900-HP Lotus Eletre Coming To Destroy Model X Plaid

Mar. 31, 2022 8:54 AM ET by Nikesh Kooverjee Rumor / 16 Comments

That's sure to make a statement in the performance SUV segment.

A clear advantage of electric mobility is that you can extract an obscene amount of power. While an Aston Martin DBX707 uses two turbos, eight cylinders, and 4.0 liters to generate 697 horsepower, a Tesla Model X Plaid generates 1,020 hp from three electric motors and doesn't have to worry about altitude affecting outputs. So it was strange that the Lotus Eletre was revealed this week, touted as a 'hyper SUV' with a basic power output of only 591 hp. As it turns out, that's because 591 hp is just the beginning for the Eletre EV SUV, as a higher-performance derivative is coming with an extra motor and a lot more power.

Per a new report from Top Gear, a new high-performance Eletre variant will be arriving in a few years' time. This derivative will eschew a dual-motor design in favor of a tri-motor setup generating an extra 50% more power. That'll place outputs circa 900 hp, and with an electric motor on either rear wheel, additional torque vectoring capabilities will help put that all to good use.

Considering that with only 600 horsepower (give or take, as final outputs haven't been confirmed), the Eletre can sprint from 0-62 mph in a claimed 2.9 seconds, the extra motor could have big benefits. The Tesla Model X Plaid, for example, has 1,020 hp from a tri-motor setup, but can only hit 62 mph in 2.6 seconds. Not far off that already, a 50% gain in power could see the Eletre truly attain hypercar status among SUVs.

While Lotus has not declared a curb weight for the Eletre, it must be a relative lightweight compared to the likes of the Plaid in order to achieve the claimed sprint time it does. With a battery pack of more than 100 kWh in capacity, it's similar to the Plaid in this regard, so the secret must be in Lotus's new Electric Premium Architecture. Already equipped with adaptive damping, active rear-wheel steering and roll bars, and brake-controlled torque vectoring, the Eletre looks like it has been set up to meet the standards set by the company's sports cars. With more power, there's no telling what it could achieve.

The Eletre is the most revolutionary product that we have seen from Lotus as it acts as its first-ever EV and SUV at the same time. With this introduction, Lotus is making an aggressive start to a global market that is sure to be wildly competitive with manufacturers from all corners of the world preparing performance EVs with terrifying power claims.

Source Credits: Top Gear

900-HP Lotus Eletre Coming To Destroy Model X Plaid

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