in the history of Lotus – the first accessible EV and the first SUV.
The Eletre is ‘Born British, Raised Globally’, a collaboration between highly experienced and dedicated Lotus teams in the UK, Germany and China. They include the product definition and attributes teams at Hethel, the home of Lotus since 1966; the design teams at UK Creative Centre (UKCC) in Coventry; the engineering and dynamics teams at Germany Innovation Centre (GIC) in Raunheim; and the Lotus Tech engineering and manufacturing teams in Wuhan.
Following a world premiere in London in March 2022, thousands of customers around the world have already placed deposits to secure their Eletre. Three different versions of the car are available – Eletre, Eletre S and Eletre R – with the choice of two powertrains.
First customer deliveries started in China in March, and will follow in global markets – including Europe and the UK – later this summer.
Mike Johnstone, Group Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer, Lotus, commented: “Like every Lotus, the Eletre is first and foremost a car ‘For The Drivers’. Its DNA is 100% Lotus, with exceptional dynamic performance. It’s also the most advanced Lotus ever, blending that performance with comfort, practicality, versatile space, cutting-edge tech and modern luxury design into a vehicle that brings the Lotus experience to a whole new group of customers for the first time.”
Mike added: “We know that two-seater sports cars are not for everyone, but the fantastic experience of driving a Lotus should be. The Eletre, plus the other fully electric lifestyle models that we’ve already announced, are providing customers and fans with a range of highly desirable Lotus cars that can fulfil all their needs at different times of their life. It’s a natural progression for the brand, and a hugely exciting one because Lotus is about delivering the very best performance no matter what segment the car sells in.”
Maximilian Szwaj, Vice-President of Lotus Technology and Managing Director, GIC, commented: “Since its inception exactly 75 years ago, Lotus has always been at the cutting edge of innovation, pioneering advances in aerodynamics, active systems and lightweight construction. Eletre embodies all of those fundamental qualities, and adds state-of-the-art technologies – including deployable LIDAR sensors – backed by future-proofed hardware and software. The world-class customer experience is driven by a stunning 5G-capable infotainment system powered by Lotus Hyper OS which offers best-in-class performance for visual effects and interactive feedback. Quite simply, this is the most advanced Lotus ever made.”
The Eletre’s comprehensive standard specification includes active air suspension, continuous damping control, torque vectoring, Lotus Intelligent Dynamic Chassis Control, 22-inch 10-spoke forged wheels in silver with a diamond-turned finish (20-inch five-spoke in European markets), Matrix LED headlights, Adaptive Cruise Control, Visual Park Assist, four-zone climate control, 12-way electric-adjust front seats, head-up display, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and a 1,380W 15-speaker KEF Premium Audio system.
The Eletre S is focused on customers seeking luxury. The enhanced specification includes additional features such as soft door close, privacy glass, active rear spoiler, configurable ambient lighting, illuminated side sills, air quality system, 2,160-watt 23-speaker KEF Reference Audio system, and 22-inch 10-spoke forged wheels in grey with a diamond-turned finish.
The flagship Eletre R is all about performance, and benefits from the Lotus Dynamic Handling Pack (comprising Intelligent Active Roll Control and Active Rear Steering), Carbon Pack, Pirelli P Zero performance tyres, and a gloss black finish for the wheels. There’s also a sixth Drive Mode: Track.
Eletre customers have the opportunity to tailor their vehicle to their requirements using the comprehensive list of option packs. These include the Executive Seat Pack, Comfort Seat Pack, Extended Carbon Fibre Pack, Interior Carbon Fibre Pack, Parking Pack and a Highway Assist Pack. Standard on the Eletre R, the Lotus Dynamic Handling Pack and Carbon Packs are also available for the Eletre and Eletre S. A Ceramic Brake Pack is offered on the Eletre R (and Eletre S in European markets).
For even greater customer choice and personalisation, many features from the packs are available as standalone options. There is also a wide range of colours, materials and finishes available on the interior. Available to order now, the Eletre is priced from £89,500 in the UK and €95,990 in Europe. Pricing in other regions will be announced in due course.