British manufacturer, Lotus, will launch its first electric SUV named Eletre on Tuesday 29 March. Lotus announced the news through a post on social media a few weeks after leaked patent images showing the car’s design.
“We’ve seen a teaser video for the Lotus Eletre that hints at minor design details, such as carbon inserts on the wheels, grooved brake discs and a flat steering wheel.” said Lotus CEO, Colin Chapman as quoted by Autoexpress.co.uk.
But the exterior design shown in the patent images suggests the all-electric Eletre will match the aggressive designs of the Emira sports car and Evija hypercar.
The headlights are sleek in design, the wide taillight bar is fully visible, and the angular grille all give off a sporty feel.
The design is reportedly to rival the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, and electric Porsche Macan, which will debut later this year.
This electric car is equipped with cameras in the rearview mirror, flush-fit door handles, a split rear spoiler and various channels that will all help lower the Lotus Eletre’s drag coefficient.
The new Eletre will fall into the ‘Premium Architecture’ category from Lotus, one of four new platforms the company has designed for electrified vehicles at scale.
The Eletre will carry a 90kWh to 120kWh battery with a drive system capable of propelling the car from 0 to 62mph in less than three seconds.
This electric SUV will use a mains voltage of 800v, like the Porsche/Audi J1 platform under the Taycan and the e-tron GT which produces 350kW ultra-fast charging capabilities. The vehicle will be built in China, at Lotus’ new €900 million factory in Wuhan City.
