Lotus is in a rough spot with a weird line-up of a couple heavy EV-only luxury models, and a single combustion-powered lightweight sports car. The company also knows it needs to change some things. The first thing on the list is offering plug-in hybrid variants of its cars, rather than just electric or just combustion. We’re not sure if that’s the core issue for the brand, but that’s a topic for another day. The first of the brand’s plug-in hybrids will apparently be the Eletre SUV. That’s according to Car News China, which found government documents for the new model. It also seems as though it won’t sacrifice any performance.
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It’s Even More Powerful
Car News China reported that the documents didn’t have many specifics about the powertrain, except that it will feature a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder alongside its electric motors. This engine will apparently produce 279 horsepower, which is a very small amount compared with the 952 combined horses the news outlet reports the whole powertrain will produce. We’re curious what engine is being used. Lotus uses a Mercedes-AMG 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the Emira, but that engine makes 406 hp, so this definitely isn’t the same, though it could be a different Mercedes unit.
2025 Lotus Eletre front 3/4Lotus
That leads us to believe that the engine will mostly just be a range extender, and this plug-in hybrid Eletre will still probably have a huge battery pack to ensure the motors get enough juice. Supporting that is the fact that the documents also reported curb weights of more than 6,700 pounds. Interestingly, at 952 hp, this hybrid will actually make more power than the regular EV, which makes “just” 905 hp. Time will tell if it manages to match the claimed 2.95-second 0 to 60 mph sprint of the purely electric model, as well as the 165-mph top speed. We won’t have to wait long, either, as Car News China reports the hybrid will be revealed in January.
2025 Lotus Eletre rear 3/4Lotus
Lotus Has Other PHEVs Coming
The Eletre is just the first hybrid coming from Lotus. The company previously announced it will launch three of them. So, with the Eletre down, that leaves two others to suss out. The Emeya hatchback seems like a safe bet since it shares the same electric powertrain as the electric Eletre, so why wouldn’t it get the same hybrid powertrain?
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The third one is a bit surprising: the Emira. Lotus previously confirmed it would keep the combustion-powered sports car around, and that it would gain a plug-in hybrid powertrain for 2027. We’re expecting that model to still have similarities to the current model, so it will likely still rely on its combustion engine for primary power, rather than electric motors. That could also mean it won’t have enormous batteries and will still remain relatively light and more Lotus-like than the EV models.
2026 Lotus Emira V6Lotus
It’s not clear if the plug-in hybrid Eletre will go on sale in the U.S. Having a little more choice in powertrain could be appealing to some customers. The U.S. has a 102% tariff on Chinese-built EVs, which applies to the electric Eletre, but the hybrid version might be able to dodge it. As such, it could potentially be much more affordable than the EV version, which is only available in the U.S. in the Carbon trim that has an MSRP of $229,900 and has a destination charge of $3,000. At the same time, this hybrid will have a combustion engine, and that will need to meet U.S. emissions regulations, which could be expensive.
Source: Car News China
