The Lotus Eletre is an electric SUV with hints of hypercar

British sports activities automotive maker Lotus is leaping on the electrical bandwagon with the reveal of the Eletre, a plug-in crossover SUV with design language impressed by the automaker’s Evija hypercar. The Eletre will even be the primary of three new EVs that Lotus plans to roll out over the subsequent 4 years, together with a sports activities automotive (natch), a coupe-sedan, and one other SUV.

Beforehand known as Kind 132, the Eletre is the Geely-owned automaker’s second electrical automobile and can characteristic futuristic elements like camera-only side-view mirrors and a lidar sensor affixed to the entrance and rear of the roof.

As is befitting its sports activities automotive legacy, Lotus is emphasizing the efficiency capabilities of its new electrical SUV. The Eletre will have the ability to dash from 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in lower than three seconds, with Lotus claiming a spot within the “unique ‘Two Second Membership’” that additionally contains the Tesla Mannequin S Plaid (beneath very particular situations, thoughts you).

However simply because it could actually tear it up on the observe doesn’t imply the Eletre isn’t constructed like an SUV. With all-wheel drive, the five-door EV might be pretty compact, however it would nonetheless pack a whole lot of energy, together with a battery capability that’s over 100kWh, and 600 horsepower.

Lotus says {that a} 350kW charger will ship 400km (248 miles) of vary in simply 20 minutes. The automotive’s goal most WLTP driving vary is 600km (373 miles). It additionally comes with the power as normal to simply accept 22kW AC charging, which, the place obtainable, reduces the time plugged in.

Design-wise, the Eletre options an aggressive, forward-leaning nostril and a rakish, coupe-like roofline. Lotus’ designers are clearly pulling from their expertise in constructing smooth sports activities vehicles. The proportions, although, are unmistakably SUV-like.

Lotus boasts that the Eletre delivers a whole lot of “firsts” for the model, together with the primary five-door manufacturing automotive, the primary non-sports automotive mannequin, the primary life-style EV, and probably the most “linked” Lotus ever. It’s going to even be the corporate’s first automotive to be in-built China, the place its father or mother firm is predicated.

The Eletre might be constructed on Lotus’ new Electrical Premium Structure, a low-to-the-ground “skateboard” design that’s versatile to accommodate completely different battery sizes, motors, element layouts, and “sensible” driving applied sciences. For the Eletre, Lotus claims it will embrace “end-to-end autonomous driving expertise” and over-the-air software program replace capabilities. The platform would be the foundation for a variety of premium efficiency EVs from Lotus.

By “end-to-end autonomous driving,” Lotus is admittedly referring to self-parking capabilities. The corporate says that “a buyer can use their smartphone app to request their Eletre to drive to them autonomously from a close-by parking area, after which autonomously repark as soon as the journey is full.” Extra superior autonomous driving might be added later through OTA updates, the corporate says. The EV can have 5G connectivity as properly.

The Eletre will include a variety of alphabet-soup superior driver help options: Clever Adaptive Cruise Management (ACC); Collision Mitigation Help Entrance (CMSF); Visitors Signal Data (TSI); Door Open Warning (DOW); Rear Cross Visitors Alert (RCTA); Entrance Cross Visitors Alert (FCTA); Lane Change Help (LCA); Youngsters Presence Detection (CPD); Lane Hold Help with Lane Departure Warning / Prevention (LKA+); Parking Emergency Brake (PEB); Collision Mitigation Help Rear (CMSR); and Emergency Rescue Name (E-Name). Nonetheless, the Eletre is more likely to require driver supervision always.

Geely purchased a majority stake in Lotus in 2017, and over the past decade, the Chinese language group has added every thing from Volvo to an electrical vertical takeoff and touchdown firm to its portfolio. Even earlier than the Eletre’s debut, the corporate had garnered one thing of a popularity for resuscitating stale manufacturers, prefer it did with Volvo or the Swedish automaker’s Polestar model.