The All-Electric Lotus Eletre Hyper-SUV: The Complete Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The All-Electric Lotus Eletre SUV

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Lotus Cars Limited, is a UK based automotive manufacturer, famed for its iconic sports cars and participation in Formula One. The automotive manufacturer has witnessed a number of changes to its ownership since the founding of Lotus Engineering Limited in 1952, by Colin Chapman and Colin Dare.

The company is currently owned by the Chinese automotive manufacturer, Geely, headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Geely also owns the automotive brands Volvo Cars and Polestar. Previously, Lotus was owned by General Motors. The company has the following electric vehicles (EVs):

• All-electric Lotus Evija
• All-electric Lotus Eletre
• All-electric Lotus Emeya

The pure electric Lotus Eletre hyper-SUV is a defining point in the history of the automotive manufacturer. It is, its first ever SUV, its first vehicle with four-doors, its first mass-market electric car, its first all-electric SUV and the Eletre R variant is the world’s fastest dual-motor electric SUV.

The Lotus EV was revealed in March 2022. The name is derived from the Hungarian word ‘eletre’, which means ‘coming to life’. The electric car is designed in the UK but will be manufactured in China. The electric SUV is part of the Vision80 strategy of the automotive manufacturer, to broaden the appeal and accessibility of Lotus performance cars, to a wider lifestyle customer base.

According to the Managing Director of Lotus Cars, “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.”

The Eletre is now available to order in some international markets, with deliveries expected to commence in first-half 2023. The company claims that, ‘thousands of customers around the world have placed deposits to secure their Eletre’. The all-electric Eletre competes in an already fierce segment of pure electric premium SUVs. However, the Lotus Eletre has carved a niche position for those seeking hyper performance pure electric SUVs.

The Lotus Eletre is available in one EV battery size: 112 kWh and in three variants: for the entry-level Eletre and the Eletre S, the manufacturer claims a zero-emission electric range up to 600 km (WLTP) and for the top of the range, Eletre R, the claimed e-range is 490 km (WLTP).

Even adjusting for real-world driving i.e. weather, temperature, road conditions, driving profile, load, speed, tyre size etc, the Lotus Eletre offers an impressive pure electric range for short and long distance driving. For the Eletre and the Eletre S, expect a real-world range closer to 475 km and for the higher performance Eletre R, a 400 km EV range is more realistic.

For longer motorway driving trips, the Lotus Eletre electric SUV offers DC charging capability up to 350 kW DC. The EV can be charged 10%-80% in 20 minutes i.e. it can add 400 zero-emission km in 20 minutes. The Eletre EV also offers a 3-phase 22 kW AC onboard charger as standard, which is certainly good.

However, given that the majority of homes in India have single-phase power supply, taking advantage of the 22 kW onboard charger will be only for those with access to three-phase EV charging at home, work or at a public destination. Single-phase EV charging will take longer. We at e-zoomed recommend charging overnight at home, when the electricity tariff rates are cheaper.

The Eletre electric SUV is available as an all-wheel drive (AWD), as standard. The Eletre and the Eletre S variants can achieve 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds (max power: 603 hp/ 710 Nm torque). The top speed is 250 km/h. The Eletre R, can achieve 0-100 km/h in a whopping 2.95 seconds (max power: 905 hp/ 985 Nm torque). The top speed is 265 km/h. The exterior sporty styling of the e-SUV certainly echoes the performance capability of the EV!

The EV has a host of technology and features on offer, some include: heads-up-display, 15.1” HD OLED centre screen, adaptive cruise control, driver monitoring system, rear collision warning, traffic sign recognition, front and rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, blind spot detection, park assist front and rear, visual park assist and more.

The EV is also equipped for full autonomous driving, and includes, a LIDAR system that scans 200 m in every direction. In terms of practicality, the high performance electric SUV has much to offer. It includes a frunk (46 L) and a boot space up to 688 L. The frunk, or front storage compartment is perfect for storing the EV cable.

Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet! The electric car is not currently available in India.

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PROS	CONS
Good electric range	Expensive
High performance pure electric SUV	Available in only one EV battery option
350 kW DC charging and 22 kW onboard charger as standard	Only available in two exterior colours

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The All-Electric Lotus Eletre SUV (credit: Lotus)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Body Type:	SUV
Engine:	Electric
Available In India:	No

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Variants (1 Options)
Lotus Eletre (from ₹ N/A)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 112 kWh
Charging:	350 kW DC Rapid Charging (10%-80%: 20 mins). Onboard charger: 22 kW AC (0%-100%: N/A hrs)
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	0g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:	N/A

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1630
Width (mm):	2231
Length (mm):	5103
Wheelbase (mm):	3019
Turning Circle (m):	N/A
Boot Space (L):	611 – 688

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Lotus Eletre
EV Battery Capacity:	112 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	600 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/ 100km):	21.5
Charging:	350 kW DC Rapid Charging (10%-80%: 20 mins). Onboard charger: 22 kW AC (0%-100%: N/A hrs)
Top Speed:	250 km/h
0-100 km/h:	4.5 seconds
Drive:	All-wheel drive (AWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	450
Horsepower (hp):	603
Torque (Nm):	710
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	4
Doors:	5
Unladen Weight (kg):	N/A
Colours:	2
NCAP Safety Rating:	N/A

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Which Is Better For India? A PHEV or BEV?

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For those new to electric driving, it is a question asked often by aspiring buyers for electric cars. Should I buy a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)? For those new to electric cars, a BEV is more commonly referred to as a pure electric car.

A BEV is ‘pure’, in that, the electric vehicle (EV) only uses electric power for propulsion i.e. a BEV does not have an internal combustion engine (ICE). It is easy to recognise these zero-tailpipe emission green cars, as these e-vehicles are silent (except for the artificial noise), and do not have a tailpipe (exhaust)! Moreover, in India, EVs also have a green license plate, so easy to indentify!

In comparison, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), combines the technologies used in both, a pure electric car and a conventional internal combustion (ICE) vehicle, to increase fuel efficiency and reduce tailpipe emissions. A PHEV incorporates an electric motor, an onboard EV battery and an internal combustion engine (ICE), to propel the electric vehicle (EV).

The development and maturity of pure electric cars over the past decade has been staggering. The first-generation modern electric cars, like the all-electric Nissan Leaf (2010), incorporated a 24 kWh onboard EV battery, with an emission-free electric range up to 112 km. Move forward a decade, and the latest pure electric cars incorporate an EV battery, even larger than 100 kWh and offer an electric range (WLTP) over 500 km.

Even, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), have witnessed much improvement, in both, electric range and reduced tailpipe emissions. Excellent examples are the latest-generation Range Rover PHEV and Range Rover Sport PHEV. Both these plug-in hybrid electric SUVs incorporate a 38.2 kWh on board EV battery with a 115 km (WLTP) pure electric range. Moreover, the tailpipe emission from the PHEV, are as low as 18g (CO2/km). A significant reduction compared to the previous generation of plug-in electric cars, and of course, far lower emissions compared to a conventional petrol or diesel car!

In general, we at e-zoomed, always recommend choosing a BEV, instead of a PHEV, given the superior environmental credentials of a pure electric car i.e. zero-tailpipe emissions. However, we do understand that certain circumstances may require a PHEV. In particular, countries like India, where the public EV charging infrastructure is still at a nascent stage, compared to more developed electric driving markets, like Norway and the UK. Having said that, it is worth noting that the majority of electric cars are charged at home and overnight! In India, we can certainly expect the same!

We encourage families and companies keen to migrate to electric cars in India, to consider, carefully their needs, to conclude which type of electric car is a better option. Below are two key factors to consider!

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BEV Or PHEV: Top 2 Factors To Consider
Distance travelled (km):	In general, most car journeys are short. Hardly surprising, given the type of regular commutes done on a daily basis. School-runs, commute to the office, meeting family members, going to the local market, gym etc. Especially for those of us living in cities and towns, the distanced travelled is limited. One can assume, that the average distanced covered by a vehicle in India is between 50 km – 75 km. It is not often, that we drive long distances. For example, how often do residents in the NCR region drive to Jaipur (300 km)? Most of the latest pure electric cars, to include, those available in India, can easily meet the day-to-day needs. So, do you really need a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle? Well, if you are one of the few, travelling significant distances on a daily basis (like the 300 km trip to Jaipur), then, considering a PHEV is prudent. However, if you travel long distances infrequently, then you can always borrow a conventional petrol or diesel car from you mother-in-law, for the occasional long-distance trip!
EV Charging:	Given that the majority of EV charging is done at home, via a dedicated EV charger, charging an electric car is not usually that challenging. In fact, in India, EV owners are also charging their cars at the office. For those of you that don’t have access to a dedicated EV charger, either at home or the workplace, then a PHEV is worth considering. This also applies to those that travel long-distances and do not have access to public fast EV charging stations (AC or DC fast chargers). Lastly, though an electric car can be charged via a domestic plug socket, we encourage installing a dedicated smart EV charger. It is faster and safer to use a smart EV charger.

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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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