The world’s first electric vehicle (EV) with deployable LIDAR technology is now available for preorders.
Lotus Cars recently unveiled the details of its all-new and all-electric hyper-SUV, the Lotus Eletre, which takes the “heart and soul” of its Emira sports car and the aero performance of the automaker’s Evija hypercar, per Lotus’ announcement.
Although the company has yet to release the car’s pricing details, Wired reported that it expects the first deliveries to reach the UK, Europe, and China in 2023.
Lotus Eletre Electric Hyper SUV Details
According to the Lotus announcement, the Eletre has an initial power output of 600HP, a driving range of 373 miles on a full charge, the capability of going from 0 to 62 miles per hour in less than three seconds, four-wheel drive, and a 350kW charge time of just 20 minutes for 248 miles of driving.
The car also accepts 22kW AC charging, which reduces the car’s charging time. It also comes with four drive modes (Range, Tour, Sport, Off-Road, and Individual) which adjust the steering, damper settings, powertrain, and accelerator pedal response.
The Lotus Eletre boasts the world’s first deployable LiDAR technology in a production car to support intelligent driving technologies and the most advanced active aerodynamics package on any production SUV.
The car seems to have no autopilot or self-driving capabilities. However, it does come with Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Support Front, Traffic Sign Information, Door Open Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Front Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Change Assist, Children Presence Detection, Lane Keep Aid+, Parking Emergency Brake, Collision Mitigation Support Rear, and Emergency Rescue Call.
Design-wise, the Lotus Eletre showcases an “elegant and exotic Hyper-SUV” design language that features “porosity,” a signature design that promotes aerodynamics through, under, over, and around the car. This signature design can be found ahead and behind the front wheel arches, behind the rear wheels, and at the top of the D-pillar.
The porosity signature design provides the driver with less resistance in cutting through the air, which means a more efficient journey in terms of improved vehicle range, speed, and performance.
Meanwhile, the Lotus Eletre’s interior features either a four- or five-seat layout depending on customer preferences, storage spaces in the car’s cabin, a storage tray with wireless charging for mobile phones in its center console, twin cupholders, and an angled 9-inch touchscreen for infotainment with a wireless charging tray beneath it.
The infotainment devices Lotus added to the Lotus Eletre are the love child of its design team in Warwickshire and the Lotus team in China which have valuable experience with User Interface and User Experience.
Lotus reduced the traditional instrument cluster binnacle to a slim strip less than 30mm high to communicate important vehicle and journey information. This reduction can also be seen on the passenger side, where passengers can see music selection or nearby points of interest on their respective displays.
The car also has a 15.1-inch landscape interface that provides access to the car’s infotainment system. This landscape interface folds on its own automatically when not required. The Lotus Eletre also has a heads-up display featuring augmented reality technology where information can also be displayed to the driver.
The Lotus Eletre has a standard audio system provided by British brand KEF. The audio system in question, the KEF Premium, consists of a 1,380W 15-speaker setup with Uni-QTM and surround sound technology. This audio system delivers a more coherent, hyper-realistic sound experience that covers the entire mid and high-frequency sound spectrum.
However, customers can upgrade this sound system to the 2,160W 23-speaker system KEF Reference, which has a Uni-Q and 3D surround sound technology and Uni-CoreTM. This sound system comes with high-level performance while reducing subwoofer or speaker volume significantly.
Lotus Eletre Availability
Engadget mentioned that Lotus would begin manufacturing the Lotus Eletre at its new production plant in Wuhan, China, later this year and would start delivering units in 2023. As such, the car will be available first in China, then Europe, and the U.K.
Although the company has yet to disclose the EV’s pricing details, iTech Post will update this page as soon as it is revealed.
Keyword: Lotus Whips Out Its Answer to the EV Craze: The Eletre Electric SUV