Lotus on its way to Norway
Lotus converts to electricity and takes over Norway. But first, the hyper-SUV takes over the Eletre Oslo Motor Show.
Already in July, BilAutofil’s sister publication BilNytt was able to tell that Lotus would present the new electric SUV Eletre at the Oslo Motor Show, and that the search for a Norwegian agent network was underway. Lotus is controlled by Chinese Geely Holding, a superstructure that includes Volvo, Polestar, Lynk & Co, Proton and Geometry.
Rich history
Lotus’ history is inextricably linked to Colin Chapman and the company’s seven world championships in Formula 1. Models such as Lotus Seven, Lotus Elan and Lotus Esprit are written in bold letters in car history. The popular sports car Elise, where Norsk Hydro contributed aluminum expertise, was also the basis for the Roadster, Tesla’s first car model. In order to keep the finances together, Lotus gradually collaborated with several car manufacturers, including Toyota. It was also Lotus that designed the chassis of the legendary DeLorean, the “Back to the Future” car that is rolling out some in Norway.
Opting for an SUV – like other sports car manufacturers
When Lotus now first takes the step from sports cars to SUVs and moves into the electric car world to meet the future and strengthen the bottom line, it’s right. Here, forces will be measured with the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, BMW iX M60 and AMG versions of the EQS, so there is format above the achievements. With 600 hp and four-wheel drive, Lotus enters “The Two-Second Club”, which means 0-100 km/h in less than three seconds. Top speed is stated at just over 260 km/h. The top speed is stated at 260 km/h, 100 kWt battery pack which, with 800 volt technology, can be charged at 350 kW speed, making it optimally possible to charge a range of 400 km in just 20 minutes. The range is stipulated at around 600 km.
Close to self-drive
If that’s not enough, LIDAR technology (Light Detection and Ranging) will not only be more advanced driver support, but also open to fully automatic take you to the destination of the drive, write Lotus on its website. This means self-driving at level 4 where level 5 is cars without a steering wheel. Lotus Eletre will not be a small car as it extends to 5.10 meters in length. The car’s wheelbase is stated as 3.02 meters and the height as 1.63 meters. Since the Eletre is a four-seater to give the rear seat passengers the best possible comfort, the seat backs cannot be folded down. That limits the luggage space to around 400 litres, but in Tesla fashion 77 litres.
The car will be manufactured in China and the first customer cars to Norway next summer.