Lotus Eletre 2023: the brand's first 100% electric SUV is unveiled

The official presentation of the new Lotus Eletre marks a historic moment for the Hethel-based brand, which now enters electric mobility and, in addition, the SUV segment, breaking with everything we have always understood a Lotus to represent.

However, the British company presents its new Eletre as “the world’s first electric hyper-SUV”, making it clear that its new SUV has nothing to do with what we already know. Besides boasting an aggressive, characterful look, it is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in less than three seconds.

Besides being the first SUV and the first electric vehicle created by the brand, the new Eletre is also the first five-door production vehicle and the most connected Lotus of all time, packed with cutting-edge technology and performance typical of a Lotus.

The design of the new Lotus Eletre

Starting with its styling, the front of the new Eletre already has a look that signals an SUV of great capability, with very sharp LED light units in a boomerang shape, a bonnet with strongly defined lines and a bumper with a large air intake occupying much of its surface.

Turning to its side, the SUV’s great length stands out, at 5,103 mm long with a wheelbase of 3,019 mm, so it will be close in size to a BMW X7. Added to this, the lower part of the Eletre is protected by gloss-black cladding, accompanied by enormous 23-inch wheels and an aerodynamic roofline.

Among its most modern design elements, we highlight its camera-based mirrors in the style of those on the Audi e-tron and fully flush door handles to contribute to its aerodynamics.

At the rear, the Eletre features slim horizontal rear lights running across its full width, a very sporty spoiler and a rear bumper with gloss-black cladding again and an aggressive diffuser.

An avant-garde, technological interior

In the new SUV’s interior, Lotus has sought to create a comfortable, very spacious space, combining modern, minimalist elements, accommodating up to 4 occupants and featuring a large central touchscreen of 15.1 inches with OLED technology, a slim digital instrument cluster and a wide range of connectivity with 5G, OTA updates and the latest safety systems for occupants.

As for its mechanical side, the Eletre will have a battery capacity above 100 kWh and a power output of 600 CV from two electric motors, one on each axle, delivering breathtaking performance with a 0 to 100 km/h time below 3 seconds and a top speed of 260 km/h.

An 800-volt architecture

Its performance will not be its only strength, since according to Lotus it will be capable of covering up to 600 kilometres of maximum range and recharging up to 400 km in just 20 minutes using a 350 kW charger, although it can also be charged with a 22 kW alternating current charger.

For now, Lotus has not given any details about its price, although we do know that the first units will reach dealerships during the course of 2023.