The electric Lotus Eletre SUV will probably cost the same as a top-of-the-line car Tesla Model X when it arrives in Australia.
The Lotus EletreThe brand’s upcoming all-electric super-performance SUV has been designed in the UK – but most of its engineering and manufacturing will come from Wuhan, China.
When it touches down, CarExpert understood that it would be valued at around $200,000. That’s not far from what you’ll likely pay for a top-of-the-line Model X SUV, as Tesla returns the price on the Australian website.
Lotus Cars Global CEO Matt Windle has confirmed CarExpert The Eletre will cost less than £100,000 in the UK, which equates to around $178,000 before tax and on-road costs in our market.
Looking for cars to compare in our market to the UK, the Tesla Model X Plaid costs just over £100,000 in the UK excluding VAT. In Australia, the same Tesla costs around $206,000 excluding on-road costs and any incentives (but including LCT).
That shows that Lotus has positioned its high-performance electric SUV to directly take the throne from Tesla, and priced in line with (or better than) its American rival.
That Lotus Eletre has a claimed electric range of 600 km, with a top speed of 260 km/h. Its real secret, however, is its acceleration from 0-100km/h in just 2.95 seconds.
That makes it faster now Lamborghini Urus (3.6 seconds), but not as fast as the Model X Plaid, and the claimed (claimed) 2.6 seconds.
Lotus says the Eletre is the first global SUV with an 800V architecture, for ultra-fast charging when connected to a 350kW public DC charger. Lotus claims the 350kW charger can provide a range of 400 km in just 20 minutes.
Eletre also supports 22kW AC home charging from the wall box.
While the battery pack size is yet to be confirmed, we do know it will have a capacity of “more than” 100kWh with output power starting at 442kW. For comparison, the three-engine Model X Plaid has a power output of 760kW and a range of 547km.
It is yet to be confirmed if the price around $200,000 is for the base Eletre with lower performance or if all variants of the Eletre will maintain the same acceleration performance and range.
At 5103mm long, 2231mm wide including mirrors, 1630mm tall and riding on a 3019mm wheelbase, the Eletre is just 50mm shorter from nose to tail compared to BMW X7and 231mm wider.
Lotus Australia has already received multiple deposits for the upcoming SUV and expects local models to launch in 2024.
