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Of all the automakers poised to go fully electric, Lotus was the one that left us scratching our heads the most. EVs today are heavy, and Lotus is supposed to build cars that are light. It’s also supposed to build cars that are, well, cars and not SUVs, but there’s a reason why Lotus’s last 15 years haven’t been quite as active as, say, Porsche’s.
Tastes evolve, and brands have to find a way to stay true to tradition while also recognizing that fact. Going entirely electric, though, seemed overboard for Lotus, which is perhaps why the British automaker is starting to walk that commitment back. Early next year, it’s expected to introduce a plug-in hybrid version of its Eletre SUV with over 900 horsepower. And after it lands in China first, it’ll be sold in Europe in the fall, Group Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng has confirmed via Autocar.
Right now, Lotus is envisioning three plug-in hybrid cars. One will be a smaller SUV that doesn’t have a name yet. And they’ll all utilize a 900-volt architecture that the company has dubbed “Hyper Hybrid” for allegedly near-instant charging.
The Lotus Eletre, which is very heavy and very un-Lotus-like. Kyle Cheromcha
We don’t know anything about the combustion-engine part of the hybrid equation, though it’s clear the Eletre has plenty of room to fit one, and Lotus has many partners—not to mention, Geely itself—from which to source a mill. In the big SUV’s case, Lotus predicts the entire hybrid setup should be good for 600 miles with a full battery and tank of gas. The existing Eletre EV gives up after around 315 miles.
All in all, this is probably a step in the right direction for Lotus. Though I’d be lying if I said that I’m deeply concerned for the company beyond the Emira’s continued existence. The Emira must be protected and its safety assured, at all costs.
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Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
