$50,000 price hack! Now the 2024 Lotus Eletre electric hyper-SUV only costs $190,000…

May 23, 2024May 19, 2024 John Mahoney 8716 Views Eletre, ev, lotus, SUV

Lotus Cars Australia has slashed the price of its incoming 2024 Lotus Eletre by as much as $49,010 from the originally advertised price.

It’s the latest example of the tumble in prices for electric vehicles that has included brands as varied as Peugeot, Renault, Polestar, Nissan and – of course – Tesla.

However, the Eletre range still starts at a hefty $189,990 plus on-road costs.

No explicit reasons have been given for the drastic price cut ahead of deliveries in late 2024 but the British car-maker has revealed feedback that Australian consumers were said to place little value in the inclusion of LiDAR.

“Most consumers doubt autonomous driving will be seen anytime soon in Australia and didn’t want to be paying for hardware they won’t be using,” said Lotus Cars Australia.

LiDAR hardware has now been removed as standard equipment for the base Lotus Eletre, although there’s now a free panoramic roof, comfort seat pack (five seats) and Akoya White paint included.

For those who want the most advanced semi-autonomous cruise, LiDAR can be added back in as part of a new Highway Assist Option pack but pricing has not been announced.

As well as slashing the price of the base car, the mid-spec Lotus Eletre S is now priced from $229,990 (plus ORCs) – $39,010 cheaper than before.

Whether you opt for the Eletre or Eletre S both versions come with a 450kW/710Nm dual-motor powertrain that provides all-wheel drive and can launch from 0-100km/h in just 4.5 seconds.

All variants, including the flagship Eletre R come with a 112kWh battery and 800-volt electrical architecture that allows ultra-fast DC charging.

All models also feature a 22kW onboard charger for AC top-ups.

At the top of the tree the Lotus Eletre R also sees a healthy price drop of $35,010 with prices falling from $315,000 to $279,990 for the ‘Hyper GT’ that is claimed to be capable of a 2.95sec 0-100km/h sprint.

Lotus has confirmed that the price revisions will be applied to customer cars that have already been built and that new customers will soon be able to place a refundable deposit to secure a slot in the build queue for the MY25 Eletre, either online or via Lotus dealers in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Once introduced, all Lotus Eletre models will be backed by a five-year/100,000km warranty, plus eight-year/200,000km cover for the high-voltage battery.