Look closely and you’ll notice a cut-out in the SUV’s roof just above the windshield that’s where the pop-up lidar system is housed. If there’s one major quirk to the Eletre’s driving experience, it’s the driver-assistance technology. I can tell you the steering is light but appropriately tuned for such a large SUV, and it’s quiet and comfortable enough inside that spending two days behind the wheel proves a cinch.
RON PARKS AND REC FRICTION DRIVERS
At no point could I actually ever hustle the Eletre, given Norway’s penchant for placing speed cameras along public roads, and for the slow-moving Norwegian drivers who diligently obey the sluggish speed limits. Unfortunately, there’s not much more to say about the Eletre from a performance standpoint. The pre-selected regeneration setting stays the same when switching between Sport, Tour, and Range modes as well. Transitioning to the mechanical brakes is a smooth process, with no sudden bite when the regen gives way to actual friction. The steps between these settings are noticeable, and while the heaviest-handed mode doesn’t completely allow for one-pedal driving, it’s pretty close. It accelerates smoothly and rides nicely, but because the roads around Oslo are so meticulously maintained, it’s tough to get a sense of how this thing would ride over broken pavement, especially equipped with the largest 22- or 23-inch wheels.įour levels of regenerative braking are offered, and I toggle through them via what would be the left paddle shifter mounted to the steering wheel. The vast majority of my time in the Eletre is spent on Norway’s gorgeous and heavily speed regulated public roads, behind the wheel of an S. You can definitely feel the R’s 5,800-pound curb weight while cornering, but the standard active air suspension and 48-volt-powered active anti-roll bars do a nice job of smoothing out body motions The Eletre is eager to dive quickly into turns and feels well composed in an autocross setting. Lotus asked that I put the Eletre R in Sport mode for my two laps around a coned-off autocross course, so I can’t tell you if the Track setting makes any sort of meaningful difference on a, um, track. That’s only at 100 mph, by the way I’m not allowed to go any faster. The front end moves around a bit and the whole thing starts to feel floaty-something I never thought I’d say about a Lotus. Once you do get up to higher speeds, the SUV gets a little unwieldy.
But the Eletre takes a second-well, a millisecond, anyway-before it takes off. Hard launching a lot of performance EVs kind of feels like getting rear-ended by a semi truck in that it’s so instantaneous. Not bad, considering the 5,500-pound curb weight. Both the base version and midrange Eletre S have a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup producing 603 hp and 524 lb-ft of torque, allowing them to accelerate to 62 mph in 4.5 seconds. There’s a 112-kwh lithium-ion battery pack arranged in the traditional skateboard style, which Lotus says can accept charging speeds of up to 350 kw-or perhaps more, the company was vague about this. Underneath the skin, the Eletre is relatively straightforward.
This helps with the all-important driving range: As much as 373 miles, according to optimistic European WLTP testing, which will be greatly reduced under our stricter EPA standards. Every little vent and cut-through improves aero, and Lotus says the Eletre has an impressive drag coefficient of 0.26, making it one of the slipperiest SUVs on the road. What this SUV lacks in outright beauty it makes up for with aerodynamic excellence. At 200.9 inches long, the Eletre is 2.1 inches longer than a Ford Explorer, but it has a low roofline that gives it more of a tall wagon vibe, especially in profile.īut at least that weird design serves a purpose. The styling is wild, and the proportions are hard to gauge in photos. Thus the Eletre, though it certainly doesn’t look like any old mainstream SUV. So if Lotus wants to have the funding for special projects like the Evija hypercar, it has to balance that by making vehicles with greater mass-market appeal. Just looking at this 2024 Lotus Eletre, you can imagine Colin Chapman rolling in his grave.īut Lotus-or, perhaps more importantly, Chinese parent company Geely-knows that niche little two-seaters do not a profitable car company make. A large, heavy, electric SUV couldn’t be a greater departure from the lithe sports cars that drove Lotus into the hearts of enthusiasts everywhere.
Calling the Eletre a Lotus takes a big leap of faith.
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