When a car company launches an electric SUV, you need to pay attention. When that company is Lotus, renowned for its lightweight, compact sports cars, then expectations for its new Eletre are set high. It only gets one chance to get this right.
Described by Lotus as a Hyper-SUV, the Eletre is the first of a new breed of pure electric SUVs. Lotus promises that it takes the core principles and DNA from more than 70 years of its sports car design and engineering, evolving them into an all-new lifestyle car.
Lotus has an illustrious history, but the Eletre represents some firsts for Lotus – its first five-door production car, its first model outside sports car segments and the first lifestyle EV. Lotus feels it has built a car that, despite having moved away from the usual Lotus format, remains a true Lotus, combining technology, performance and design.
Lotus Eletre: Electric Power
With more than 600hp available, performance will be prodigious. All that power is delivered to the road through an advanced four-wheel-drive system, all driven by an electric motor and supersized battery pack.
With a target range of around 375 miles from the 100kWh battery pack, there should be few range anxiety issues. When you do need to stop and top up, a 350kW charger will deliver 248 miles of range in just 20 minutes.
Gavan Kershaw, Director, Attributes and Product Integrity, Lotus, said: “Dynamically, the Eletre has been developed to deliver everything you would expect from a Lotus – outstanding ride and handling, highly communicative steering and exceptional driver engagement. From a performance perspective, we know the world is watching so there has been an obsession with getting everything just right. Everyone is delighted with it – it’s a world-class product and a true Lotus.”
To deliver the performance Lotus promise, all-new electric vehicle architecture and high-voltage power systems have been developed. The materials used optimise strength but are lightweight, and the flat, low mounted battery pack creates a low centre of gravity, helping to deliver dynamic performance. Add in the high energy density of the battery pack and Lotus believes it has provided the best possible balance of performance and driving range.
Lotus Eletre: The Design
The design of the Lotus Eletre has been led by Ben Payne. His team has created the new model with a cab-forward stance, long wheelbase and very short overhangs front and rear. Overall, there’s a visual lightness to the car, creating the impression of a high-riding sports car rather than an SUV. “The Eletre is a progressive all-electric performance vehicle embodying emotion, intelligence and prestige,” commented Ben. “As the first of the brand’s lifestyle cars, it sets the standard for what will follow. We have taken the iconic design language of the Lotus sports car and successfully evolved it into an elegant and exotic Hyper-SUV.”
A signature element of the design is its ‘porosity’ – the aerodynamic principle of air flowing through the car as well as under, over and around it. Porosity was at the heart of the Evija’s design, is integral to the Emira, and has provided clear inspiration for the Lotus Eletre. It is most obvious where the air is channelled under the leading edge of the car, emerging through two exit vents in the bonnet above. There are other examples of porosity ahead of and behind the front wheel arches, behind the rear wheels, and even at the top of the D-pillar. For the driver, there are clear benefits to porosity – less resistance in cutting through the air, delivering a more efficient journey in terms of improved vehicle range, speed and performance.
The design of the Lotus Eletre is sharp and crisp at the nose, showing the lineage – design cues have been taken from both Emira and Evija. Slim light clusters which house Daytime Running Lights and scrolling indicators, sit above the recessed main lamps, incorporating matrix technology to shield oncoming traffic from constant high beam use. Lower down is the active front grille, a network of interconnecting triangular petals that dominate the central section. They remain closed when the car is at rest or when there’s a need to reduce drag during driving, opening in a distinctive pattern to feed air into the radiator when cooling of the electric motors, battery pack and front brakes is required.
The windscreen is aggressively raked, with a relatively narrow, glass area – and black cantrail above – which tapers away at the rear, leading to a floating D-pillar featuring an ‘air blade’ which aids drag reduction – a performance enhancement taken directly from the front bumper of the Emira.
Sustainability has been a core focus of the interior design team, working with leading supplier Kvadrat on material choices, such as wool-blend seat fabrics and has even used recycled materials within the carbon fibre in the cabin. There is no compromise on the quality though, with luxury still at the top of the agenda. The driver-focused cockpit and high centre console are inspired by the Lotus Emira and Evija, creating a cossetted feeling. The layering of materials and textures creates a truly premium feel, augmented by a triangular theme – seen externally on the car’s active front grille – replicated in multiple locations around the cabin.
Peter Horbury, Senior Vice President, Executive Advisor, Design, Lotus, commented: “The Eletre is a rare creative opportunity in performance car design – the chance to start with a blank sheet of paper and develop an all-new vehicle that takes a brand in a completely fresh direction. There has been a close working relationship and much collaboration between the Lotus design studios in Warwickshire and Hethel. The result is a ‘Hyper-SUV’ that is genuinely different to what’s on the market; the electric powertrain has inspired a ‘cab-forward’ design that echoes the iconic mid-engined layout of Lotus sports cars, creating a unique look and position in the SUV segment. The arrival of the Eletre signals the start of a new era of pure electric SUVs.”
Lotus Eltre: The Technology
There is plenty of tech in the Eletre too, including an advanced active aerodynamics package and intelligent driving technologies such as the world’s first deployable Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system in a production car. The door mirrors are replaced by Electric Reverse Mirror Display (ERMD) – three cameras that work in tandem with the Eletre’s LIDAR system to deliver autonomous driving capability.
There are some clever touches in the cabin used to communicate with the driver and passenger, such as a ‘ribbon of technology’. This slim 30mm high strip provides the driver with key vehicle and journey information, and the passenger with more entertainment-based information. Between the strips is a touch-screen, giving access to the infotainment system.
Information can also be displayed to the driver via a head-up display featuring augmented reality (AR) technology, which is standard equipment on the car.
Technology is used for much more than infotainment on the Eletre. It is also at the heart of the car’s comprehensive suite of intelligent Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), many of which are designed to be futureproof so new features can be enabled via Over The Air (OTA) updates.
Lotus Eletre: Pricing
Production of the Lotus Eletre is expected to start at the end of this year, with the factory in Wuhan, China, producing cars for the global market. They’ll arrive in the UK in mid-2023
where a price tag of around £100,000 is expected.
Matt Windle, Managing Director, Lotus Cars, commented: “The Eletre is a bold and revolutionary new car, delivering on our commitment to move Lotus into completely new automotive segments as we widen our global appeal and accessibility.
“This is a momentous point in our history and a clear signal of our ongoing desire to transform our business. It is a true Lotus, and we’re confident it will delight performance car customers and offer a distinct alternative to the segment’s established players. The Eletre has the soul of a Lotus and the usability of an SUV. Alongside the Emira sports car, this is the perfect two-car garage from Lotus.”
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