Ever since Lotus announced plans to introduce an SUV, we all knew that car was going to be a lot heavier than Norfolk's crop of sports cars. It became even more evident when the Geely-owned marque revealed the high-riding model was going to be purely electric. An educated guess told us it was going to be heavier than the Evija hypercar, which itself is quite the porker by Lotus standards since it tips the scales at 3,700 pounds (1,680 kilograms).
When the Eletre was finally revealed earlier this week, Lotus refrained from talking about its weight. We do know the black body parts are made from carbon fiber while the rest are constructed from lightweight aluminum. Additional weight-saving measures include the use of wool-blend fabric for the seat upholstery to cut 50 percent of fat compared to regular leather.
Lotus Eletre
According to a new report from Piston Heads, the engineers at Lotus are targeting a curb weight of 4,409 lbs (2,000 kg). That might not sound impressive, especially for a Lotus, but it would make it substantially lighter than segment rivals. For example, the Tesla Model X Plaid weighs a hefty 5,412 lbs (2,455 kg) while an Audi E-Tron S is even heavier, at 5,853 lbs (2,655 kg)
The substantial weight difference explains why the Eletre with "only" 600 hp can do 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in less than three seconds. Speaking of horsepower, a separate report from Top Gear magazine claims a more potent derivative with as much as 900 hp is planned. It's rumored to adopt a tri-motor setup by installing a second rear motor with 300 hp.
The range-topping Lotus SUV is believed to complete the sprint in "well below 2.5 seconds," which would make the 5.1-second Audi E-Tron S seem slow. At the same time, it would be a tad quicker than the Tesla Model X Plaid (2.6 seconds) as well. It is believed the Eletre with a trio of e-motors is scheduled to arrive in the next couple of years.
In the meantime, the zero-emissions Lotus on stilts will be in the hands of early adopters from China, Europe, and the UK from 2023. It's going to be built in China at a new factory erected by parent company Geely in Wuhan. Details about US availability will follow in due course.
