The new Eletre will be a key model to secure Lotus's financial security
Lotus has now confirmed that its new all-electric SUV will be called the Eletre, maintaining the tradition of model names starting with the letter e. More than just a new model for a new segment, the Eletre also carries the weight of being a key element of Lotus's future product strategy both in concept and profitability.
The new Eletre will join the Emira sports car and Evjia electric hypercar when it’s revealed as part of a wider range revitalisation, itself being one of four new architectures currently in development that will underpin a rapid growth into multiple new segments.
> Lotus Advanced Performance division announced
The Eletre’s new architecture will form the foundation of a whole range of new lifestyle models, designed specifically to support electric powertrains and the batteries that supply them. This has been confirmed with Lotus’s announcement that the new Emira sports car, formerly known as Type 131, will be the last ICE model the brand produces before adopting total electrification.
The new electric SUV, as well as a spread of other new models, are on course to be in the range by 2028, starting with the Eletre. Yet while Lotus is leading development of this new model, the platform will likely be connected to other projects happening elsewhere within the Geely conglomerate in which Lotus is now a part of.
With Volvo/Polestar in the process of developing its own bespoke electric product lines, it stands to reason that the two interconnected Swedish outposts of the Geely brand will join forces with Lotus, in at least some capacity, to develop these new platforms. With Polestar’s head start in the EV marketplace, combined with Lotus chassis expertise and Volvo’s sterling reputation for safety and build quality, Geely’s collective European footprint has a formidable stance in competition to its key rivals.
So with a product plan that has a keen eye on looking ahead, plus an investment stream to be able to fund the development of these new models in place, the future of Lotus looks to be to be more resilient than it has been for a generation.
Keyword: Lotus Eletre moniker confirmed – to debut March 29