Lotus ditches all-electric plans, launches 939bhp Eletre X-hybrid
Lotus has confirmed its new electrified X-hybrid powertrain will debut in 939bhp Lotus Eletre X
In late 2024 we were told by Lotus that it would introduce a new kind of hybrid system for its Eletre SUV in 2026, to appeal to buyers still sceptical of electric. It has now delivered on that promise, with the reveal of its X-hybrid powertrain, set to appear in the UK in the Eletre X.
While known as the Lotus For Me in the Chinese market, Lotus has since confirmed via social media, the Eletre X name for the European and UK market. The hybrid Eletre will debut first China at the end of March, before arriving in Europe this summer and then UK shores in 2027.
The X-hybrid system, which was originally referred to as ‘hyper hybrid’ when we were first told about it, incorporates what Lotus refers to as an 201bhp ‘on-board generator system’. While unspecified by Lotus UK, Chinese market models of this car are powered by a 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.
The engine primarily serves as a means to charge the 70kWh battery pack. Motivation is still provided by an electric motor situated on each of the axles, fed by that 70kWh battery and wired up with a 900-volt electrical architecture. Total system power and torque output is said to be 939bhp and 690lb ft, allowing 0-62mph in just 3.3sec and 0-124mph in 10.5sec. Curiously, it also confirms a low-power 0-62mph time – 3.5sec when the battery is at 10 per cent charge.
The 70kW battery is also claimed to feature an ultra-high discharge rate, which essentially informs the 939bhp and 690lb ft figures – that’s what the battery can get the motors to produce at maximum discharge, with your foot to the floor. In spite of its performance, Lotus also claims that a fully charged, fully fuelled Eletre X will be good for over 750 miles of range. On the battery alone, it’s claimed the Eletre X will cover 218 miles.
You can charge the Eletre X as you would any other EV by plugging it in, with Chinese market details stating a 30-80 per cent juice-up is achievable in as little as eight minutes. The 30-80 per cent charge window is also where the combustion engine will ‘aim’ to keep the battery, Lotus calling it the ‘high efficiency’ range. It can make that 30-80 per cent charge-up in 90 minutes, even at sustained speeds of up to 75mph. The generator can also be used to quickly condition the battery for the most efficiency in extreme conditions, with 4-minute extreme cold battery wake-up. The system can intelligently shift between its modes based on requirements, with EV, series (electric motor only) and parallel (engine-augmented) powertrain settings.
The Eletre X has been a co-development between Lotus’s Chinese and UK-based operations, the former handling this new powertrain and the latter focusing on chassis and dynamics. It's probably safe to speculate that a version of this system will make its way into the Emeya at some point too.
The Eletre X will retain the Eletre’s 48-volt active anti-roll system, dual-camber air suspension and dual-valve dampers. It’ll also get a set of 412mm brake discs and six-piston calipers at the front to stop the thing. No weight figure is given as yet. Nonetheless we can infer that the drop in battery size from 112kWh down to 70kWh should give a rough 250kg window to fit the generator system (including fuel tank) within. The Eletre X shouldn’t therefore change in weight too much compared to the existing Eletre range, which spans 2490-2540kg.
