Lotus flailing in the new car market is about as groundbreaking as news that water is wet. But the best part about Lotus is that a series of owners resolutely refuse to give up on it. The latest effort from the British brand will be plug-in hybrids and the company has confirmed it plans to sell them in China as well as Europe. But it’s not clear if the new models will come to the US.
Lotus Hoping PHEV Will Help It Blossom
Rear quarter shot of a 2026 Lotus Emira TurboLotus
The days of Lotus as a lightweight sports car company are nearly over. The Emira is the last one of the line, and we’re not sure how much longer it will stick around at this point. The company’s latest owners had gone all-in on two electric vehicles, the Eletre SUV and the Emeya hatchback.
2025 Lotus Eletre front 3/4Lotus
With EV sales, especially of sports models, nowhere near expectations, Lotus is doing a pivot. It will start making plug-in hybrid versions of its current cars. Now we have more details about the upcoming plug-in Lotus vehicles.
The first new Lotus PHEV, expected to be based on the Eletre, will use a 900V electrical architecture. It will make around 900 horsepower and between the battery and gas tank, Lotus expects it to be able to drive more than 600 miles before tanking or charging up.
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CEO Feng Qingfeng talked about the new model on the company’s earnings call earlier this week. He said it would have air suspension and an active handling system he described as “ultimate handling.”
PHEV Could Offer Wider Appeal
2025 Lotus Emeya Cars On Track Front 3/4 ShotLotus
“The introduction of hybrid models offers more choice for luxury vehicle buyers and will help us expand into broader markets, including regions with slower EV adoption, such as Italy and Spain and Saudi Arabia,” said Feng. Other luxury brands, including Bentley, have found significant success with PHEV over EV models. Largely because they give buyers tax and congestion charge benefits without actually needing to be plugged in.
PHEVs over EVs also give Lotus some well-needed assistance in Europe. These Lotus models are built in China, and plug-in hybrids face much lower tariffs in the EU than full EVs do. Lotus will launch the PHEV in China in the first quarter of 2026. The European launch is expected later in the year.
2025 Lotus Eletre Yellow Rear Angled ViewLotus
After the plug-in Eletre there will be two more. One of those will be a smaller model expected in 2027. The company has also previously confirmed that it will turn the Emira sports car into a PHEV. It’s not clear how much battery the small car could hold, but we’ll find out in 2027.
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Toyota and Hyundai think they’ve found the right balance of usable range without a crazy-heavy battery for new PHEVs.
Lotus has not revealed details about the engine it plans to use with its new Hyper Hybrid system, though we expect a powerful turbocharged four-cylinder. Currently, Lotus sources a 2.0-liter four from Mercedes-AMG as well as a 3.5-liter V6 from Toyota. Parent company Geely has several engines to choose from should Lotus look in that direction, including Volvo’s 2.0-liter four with hybrid system that is already sold in Europe and the US.
Source: Lotus, Autocar
