► New Lotus Eletre X range extender announced
► Powertrain claims 940bhp and 746-mile range
► Launches as Eletre ‘For Me’ in China first, Europe later
Lotus has announced the Eletre X – the first of its range extender versions that are being implemented in its current range of luxury cars. Lotus calls the technology ‘X-hybrid’ and it combines a high-capacity EV platform with a combustion engine.
The Eletre X powertrain combines a 70kWh battery pack and a 900-volt electrical architecture, combined with a 150kW on-board generator to help keep the battery charged on the move. Two e-motors and permanent all-wheel drive enables zero delay for power to be deployed to the road.
Lotus claims some wild performance figures, including a total system power figure of 940bhp, a 0-62mph time of 3.3 seconds and a 0-124mph sprint over with in 10.5 seconds. As for range, the Lotus Cars UK website claims a ‘1200+ km’ claimed total range, meaning north of 746 miles could be possible.
The decision comes as demand for the Eletre and Emeya electric models has slowed to a trickle, with the Lotus Cars brand making use of Geely Auto Group powertrain technology to get a range extender model on the market quickly. It is likely that the Emeya four-door will benefit from an X hybrid version soon, too.
The model is labelled as the Eletre For Me in its launch market, China, with a European rollout confirmed for the summer of 2026.
Jake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR's Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake's day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR's news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he's not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he's usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.
By Jake Groves
CAR's news editor; gamer, trainer freak and serial Lego-ist
