Lotus reveals price, power and range of its first SUV, the pure-electric Eletre

0-62mph in under 3sec

Lotus has released the all-important vital stats for Eletre, its forthcoming pure-electric SUV.

The British carmaker has confirmed that its first SUV will start from £89,500, making it a direct rival for other premium electric SUVs such as the Tesla Model X, BMW iX and Audi e-tron.

But Lotus’s effort looks to outgun them all. The company brands the Eletre as a hyper-SUV that taps into the company’s 75 years of sports car manufacture while incorporating the electric drivetrain technology used in the Evija electric hypercar.

Three models will be available at launch. The Eletre and Eletre S will come with a single 603bhp electric motor and the same 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds, while the hot Eletre R is capable of 0-62mph in just 2.95 seconds thanks to its a 905bhp dual-motor set-up.

Up to 373 miles of charge

All versions will come with a battery boasting a capacity of 112kWh, which is the same size as a Lucid Air Grand Touring’s pack. But while the sleek saloon-shape of the Lucid manages up to 517 miles (on the American EPA test cycle), the big Lotus is claimed to be capable of 373 miles on a charge in standard and S guises, or 304 miles if you want the dual-motor R.

Lotus says that the Eletre’s 800v electric architecture is capable of recharging the battery from 10-80 per cent in just 20 minutes, with an impressive maximum charge rate of 420kW DC (though public chargers that fast haven’t yet been installed in the UK).

The £89,500 Eletre comes with 22in wheels, matrix LED headlights, active air suspension, torque vectoring and a five-seat interior layout as standard — a four-seat ‘premium’ configuration will be available at extra cost.

Inside, there’s four-zone climate control, electric front seats, and an ‘intelligent cockpit’ infotainment system featuring a 1,400w, 15-speaker KEF stereo and 15.1in LED touchscreen.

Leather trim has been replaced by a more resilient synthetic alternative, while fully recyclable fibres are used in the manufacture of the carpets and boot lining.

The Eletre S features premium upgrades including an active rear spoiler, LED ambient lighting, soft-close doors and a more powerful 2,160-watt, 23-speaker KEF audio system. This version starts from £104,500.

‘World’s fastest electric SUV’

Lotus claims that the Eletre R is the world’s fastest electric SUV, thanks to that blistering 0-62mph time and a top speed of 165mph.

It was developed at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, as is customary these days, and comes with an exclusive Track Mode that lowers the car’s ride height, stiffens the suspension and includes a launch control function.

A dynamic handling pack, carbon fibre trim and gloss-black wheels with high-performance tyres are all standard on the £120,000 Eletre R.

Buyers will be able to add option packs to the Eletre to personalise their model, while a number of tech partnerships have also been announced.

ECarX, a Chinese firm co-created by the founder of Lotus owner Geely Holding, provided the software to run Eletre’s in-car operating system, and this will be offered with over-the-air updates.

Mapping experts Here Technologies provides navigation and live routing, while Dolby has been involved in making the most of the standard-fit KEF sound systems.