Beginning today, customers in North America can customize and order the Eletre, a new hyper SUV from Lotus long promised as part of the sports car developer’s journey to go 100% electric. We’ve also learned when those initial Eletre customers can expect to take delivery and how much Lotus is charging in pricing the SUV’s two variants.
In April 2021, Geely-owned hypercar developer Lotus laid out a strategic plan to strictly produce electric vehicles by 2028, beginning with an E-segment SUV called “Type 132” in 2022. Its most recent financial report detailed steady growth, but there’s still plenty of ceiling left in its segment,
In March 2022, we learned that the type 132 was officially called the Eletre alongside several of the hyper SUV’s targeted specs, including range, top speed, and charging times, but no pricing yet.
With BEV production now underway at a new $1.2 billion factory in China, Lotus has continued to tout the performance of the Eletre alongside two additional models—the Evija and the Emeya. All three models are now making their way to customers in overseas markets, but North America has yet to see deliveries.
Today, however, Lotus confirmed it has opened orders for two all-electric variants of the Eletre SUV to North American customers. Still, they are priced a tad higher than initially estimated.
Lotus shares Eletre pricing now starts at $107,000
The Eletre is available to North American customers today as the first of a new breed of Lotus SUVs, all of which should be 100% electric going forward. The local markets in the US and Canada will see two variants of the Hyper SUV available – the Eletre and Eletre R.
Both versions feature a dual motor, AWD configuration, and the same 111.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack as part of Lotus’ proprietary 800V platform. The higher-end Eletre R has more combined power and torque, equating to better acceleration and a slightly faster top speed. Here’s how the two trims stack up side by side:
| Trim | Eletre | Eletre R |
| Powertrain | Full-time AWD | Full-time AWD |
| Max Power | 450 kW (603 hp) | 675 kW (905 hp) |
| Max Torque | 524 ft-lb (710 Nm) | 727 ft-lb (985 Nm) |
| Top Speed | 160 mph (258 km/h) | 165 mph (265 km/h) |
| Acceleration 0-100km/h (0-62 mph) | 4.5 seconds | 2.95 seconds |
| Battery Capacity | 111.9 kWh | 111.9 kWh |
| Range (WLTP) | 304-354 miles | 254-280 miles |
| Charge Time 10-80% (350 kW DC) | 20 minutes | 20 minutes |
Last but not least, let’s talk Lotus Eletre pricing. The automaker shared today that the standard Eletre starts at an MSRP of $107,000 (CAD 126,800). Pricing for the Lotus Eletre R starts at $145,000 (CAD 178,500).
When the Eletre first debuted in 2022, Lotus said pricing would start around $95,000, so it’s a ways off of that original number in North America. Orders are open now, and Lotus expects to begin initial deliveries to North American customers in Q4 2024.
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