Lotus Unveils New Eletre Hyper SUV

Electric and self-driving cars are starting to make real waves in the automotive industry, and their progression looks set to continue for the next 5-10 years. Electric car sales in the UK have more than doubled in the years between 2017 and 2020, and that progression looks to skyrocket over the next few years. Car companies such as Tesla and Hyundai have been pioneering the electric car industry over the past 5 years, with the former recently opening factories in Europe along with a Gigafactory in Texas. Lotus is the latest company jumping on the bandwagon with the release of their latest SUV the Eletre Hyper SUV. But what makes this car even more special is the autonomous driving technology being developed by Lotus.

Next-Gen Auto Technology

Lotus has always been an iconic British car brand and its longevity in the market is set to continue as they seek to develop the next-gen in SUV technology. The Eletre is a battery-electric car with over 800-V in electric architecture. The two electric motors fitted to each axle of the vehicle produce over 600 horsepower which allows the Eletre to hit 95km/h in under 3 seconds. The car is expected to cost a pretty penny, which obviously means it might not be financially feasible for everyone to attain, but the price is excited to drop in time, which will make it more affordable to the general public.

A Multi-Feature Vehicle

The Eletre is true to its SUV roots, and it has four different drive modes, one of which is off-road. The car is the perfect modern SUV as it’s suited to urban and rural areas, showing great capabilities on both narrow city roads and the open roads of the countryside. The Eletre SUV also has dually truck capabilities, even though, by the strict definition, it is not classed as a dually truck. The typical strengths and convenience of a dually truck are attributed to its power and ability to off-road easily, and tow heavy loads, which makes them perfect for people in the construction industry. The Eletre SUV has some of the features of a dually truck, while still maintaining the ability to function perfectly in all other situations.

Autonomous Driving Tech in Development

The Eletre SUV will be produced in Wuhan, China in the late stages of 2022 and Lotus have been excited to speak about the self-driving technology they hope to perfect for release. Serino Angellotti, Head of Electronic and Software integration emphasised his belief that intelligent driving can be combined with cars for the driver. He went on to state that the Eletre will provide drivers with the best SUV performance ever, for when they feel like driving, but that the car can also take over in situations where the driver does not feel like driving – such as a traffic jam.

Staying Within The Law

Lotus has stated that its autonomous technology will only go as far as the regulations will allow. This underlines the company’s ambitions when it comes to being the frontrunner in the next generation of vehicle innovation.