Lotus Eletre X plug-in hybrid confirmed for Europe
Lotus has confirmed it will launch a plug-in hybrid version of its Eletre SUV later this year, named the Eletre X.After a Chinese market reveal last week, the Anglo-Sino brand confirmed that the Lotus Eletre X would go on sale in Europe in June, promising more power than the all-electric Eletre R and in excess of 200 miles of EV range.
The Geely-owned brand had planned to go all-electric by 2028 but poor sales of the Eletre and Emeya saloon have forced it to rethink its position and retro-fit a combustion engine to its flagship model.
Revealing the new model – badged as For Me in China – the brand declared its X Hybrid system signalled “the next chapter for the brand”.
Following its Chinese launch, the new Eletre plug-in hybrid will go on sale in Europe in June, with customer deliveries beginning in the final quarter of the year. Given that they are based on the same platform, it’s likely to be followed by a PHEV version of the Emeya saloon.
Using a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and two synchronous electric motors, the all-wheel-drive Eletre X plug-in hybrid produces a total of 939bhp – 47bhp more than the current range-topping Eletre R. However, its 0-62mph time is a reported 3.3 seconds, nearly half a second slower than the all-electric model due to the extra weight of the hybrid powertrain.
The Eletre PHEV also features a far larger battery than most plug-in hybrids. At 70kWh, it’s as big as the battery in many current full EVs and will deliver a claimed 217 miles of all-electric range on the WLTP test cycle. Lotus says drivers can expect a combined range of 745 miles.
The battery also features ultra-rapid charging thanks to 900V architecture. Lotus is tight-lipped about specific power ratings for the ‘6C’ pack but says it will charge from 20-80% in just nine minutes.
As with other Chinese plug-in hybrid systems the Eletre X uses an electric-first approach. Its twin motors deliver most of the driving power, with the 201bhp petrol engine acting mostly as a generator for the battery, delivering up to 25kWh of energy per hour.
However, Lotus says the system can intelligently switch between full EV, series hybrid, and parallel hybrid, allowing the petrol engine to assist in driving the wheels under heavy demand.
With a shift to combustion assistance, Lotus is thought to be targeting traditional ICE super-SUVs such as the Aston Martin DBX, the Lamborghini Urus and the Ferrari Purosangue.
There’s no word on pricing for the new Lotus Eletre X, but expect it to be in the same region as the EV version, which runs from £86,000 to £140,000.
