After years of speculation and anticipation, Lotus has announced the name of its first-ever, fully-electric SUV (initially codenamed “Type 132”) and it’s called Eletre. It is the latest in a long line of Lotus road cars that begin with the letter ‘E’ and marks the start of a new chapter in the company’s history.
Eletre means “Coming to Life” in some Eastern European languages, and while we’re not overly excited about the name, it’s definitely exciting to see another fully-electric Lotus ‘coming to life’ after the fully electric Evija revealed in 2019 and the Emira last year.
The Eletre was designed in the UK and is the first vehicle to be manufactured in the company’s new facility (Lotus Technology Global Headquarters) in Wuhan, China.
Lotus has been teasing bits and sections of its new E-segment SUV leading up to its launch tomorrow on the 29th of March, including the active front grille that serves to improve cooling and front-end aerodynamics.
The rear will also feature active rear aero, (presumably referring to an active rear spoiler/wing), inspired by the company’s past Formula 1 cars.
Like most modern cars, it will also be equipped with driver assistance features using Light, Detection, and Ranging (LIDAR) technology. Lotus says LIDAR will serve as ‘the eyes of the car’ and will help pave the way for new technologies in its future electric cars.
In its earlier teaser video, Lotus also revealed the Eletre’s immersive start-up sequence on its infotainment displays and exterior lights, which are accompanied by sounds. This gives an impression that the car has awakened and is ready for action, according to Lotus.
The Eletre will be built on the ‘Lotus Premium Architecture”, one of four new platforms announced in April 2021. The ‘Premium Architecture’ offers a wheelbase ranging from 2,889 mm to 3,100 mm and could be further expanded in the future. It supports the development of all types of passenger vehicles from C to E segments.
Using 92 to 120kWh batteries, it’s compatible with the industry’s most advanced 800-volt fast-charging charging system. There is no indication of the Eletre’s performance but Lotus said vehicles built on this platform are capable of completing 0 to 100 km/h in under three seconds….watch out Ferrari Purosangue!
The Eletre is only the first of many more exciting fully-electric vehicles from the company as Lotus Group, CEO, Mr. Feng Qingfeng highlighted.
“It is the backbone for the future of pure electric vehicles and we will continue to expand the line-up and create more revolutionary products for global users,” he said.
Following the new Eletre, Lotus has announced that it will launch a four-door sports coupe (Type 133) in 2023 and a D-segment SUV (Type 134) in 2025 and an all-new electric sports car (Type 135) by 2026.
Watch the full teaser video here!
GALLERY
Keyword: Lotus to launch its first-ever SUV tomorrow, named Eletre