Lotus has revealed the much anticipated new plug-in hybrid version of its Eletre SUV, which will be badged in European markets as the ‘Eletre X’. 

​The Eletre was originally launched as an electric SUV back in 2022, the company’s first series production car not to be built at its Norfolk headquarters but rather, controversially for the storied British carmaker, in China. 

Sales have not been as strong as the company would have liked, so it has engineered this new version that combines a chunky battery with a petrol engine to try and appeal to rich folks with range anxiety. 

We don’t know the full specs of the new Eletre X because the car isn’t going to be fully launched on sale until June, with deliveries expected to take place in the UK at the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027. 

​Lotus has announced a Chinese version of the car called the ‘Lotus For Me’, which is perilously close to being a Chuckle Brothers special edition. The figures we have are for that car, and might change once the car is finalised for the European market. 

You’ll get a decent slug of range from the car despite it being a plug-in hybrid – Lotus says that the car is good for 217 miles of range. That’s thanks to a 70kWh, which is bigger than you’ll find in  most actual EVs. And surprisingly for such a big car it only comes with a 52-litre petrol tank. 

The battery uses 900V tech for ultra-fast charging – it’ll get from 20%–80% in nine minutes says the company. A 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine helps with getting around – total power output is 952hp, and Lotus reckons the car will manage the 0–62mph dash in 3.3 seconds. 

The engine and e-motor combo can run the car in EV mode, use the petrol engine as a range extender just to charge the battery up or use both petrol and electric motors to provide power where they’re needed. 

And that’s all Lotus has said so far – no word yet on pricing, etc, though we'd expect it to be around the £100,000 mark. Oh, just to add to the sense of profligacy in the car, we do know that the Nappa leather interior uses around 40 square metres of cow, or nine full hides. We won’t be expecting a Polestar-style full life sustainability assessment on this one. 

Check out all the other plug-in hybrids that are launching in 2026 here.