Riding the ‘carved by air’ design principle, the 2024 Lotus Eletre comes with sporty lines, inspired by the brand’s Emira sports car.
SUVs are, currently, the preferred type among passenger vehicles world over. Manufacturers shifting towards electric mobility also take advantage of this consumer preference. Eletre, the first ever all-electric hyper SUV from Lotus, the British sports car brand taken over by Chinese company Geely, is no exemption. Underpinned by the brand’s Electric Premium Architecture platform, this futuristic vehicle comes with a dual-motor setup (one for each axle), producing a total of over 600hp.
Lotus also claims that the 2024 Eletre is capable of achieving 0 – 100 km/h mark in under 3 seconds and will reach a top speed of 260 km/h. The electric motor is paired with a battery pack of over 100 kWh, offering a range of 600 km on a single charge (WLTP cycle). The car is also capable of charging at 350 kW, which adds 400 km of range in just 20 minutes. It can accept 22kW AC charging also, thereby reduces the time plugged in.
In terms of design, there’s a visual lightness to the car, creating the impression of a high-riding sports car rather than an SUV. Following the ‘carved by air’ design principle, the Lotus Eletre comes with sporty lines, inspired by the brand’s Emira sports car.
This includes a sleek front grille with active aerodynamic vents, split headlamps, large alloy wheels, a single LED light bar for the taillights, two winglets on the top of the rear windscreen, an integrated active spoiler that opens up at high speeds and plenty of air vents all around the SUV.
2024 Lotus Eletre: The ‘porosity’ design factor
Explained by the company as a signature element of the design is its ‘porosity’ – the aerodynamic principle of air flowing through the car as well as under, over and around it. Air flow is channelled under the leading edge of the car, emerging through two exit vents on the bonnet.
Porosity is meant to reduce resistance from the atmosphere, delivering more efficiency in terms of improved vehicle range, speed and performance.
Each door mirror is replaced by an Electric Reverse Mirror Display (ERMD), which houses three different cameras. It works with the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system to deliver autonomous driving capability. The 2024 Lotus Eletre rides on 23-inch machine-cut split-finish five-spoke alloys with carbon fibre inserts to aid air flow.
Inside, the dashboard design is minimalistic with a thin 1.18-inch display strip for the instrument cluster, a standard heads-up display with augmented reality and a large 15.1-inch central landscape touchscreen infotainment unit. Other features also include control buttons on the steering wheel, eco-friendly premium upholstery all around, a thin display for the front passengers and camera-based door mirrors.
Cost and arrival in the US markets
The 2024 Lotus Eletre has five-link suspension at the rear for optimised ride and handling, while standard equipment includes air suspension and Continuous Damping Control (CDC). Active ride height, active rear axle steering, an active anti-roll bar and torque vectoring via braking are also available.
The car comes with four drive modes – Range, Tour, Sport, Off-Road and Individual, which adjust the steering, damper settings, powertrain and accelerator pedal response. The latest connectivity technology, including 5G compatibility, is part of the Eletre package.
The deliveries of the Lotus Eletre are expected to start in 2024 in the United States and the car will cost around $120,000. Lotus, currently owned by Geely, the Chinese auto giant, will manufacture Eletre at its plant in China’s Wuhan. The 2024 Lotus Eletre electric SUV will rival the likes of the Tesla Model X and the Mercedes-Benz EQC.
