Lotus officially launches new 950hp plug-in hybrid
Is a new 2.0-litre Eletre PHEV for you? In China, Lotus is adamant it should be For Me...
It seems like a very long time ago that Lotus proclaimed the Emira to be its last combustion-engined car, that the future was electric and the EV pairing of Emeya and Eletre were exactly the right cars at the right time. To be fair to them, lots of manufacturers made similarly misguided claims that they’re now furiously rowing back on; it’s just that Lotus began from a position of selling not many cars already. Adding new models that also didn’t prove popular was a real problem.
Now, having been hinted at a couple of years ago, we have the first details of the Hyper Hybrid powertrain that aims to rejuvenate the success of both the EVs. Information on European specs is scarce for the moment, though the new 950hp model will be sold under a distinct ‘For Me’ brand in China. Presumably that won’t happen here, but the combination of a 2.0-litre engine with a whopping great 80kWh battery will. This isn’t so much an engine lent a hand by electricity as a huge battery with an internal combustion sidekick. For reference, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid utilises a 25.9kWh battery; there are dedicated EVs that go a long way (think BMW i4, with 81.3kWh) that have similar-sized batteries to the hybrid Lotus Eletre.
So it’s a different take on the plug-in conundrum, that’s for sure. God knows what an SUV with both an engine and a battery sizeable enough for separate cars in their own right will weigh, but it does at least mean that the Lotus offers up range for days. Literal days, in fact, because there’s a maximum claim of 880 miles, which is enough to compete with your local cabbie’s Superb TDI. There’s no word yet on efficiency (don’t get your hopes up), though there will at least be no complaints about how far this electrified car can travel. You’d hope.
According Autocar's coverage, there are 220 EV miles available on the Chinese CLTC test, which is typically more generous than the WLTP score; expect something closer to 180 for the European homologation. Still another league from anything else comparable (the aforementioned Cayenne, for example, officially offers 42-45 miles WLTP Estimated All-Electric Range). Super duper charging ability should see 30 to 80 per cent replenished (the usual 10-80 figure hasn’t been published) in eight minutes.
The Lotus hybrid setup combines a pair of synchronous motors for each axle with a 2.0-litre turbo engine. While the latter sounds good for minimising weight, it’s hardly going to be a bastion of combustion-powered excitement against V8-powered rivals. Just look how performance-focused four-cylinder hybrids have fared already. Part of the reason some haven’t moved to EVs is the emotion of an engine, which doesn’t exactly seem guaranteed with a unit boasting half the capacity and cylinders of cars like the Urus and BMW XM. Both of which you can bet Lotus would like to steal some sales from.
So there are still some gaps to fill in as far as the Eletre PHEV goes, but both it and the Emeya equivalent surely can’t come soon enough for an ailing Lotus. For the moment, plug-in hybrids look to be the technology most suitable for both customer demand and regulatory conformity, and Lotus could really do with some of the former. What it means for the EV lineup over here is also another TBC; with the range said to be on offer by the hybrid, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were replaced entirely. Let’s see. But you can certainly bet on plenty more Lotus PHEV news later in 2026 - there’s an Emira to make Euro compliant as well…
This lotus is obvs an extreme interpretation of this but the new volvo xc70 is more in the sensible mould: 100 mile electic and 1.5l engine.
And combined with what will probably be a nasty sounding 4-pot.
dross.
The range is approx 180 miles on electric only, but nearly 900 miles if you add the ICE. It would be a good car to use for drives into Europe where you can sit for 130KPH for hours on end with minimal traffic (which is ideal for an ICE efficiency but kills range on a BEV).
This is a 5.1m long 2.6 tonne SUV, with an engine (albeit a small one), an 80kWh battery, and 950 hp.
That's a similar weight to:
Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid / Lamborghini Urus SE (smaller cars, bigger engines, much smaller batteries, over 100hp less, about 100 kg less)
Range Rover Sport SV (smaller car, bigger engine, no battery or electric motors, 15 kg less)
A Merc EQS SUV 580 is about 400kg heavier, has 400 less hp, a 50% bigger battery, and no range extender.
I guess what I'm saying is, this is the Lotus of big fat heavily electrified SUVs.
Given how bloated these awful beasts are it should influence the philosophy of those living a bit now, too.
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