Lotus Technology, the EV division of the Lotus Group based in Wuhan, China, has completed the first delivery of the Eletre, the Lotus brand’s first-ever SUV.

To mark the occasion, the battery-electric SUV was handed over to the first customer during a ceremony at the Shanghai International Circuit dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Lotus brand.

While customer deliveries are already underway in China, the Lotus Eletre will be handed over to buyers in European Union and the UK later this year. Lotus said it is also planning to sell the Eletre in the US and other global markets within five years.

“Eletre is a crucial part of our plan to transform Lotus into a truly global electric car brand. We are a pioneer in the decarbonization of luxury automobiles, and the delivery of Eletre has demonstrated our capability to lead the energy transition and steer the industry towards a more sustainable future.”

Qingfeng Feng, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Tech

Lotus Tech said it had received more than 5,000 Eletre orders worldwide as of January 31, 2023. Testing began in February 2023 in Germany.

Described as a fully electric hyper SUV, the Lotus Eletre offers two powertrain variants. The rear-wheel-drive Eletre and Eletre S feature a single motor system rated at 603 horsepower (450 kilowatts) and 523 pound-feet (710 Newton-meters) of torque, enough for a 0-62 mph acceleration in 4.5 seconds.

The all-wheel-drive Lotus Eletre R has a dual-motor powertrain capable of 905 hp (675 kW) and 726 lb-ft (985 Nm), enabling a 0-62 mph time of 2.95 seconds and a top speed of 165 mph (265 km/h). The Eletre R is the world’s fastest dual-motor pure electric SUV, edging ahead of the Tesla Model X Plaid which has a maximum speed of 163 mph. 

Both powertrain variants feature a 112-kilowatt-hour battery pack which is good for a WLTP range of 372 miles in the Eletre and Eletre S, and 304 miles in the Eletre R. 

The Lotus Eletre also features Lotus’s proprietary 800-volt Electrical Performance Architecture, enabling Lotus Tech’s 420-kilowatt supercharging solution and a charging time from 10 to 80 percent SoC of 20 minutes using a rapid charger.

It also comes with fully embedded Level 4-ready hardware, including the world’s first deployable LiDAR system – it raises from the roof.

The Eletre starts at $120,500 (828,000 yuan) in China, $110,800 (89,500 pounds) in the UK, and $104,500 (95,990 euros) in Germany.