Chinese-made Lotus Eletre electric SUV set for US at $229,900

The Lotus Eletre EV is still scheduled to reach the U.S., with deliveries set to start in the first quarter of 2025. But the Chinese-made electric SUV is seeing a major price hike due to new U.S. tariffs.

Lotus on Thursday confirmed that the Eletre Carbon launch model will start at $229,900. The announced price is effectively double what was originally announced—an indication Lotus is willing to swallow little if any of the additional 100% tariff on Chinese-made EVs in the interest of brand-building or building out U.S. sales.

Lotus Eletre Carbon

At 201 inches long, it’s longer than a Range Rover and just 6 inches shorter than the Hummer EV SUV—two vehicles costing much less—but four-wheel steering should help with maneuverability. A standard dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain produces 905 hp and 727 lb-ft of torque. The output, along with an estimated 0-62 mph time of 2.9 seconds and top speed of 165 mph, is standard fare for today’s high-performance premium-brand EVs.

However the Eletre stands out for its 350-kw DC fast-charging and claims of 20-minute charging of its rather large 112-kwh battery pack. Lotus has shown corresponding fast-charging hardware good for up to 450 kw at the connector—much more than most EVs can handle. EPA range figures aren’t available yet, but Lotus estimates 254-280 miles on the European WLTP testing cycle.

Lotus Eletre Carbon

Lotus, which supplied its Elise as the basis for the original Tesla Roadster while Tesla engineered the battery and propulsion system and more, has also been working on a new battery-packaging platform set to underpin a smaller, lighter sports car for later in the decade.

The Lotus Emeya sedan is set to follow the Eletre, and will face off with the Porsche Taycan, Lucid Air Sapphire, Tesla Model S Plaid, and others. But based on this pricing recalibration it too may be especially rare.