Lotus has already revealed the final pricing and specifications of its Eletre electric ‘Hyper-SUV’, and the first all-electric Lotus is now available for configuration in Europe.

Lotus is launching sales of the Eletre in parallel in Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. In the UK, the electric SUV is available from £89 500. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2023.

Two powertrains

Lotus offers a choice of two powertrains with up to 918 hp and three equipment levels, with Belgian prices starting from €97 690.

The Lotus Eletre will have three variants: Eletre, Eletre S, and Eletre R. The first two share their 450 kW/612 hp drivetrain and reach a maximum range of 600 km thanks to their 112 kWh battery. 0-100 km/hour takes 4,5 seconds, and the top speed is 258 kph. Fast charging up to 80% will take only 20 minutes thanks to the 800 V battery, which allows DC charging up to 350 kW.

The Eletre R gets 918 hp and a two-speed transmission, with 0-100 km/hour taking just 2,95 seconds and a higher top speed of 265 kph. The same battery pack is present, but the range drops to 490 km because of the power and wheel size increase.

From €97 700 up to €153 000

As for pricing, as mentioned, the base-level Eletre costs €97 690 in Belgium. The Eletre S has a price tag of €123 090, and the Eletre R requires €153 090. Its main rivals would be the 1020 hp Tesla Model X Plaid (€143 990) and the 619 hp BMW iX M60 (€140 600), although McLaren also works on an electric SUV.

Lotus has also unveiled more details about the technology accompanying the onboard passengers. The Lotus ‘Hyper OS’ uses the Unreal graphics engine and Qualcomm 8155 chip to deliver modern, smooth 3D animations. The experience is divided into two displays, the Driver Information Module and a large, 15,1-inch OLED central display.

The audio experience is delivered by a KEF Audio system, Dolby Atmos-certified, for an immersive surround-sound experience. The audio system comes in two tiers, divided according to the model version of the Eletre.

Three equipment levels

As standard, the Eletre gets a 1 380-Watt, 15-speaker system, along with active air suspension, torque vectoring, matrix LED headlights, 22-inch forged wheels, wireless smartphone charging, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, electric seats, four-zone climate control, and LIDAR technology, which will enable Eletre to become autonomous as soon as regulations allow it, according to Lotus. Customers can also opt for a smaller 20-inch wheel option to reach the promised 600 km range.

The Eletre S gets privacy glass, an active rear spoiler, ambient lighting, a soft door close, auto-dimming side mirrors, and a 2 160-Watt KEF Audio system.

Finally, the Eletre R, which will be the world’s fastest dual-motor electric SUV, according to Lotus – the Tesla Model X Plaid has three motors – gets a special Track Mode with optimized settings for circuit driving, a Lotus Dynamic Handling Pack, a Carbon Fibre Pack, gloss black wheels, and high-performance tires.

Production of the Eletre has already started in Wuhan, China, with European deliveries starting now. North America, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and other regions will get the Eletre as of 2024.