Neither simple nor light, here's why Lotus made the all-electric Eletre SUV

“Simplify, then add lightness.” That was the philosophy of Lotus Cars founder, Colin Chapman. Fast forward to 2022, Lotus has just unveiled an all-electric (EV) SUV called the Eletre.

No final figures have been announced, but Lotus says the Eletre has a power output “from 600 PS” and a battery capacity of more than 100 kWh with around 600 km range in a WLTP cycle.

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It sits on a dedicated EV platform with an 800-volt architecture that allows 300 kW DC fast charging, while the on-board charger supports up to 22 kW AC charging.

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The cabin fits four averaged-sized adults inside comfortably and has a 15.1-inch OLED screen taking centre stage of the dashboard. Materials in the cabin are chosen with sustainability in mind, with man-made microfibres and fabrics.

All very contemporatory, but not quite aligned with the brand philosophy of being simple and light.

SUVs aren’t known for being light, much less EVs. And with features such as air suspension, active roll stabilisation, torque vectoring, etc., the Lotus Eletre certainly isn’t simple. Yet, here we have a brand famed for building lightweight sports cars that debuted a two-plus-tonne fully-electric SUV.

This then, is the prime example of necessary evil because SUV is where the money is at. Porsche realised this long ago, and so have Lamborghini and Aston Martin who followed suit. 

More recently, there’s Ferrari who confirmed the existence of their upcoming SUV, widely reported to be called the Purosangue. Ferrari, whose designer Flavio Manzoni famously said “Never” because an SUV is not a Ferrari and the company won’t follow a trend. Well, as the saying goes, never say never Mr Manzoni.

With Geely now at the helm of Lotus, it’s obvious that Lotus – if they haven’t before – realised this as well. You can have all the principles about staying true to your brand philosophy but if they are in the way of making profits, there’s no chance of survival.

Lotus MD Matt Windle told TopGear.com, “If you want Lotus sportscars to be around forever, we’ve got to make money. And we haven’t been making money in the past, and that’s why we haven’t been able to invest in product.”

Colin Chapman would probably roll over in his grave if he saw an electric SUV wearing a Lotus badge, but Lotus will join him there if the company doesn’t take this route. So, the Eletre is not the car Lotus deserves to be mocked for, but one that it needs right now.