The first SUV from Lotus will be its heaviest vehicle ever, but it will be lighter than its competition
A tri-motor version with 900 horsepower will be available later
This version should be quicker than the Tesla Model X Plaid
Lotus has always kept the ethos of its founder, who believed lightness was the most important characteristic of a sports car.
The news of an SUV wearing the brand’s logo lead many enthusiasts to believe the company had drifted away from this founding principle, but depending on how you look at it, the Eletre could still be said to fit in with the brand’s reputation.
Indeed, Lotus just released the weight of the regular version of the Eletre and without much surprise, it will be the heaviest vehicle they have ever made.
This was to be expected since SUVs are inherently heavier than sedans and even more so than the type of sports cars Lotus specialises in. In addition, the Eletre is a fully electric vehicle, which means it has to have a fairly large battery.
Indeed, EVs are among the heaviest vehicles on the road, mainly due to the weight of their battery pack. Even the other electric model from Lotus, the Evija hypercar, is failry heavy, at 3,700 pounds.
However, the automaker worked hard to make the Eletre as light as it could make it, which is evidenced by the numerous carbon fibre accents on the outside and the aluminum construction of the body shell. On the inside, the seats are upholstered in a wool-blend fabric which reportedly only weighs half as much as a traditional leather upholstery does.
These measures contribute to give the Eletre a curb weight of 4,409 pounds, which makes it much lighter than its competitors. Indeed, the Tesla Model X Plaid tips the scale at 5,412 pounds and the Audi e-Tron S weighs in at 5,853 pounds.
In order to better compete with the Tesla Model X Plaid, which is currently the fastest production SUV on the market, Lotus is working on a 900-horsepower version that will join the regular 600 horsepower variant in a couple of years.
This model would reportedly add a third motor placed on the rear axle, which should allow it to complete the 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) dash in “well under 2.5 seconds”. This means it would be quicker than the Plaid, which currently does the same sprint in 2.6 seconds.
