Lotus launches ultra-luxe ‘Carbon’ variant of its Eletre hyper-SUV in North America

Less than five months after opening Eletre orders in North America, Lotus has debuted a new variant of the hyper-SUV called the Eletre Carbon. This carbon fiber-clad luxury spin on an already premium BEV offers swanky new interiors, sleek exterior paint, and some (slightly) improved performance – all for a significant jump in price compared to the other Eletre trims.

We had been anticipating the arrival of the Lotus Eletre since 2021, when the Geely-owned hypercar developer announced plans to go all-electric by 2028, beginning with an E-segment SUV called “Type 132.”

That codename would eventually evolve in the Eletre, which debuted in March 2022 before production began in China ahead of deliveries overseas. This past April, Lotus began taking Eletre orders in North America, bringing the hyper-SUV closer to US and Canadian roads.

Today, however, Lotus has announced a third variant called the Eletre Carbon, which is available to North American customers to customize and order beginning today.

The exterior features a new “Stardust” black color with a satin finish, exclusive to Lotus Eletre Carbon, as well as the option for ten piston 420mm carbon ceramic brakes. Inside the cabin, customers will be able to choose from three new Bridge of Weir leather interiors with a “dynamic quilting design” – black, light grey, or dark brown (see below).

In terms of performance specs, the new Carbon variant essentially matches the Lotus Eletre R variant that originally launched last year. Lotus says the Eletre Carbon will offer 280 miles of range, a 0-60mph acceleration time of 2.95 seconds, and max power of 675kW (905 horsepower).

When it originally opened Eletre orders in North America, it said the R variant can recharge 10-80% in 20 minutes in a 350kW DC fast chargers, but said the new Carbon version can do so in 18 minutes.

Other features in the the Lotus Electre Carbon include five massage modes, three ambient lighting functions that communicate intuitively with the driver, door soft close function, and an advanced intelligent panoramic glass roof that can be switched between opaque and clear.

As previously mentioned, the Lotus Eletre Carbon is on sale in North America beginning today and starts at a price of $229,900 (CAD $313,500). For comparison, that’s almost $85,000 more than the previous top-tier trim, the Eletre R (MSRP USD $145,000 / CAD $178,500).

Customer deliveries are expected to begin in Q1 2025.