New electric Lotus family car to cost £90k: British brand confirms 160mph Eletre 'hyper SUV' will arrive next year - and it is being built in Wuhan

Lotus confirmed the cheapest Eletre will cost from £89,500 and offer a driving range of 373 miles
All examples feature an 112kWh battery that can be charged from 10-80% capacity in just 20 minutes
Range-topping Eletre R will be able to hit 62mph in less than 3 seconds and has a top speed of 165mph
Eletre is first five-door model from Lotus, its debut SUV and initial car produced at its new Wuhan factory

Updated: 03:18 EST, 7 November 2022

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Lotus has today announced official pricing and information about its all-new, entirely-electric, 'Eletre', which is not only its debut SUV but the first car produced at its state-of-the-art factory in Wuhan, China - the epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The British car maker, which has its headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk, says the Eletre - described as the world's only 'electric hyper-SUV' - will start from £89,500 when it hits UK showrooms in 2023.

Lotus says the Eletre promises a 'desirable all-new lifestyle car for the next generation of customers' that also retains the 'core principles and DNA' of the British car maker that dates back to 1948 and was epitomised by founder Colin Chapman's famous principle of 'simplify, then add lightness'.

The Lotus that can take the entire family: The iconic British sports car brand has confirmed its debut electric SUV - the Eletre - will start from £89,500 and first deliveries arrive next year. However, you might be surprised to learn where it will be made...

The legendary British sports-car brand said during an official presentation hosted on Tuesday afternoon that it has already taken deposits for the new model from 'thousands of customers around the world'.

It confirmed that three different versions of the car are available – Eletre, Eletre S and Eletre R – with the choice of two powertrains.

All have an 112kWh battery offering a charging time (from 10 to 80 per cent charge) of just 20 minutes using a rapid device.

The £89,500 Eletre and £104,500 Eletre S will feature two single-speed electric motors - one on the front axle and one at the rear - producing 603bhp (450kw) in total. This will provide a 0-to-62mph acceleration time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 160mph, and a maximum driving range of 373 miles.

The range-topping Eletre R will cost from £120,000 for UK customers, though its pair of electric motors will be dual speed and therefore offer a combined power output of 905hp (675kW), which shaves the 0-to-62mph time to 2.95 seconds and improves top speed by 5mph (to 165mph).

However, driving range will take a hit from all the extra grunt, reducing the distance between charges to 304 miles.

Lotus bosses on Tuesday confirmed three different versions of the car are available – Eletre, Eletre S and Eletre R – with the choice of two powertrains

All Eletre models have an 112kWh battery offering a charging time (from 10 to 80% charge) of just 20 minutes using a rapid device

Maximum driving range is up to 373miles, though the high-performance Eletre R will offer less distance between charges

The range-topping Eletre R will cost from £120,000 for UK customers, though its pair of electric motors will be dual speed and therefore offer a combined power output of 905hp (675kW)

The arrival of the Eletre will see Lotus move into a whole new market, following in the footsteps of fellow sports car brands including Aston Martin with its new DBX, Lamborghini's hugely-successful Urus and Ferrari's just-revealed Purosangue.

In terms of electric SUV competition, the Eletre will be going head-to-head with BMW's iX M60 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT.

Speaking on Tuesday, Matt Windle, group vice-president and managing director for Lotus Cars, said: 'The launch of the Eletre is the natural next step for Lotus.

'Two-seater sports cars are not for everyone, and we want to offer a Lotus for every stage of your life. The Eletre is the start of that.'

Lotus isn't the only sports-car maker moving into the SUV market: Lamborghini has sold the £160,000 Urus for a few years and it is by far its best-selling model

Aston Martin has been selling the DBX (left) for the last couple of year, which is set to feature electric power in the coming years. Another example of the sports-car brands switching to SUVs is Ferrari and its new Purosangue

12 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LOTUS ELETRE

1. It is being built in Wuhan, China

Before we get to the vehicle itself, let's address the sizable elephant in the room - the location of where it will be made.

Lotus Cars has been majority owned (51 per cent) by Chinese firm Zhejiang Geely Holding Group since 2017, with Malaysia's Etika Automotive taking the remaining 49 per cent share of the company.

Just last year, the car maker's subsidiary business, Lotus Technology, announced new headquarters and a production facility in Wuhan, with the sole purpose of accelerating electric vehicle innovation.

Lotus recently launched a subsidiary division called, Lotus Technology, with headquarters being built in Wuhan. It is here where it will spearhead its electric vehicle technology

A new Lotus manufacturing plant in Wuhan opened last year, complementing the existing UK sports car manufacturing and performance facilities in Hethel and Norwich. It is here where the new Eletre will be produced

The new £900million EV base in the city where the Covid-19 virus outbreak started is set to be completed in 2024 - and the Eletre will be the first model built there imminently.

Despite its assembly in China, bosses are still eager to flag the brand's originating roots.

They say the Eletre has been 'Born British, Raised Globally', claiming it has been designed at its creative centre in Warwickshire, developed by its dedicated department at Hethel – the home of Lotus since 1966 – and supported by collaborative work with teams in China, Sweden and Germany.

The British car maker, which is now majority owned by Chinese mega firm Geely, dubbed the motor the World's only 'electric hyper-SUV'

The reason behind the name might not be what you originally were thinking. That's because the word 'Eletre' means 'Coming to Life' in some Eastern European languages

2. 'Eletre' doesn't mean electric

Elan, Europa, Esprit, Elise, Exige, Evora - there's no questioning the 'E' trend in Lotus nameplates. And the new Eletre follows suit - though it's not necessarily a hint to its zero-emission drivetrain.

The word 'Eletre' means 'Coming to Life' in some Eastern European languages, which Lotus says is the appropriate moniker for the start of a new - battery-powered - chapter in its 74-year history.

These are arguably the two biggest rivals to the Lotus. On the left is the BMW iX M60, the performance electric SUV from the German brand that costs from £116,000. To the right is the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, another fast SUV EV that is half the price of the Beemer

3. These are its main rivals

Among the electric SUV competition Lotus will be going up against is the Audi e-tron Sportback costing north of £70,000, Jaguar's £66,000 I-Pace and the Mercedes-Benz EQC, which starts from just over £72,000.

However, most likely rivals are the £116,000 BMW iX M60 and £75,000 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT.

The BMW has a range of 348 miles and a 0-to-62mph time of 3.8 seconds while the Ford offers 310 miles and a sprint to 62mph in 3.7 seconds - meaning both are a close match to the Eletre in terms of performance.

There's a choice of four or five-seat layout. The former means two individual chairs in the back with a centre console including a digital display

The more traditional rear bench means customers can seat three across the second row

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There's a choice of four or five-seat layout. The former means two individual chairs in the back with a centre console including a digital display. The more traditional rear bench means customers can seat three across the second row

A massive panoramic glass roof gives the SUV an airy, spacious feel inside. Combined with its silent drivetrain, we can imagine it will be a soothing experience for back-seat passengers

It will be sold to customers with either four or five seats. The former means passengers in the back get a centre console with their own OLED display screen

4. How many people can it transport?

Buyers have the option of a four or five-seat layout.

While the latter provides more passenger space, the four-seater gets a rear centre console between the two chairs, which also has a folding-up digital display screen.

The Eletre will be the first Lotus-badged model to have five doors, though not the first to have more than two seats. The Lotus Cortina could seat up to five with a bench in the back

Its previous range of late-seventies, early-eighties GT cars - the Elite (pictured), Eclat and Excel - also offered 2+2 seating layouts

5. The first Lotus SUV... but not its first car with more than two seats

While the Eletre is the first SUV from Lotus, it's also its debut five-door production car and only model outside the sports car segment in its decorated history. It's also described as the brand's first 'lifestyle EV' - whatever that means.

However, it isn't the first Lotus with more than two seats.

The Lotus Cortinas, built with Ford, of the sixties and seventies could seat five with a rear bench, while an Elan+2 hit the market around the same time offering a pair of back chairs in the dinky sports car - but they were only suitable for small children.

Its previous range of late-seventies, early-eighties GT cars - the Elite, Eclat and Excel - also offered 2+2 seating layouts.

Lotus Eletre electric hyper-SUV: Will it fit in my garage?

On sale: Now

Price: starting from £89,500

First deliveries: First half of 2023

Built: Wuhan, China

Doors: 5 Seats: 4/5

Battery size: 112kWh

Electric motors: 2

Maximum power: Up to 905hp

0-62mph: Under 3 seconds

Top speed: up to 165mph

Range: Up to 373 miles (600km)

Charge time: 10% to 80% charge in 20 minutes

DIMENSIONS

Length: 5,103mm

Width with camera mirrors: 2,135mm

Width with traditional door mirrors: 2,231mm

Height: 1,630mm

Wheelbase: 3,019mm

Boot space (seats up): 611 litres (4-seats)/688 litres (5 seats)

Boot space (seats down): 1,532 litres

These are big promises to make about a high-riding 4X4 that - laden with batteries - will weigh around the same as a small boat

Eletre is built on the car maker's new Electric Premium Architecture, which uses a combination of aluminium and high tensile steel for supreme stiffness

6. Will it handle like a Lotus sports car and its latest hypercar?

The Eletre takes the 'heart and soul' of the new £72,000 petrol-powered Emira and the 'revolutionary aero performance' of its all-electric - £2million - Evija hypercar to form the world's first electric 'hyper-SUV', say Lotus bigwigs.

These are big promises to make about a high-riding 4X4 that - laden with batteries - will weigh around the same as a small boat.

It will be built on the firm's new Electric Premium Architecture - EPA for short - which uses a combination of aluminium and high tensile steel for supreme stiffness.

Lotus says the new Eletre might be hulking SUV but it can still take inspiration from the brand's latest sports and hypercars. It says the 4X4 takes the 'heart and soul' of the new £72,000 petrol-powered Emira (pictured)

The Eletre also takes the 'revolutionary aero performance' of its all-electric - £2million - Evija hypercar. This includes the design concept of having air flow through the car, such as via these huge intakes in front of the rear wheel arches that force air through the two massive exhausts outlets in the picture on the right

The 112kWh-plus battery pack, which is a flat 'skateboard-style' unit, is retained in the chassis floor to create a low centre of gravity to ensure the hulking SUV is as responsive as physics can allow

The battery pack, which is a flat 'skateboard-style' unit, is retained in the chassis floor to create a low centre of gravity to ensure the hulking SUV is as responsive as physics can allow.

It will ride on five-link suspension at the rear for optimised ride and handling, as well as standard air suspension and continuous damping control to compensate for the harshness of stiff chassis. Active ride height, active rear axle steering, an active anti-roll bar and torque vectoring via braking will all also be available to tune the comfort and agility of this beefy 4X4.

On the move, owners will be able to choose from five different drive modes, which adjust the steering, damper settings, powertrain and accelerator pedal response.

The modes become progressively more aggressive from 'Range' to 'Tour' and 'Sport', and there is a specific 'Off-Road' mode and an 'Individual' option, the latter allowing users to tailor each characteristic to their personal taste.

While it has been testing at the Nürburgring circuit in Germany, there is no official lap time to be boasted by the brand - though we expect this to follow shortly

Lotus has been using the has been using the Nürburgring and nearby Dudenhofen testing facility (pictured) to hone the car's sixth additional driving setting called 'Track Mode', which is only available with the range-topping Eletre R

The Eletre will offer autonomous driving modes. Bosses claim it will be able to lap the fearsome 12.94-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife on its own

7. It's already been tested at the Nürburgring - and could soon lap the circuit itself!

The flagship version is the Eletre R and is the 'world's fastest dual-motor pure electric SUV', according to Lotus.

While it has been testing at the Nürburgring circuit in Germany, there is no official lap time to be boasted by the brand - though we expect this to follow shortly.

It has been using the circuit - and the nearby Dudenhofen testing facility - to hone the car's sixth additional driving setting called 'Track Mode', which is only available with the range-topping Eletre R.

This provides a lowered ride height, and more performance-oriented settings for the dampers and anti-roll control - and it also allows for the active grille to be opened entirely to access to the car's full power.

Lotus also revealed that it could soon lap the fearsome 12.94-mile track autonomously.

Lotus says the design ethos is 'carved by air' - which explains its svelte silhouette, which we think does have some similarities with Lamborghini's Urus SUV

A major design feature of the Eletre is its 'porosity' - the aerodynamic principle of air flowing through the car as well as under, over and around it. For instance, air is channelled under the leading edge of the car, emerging through two exit vents in the bonnet above (seen here)

8. Explaining the stunning shape

Lotus says the design ethos is 'carved by air' - which explains its svelte silhouette. However, it's no shrinking violet (or daffodil in this case), measuring in at 5.1 metres long, up to 2.2 metres wide and 1.6 metres high - dimensions that are extremely close to that of the Lamborghini Urus.

A major design feature it shares with the £2million Evija is its 'porosity' - the aerodynamic principle of air flowing through the car as well as under, over and around it that should, in theory, bolster range, speed and outright performance.

For instance, when on the move, air is channelled under the leading edge of the car, emerging through two exit vents in the bonnet above. There are other examples of porosity ahead of and behind the front wheel arches, behind the rear wheels, and even at the top of the rear-most D-pillar.

A quick all-round review of the Eletre's design showcases a sharp front end made up of slim headlight clusters and a large active grille that's not dissimilar to its Lamborghini rival - the yellow paint only makes this comparison more obvious.

The SUV rides on wheels up to 23-inches in size with a five-spoke design and carbon fibre inserts that are said to aid air flow, while stopping power comes from ceramic 10-piston brake callipers

Moving to the rear, the full-width 'ribbon' light-strip draws attention first, with it disappearing into the curvature of the air exhaust outlets at each corner

The light strip is shaded by a large active tailgate spoiler that extends automatically depending on which drive mode is selected

Moving round the car, muscular haunches dominate the profile that is uninterrupted by four flush door handles and an electrically-opening charging port cover in the front wing.

The SUV rides on a choice of 20, 22 or 23-inch five-spoke alloys with carbon fibre inserts that are said to aid air flow, while stopping power comes from ceramic 10-piston brake callipers. Again, we can see a lot of Urus in the rim design.

Moving to the rear, the full-width 'ribbon' light-strip draws attention first, with it disappearing into the curvature of the air exhaust outlets at each corner.

The light strip is shaded by a large active tailgate spoiler that extends automatically depending on which drive mode is selected. The light strip houses 'scrolling' indicators at each flank, which light up progressively towards the direction the car is about to turn.

And it also has a unique party trick...

Matt Windle, group vice-president and managing director for Lotus Cars, described the Eletre as the brand's 'natural next step': 'Two-seater sports cars are not for everyone, and we want to offer a Lotus for every stage of your life'

9. There's a 'peacocking' unlocking sequence

Lotus promises this to be its most connected and technology-packed model yet - and it has one special feature that appears before the driver has even entered the car.

Pressing the button on the key, or unlocking it via the dedicated smartphone app, activates a unique moment of theatre, with the car's exterior lights running a short display sequence of four different colours. The active front grille also 'breathes' - which we assume means opens - and the illuminated flush door handles deploy.

The experience is repeated inside the car as the door closes behind the occupant.

Ben Payne, head of studio at Lotus, describes this 'walk-up sequence' as a 'peacock moment' and a little 'showing-off' that highlights the Eletre's 'engaging personality'.

Hopefully it's a feature that can be disengaged, as we can see it getting old pretty quickly, especially for those who want to keep a low profile in a multi-storey car park.

Lotus promises this to be its most connected and technology-packed model yet - and it has one special feature that appears before the driver has even entered the car

There is a binnacle on each side of the dashboard - for the driver this incorporates the instrument cluster while on the passenger side it houses varying information, from the current music selection to nearby points of interest in the sat-nav

10. It has a tech-heavy interior

Lotus promises the most advanced ‘digital cockpit’ in the Eletre, with the operating system using ‘Unreal Engine’ technology and never-before-seen processing power in a car, all of which has come direct from the gaming industry.

It means passengers will get 'real-time 3D content and experiences' via a number of different displays.

This includes a strip of light that runs across the dashboard that - at first glance - appears to be floating. It forms part of the 'human machine interface', changing colour to notify if an occupant's phone is ringing or to warn the driver of a low state of battery charge.

Below this light strip is a binnacle on each side - for the driver this incorporates the instrument cluster while on the passenger side it houses varying information, from the current music selection to nearby points of interest in the sat-nav.

Between the two binnacle views is a massive 15.1-inch landscape display, which is an OLED screen like the highest-range televisions on sale today

Buyers will be able to choose either traditional door mirrors or these tiny cameras that provide a rear-view on a screen inside the car

Between the two binnacle views is a massive 15.1-inch landscape display, which is an OLED screen like the highest-range televisions on sale today. Because OLED screens are super skinny, the Eletre's can automatically fold flat when not required.

Information can also be displayed to the driver via a head-up display featuring augmented reality technology, which is standard equipment for the entry £89,500 model.

Lotus also announced a new collaboration with Dolby - creators of the immersive audio experiences you hear in cinemas - to enhance how passengers enjoy music with the same Dolby Atmos system you find in high-end television sound systems.

And the tech advances don't end there.

Traditional door mirrors can be replaced - at a cost - by electric mirrors as part of a pack that adds another three high-definition cameras – one for the rear-view mirror, a second to help create a 360-degree view of the car from above to aid parking, and a third that's part of the intelligent driving technologies.

These camera can also work in tandem with the Eletre's Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) system, which it claims can deliver autonomous driving capability once UK laws allows for it.

Sustainability is at the core of the new Lotus, which will offer a range of animal-alterative materials for the cabin supplied by Kvadrat

An advanced wool-blend fabric is used to cover the seats, which is half the weight of traditional leather - such is Lotus's efforts to trim the fat at every corner available

The carbon fibre used for some panels are made up of recycled bits trimmed from the edge of traditional weaves that are usually discarded as waste

11. The cabin will make eco-zealots very happy

If we asked you when was the last time you read about a new car that didn't have an eco-conscious interior, you'd probably struggle to recall it.

And sustainability is certainly at the core of the new Lotus, which will offer a range of animal-alterative materials for the cabin supplied by Kvadrat.

Man-made microfibres also feature across all primary touchpoints and an advanced wool-blend fabric is used to cover the seats, which is half the weight of traditional leather - such is Lotus's efforts to trim the fat at every opportunity available.

Even the carbon fibre used for some panels are made up of recycled bits trimmed from the edge of traditional weaves that are usually discarded as waste. These have been reconstructed into a new matting, then compressed in a resin to create a premium marble-like finish.

The boot isn't what you'd call massive. At up to 688 litres, it's around the same as a Peugeot 508 estate (which is considerably cheaper)

12. What else do customers need to know?

Despite the car's five-metre length, the boot isn't all that capacious. Five-seat examples offer up to 688 litres of loading space, but if you opt for the four-seat layout this dips to 611 litres. With the rear seats flat, there's up to 1,532 litres of luggage area.

First customer deliveries will start during the first half of next year.

In the UK, the Eletre will be sold with a five-year/100,000-mile vehicle warranty, plus five years of pan-European roadside assistance.

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