Practical test in the far north: The new Lotus Eletre stays cool

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Pekka Kaartinen frowned. It remains to look at the sky, where thick snowflakes are falling and being spun by a strong wind. “It’s so hot. Almost like spring,” the light-blue-eyed native murmurs and shakes his head. Temperatures actually hover around freezing but feel significantly lower due to strong winds. This phenomenon is also known as the windchill effect. A bit of a struggle with our fate We are, after all, about 250 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle and want to put the Lotus Eletre S to a cold test. We would prefer significantly cooler temperatures.

Anyway: it is what it is. We lift our luggage over the high loading threshold into the rear trunk; Under the front hood we find another small storage compartment, for example for the charging cable. Then we get behind the wheel of the electric hyper SUV and make ourselves comfortable. We notice that the once very British brand’s vehicles now come from China and are manufactured by Geely; The most important reason for this is the huge 15.1-inch touch screen and the electric assistants in the car sounding the alarm very hastily and hurriedly. We also notice that the seating position is too high and we miss the reassuring side support of the seat bolsters that stabilize you when cornering.

187 kilometers in snow and ice

Our test drive takes us from Saariselkä in Finland to Karasjok in Norway. This is 187 kilometers. It seems like child’s play for an electric car with 612 hp (450 kW) and a gross battery capacity of 112 kilowatt hours (kWh). But when it comes to snow-covered areas, power doesn’t help much. Other capabilities, such as traction and performance in cold environments, are also required.

At the beginning of the test drive, the screen shows a 98 percent charge level and a range of 493 kilometers. We fit winter tires similar to those commonly used in Switzerland. Experienced locals prefer softer, thicker tires that grip the snow better. Many even have spikes in profile; It is only allowed here from 1 November to 30 April and only up to a maximum speed of 80 km/h and not on the motorway, with a few exceptions. The difference between different tires soon becomes clear to us during our winter journey.

excellent grip

Conditions are not easy at all. Since it had rained in the previous days, thin layers of ice had formed in various places. Mirror-smoothness would be an exaggeration, as the Lotus Eletre’s control systems rarely have to intervene. Also because we move the steering wheel as precisely as possible. The 2.5-tonne electric SUV’s all-wheel drive always provides excellent grip, even under these conditions. If the stability control ESP or ABS still need to intervene, they do so calmly and smoothly and never make us sweat.

But the route is challenging. Because reindeer, elk and foxes have the right of way here and consider the street their living room. We obey speed limits and watch closely to make sure one of the animals doesn’t suddenly jump out of the bush. The locals used their home advantage like ice and passed us. Our extra horsepower and modern technology simply cannot make up for the advantage of local knowledge and studded tires. And we ask ourselves: Do people here have radar for wildlife, or do they just not care?

Nobody loads faster

We will soon reach the Norwegian border. Our Lotus Eletre S is running great. We especially love the quietness of the interior. About an hour later we arrived at our destination in Karasjok. The red Tesla logo shines at us from afar during the Scandinavian winter night. We also need to draw energy from American charging stations with our British-Chinese Lotus. Because the vehicle computer shows us the need for charging.

After traveling 187 kilometers at a speed that rarely exceeded 100 km/h, the charge level dropped to 48 percent and the remaining range automatically calculated by the system dropped to 241 kilometers. When it comes to consumption, the on-board computer reports 29.8 kWh/100 km; That’s 7.8 kWh/100 km more than Lotus stated. As a result, despite its complex air conditioning mechanisms, the Lotus Eletre’s batteries are also affected by the energy-sapping cold phenomenon to which all electric vehicles are subjected; but less than most competing models. In cold comparison testing by the Norwegian motoring association NAF, the Eletre performed well, with a range loss of 12.3 percent, and came third out of 17 tested electric cars sold by us. Priced at just over 96,000 francs, Eletre deserves top marks; The price of the better equipped Eletre S starts from 120,699 francs including charging. The electric SUV surpasses even the new Porsche Taycan by achieving this record-breaking speed with a theoretical fast charger of up to 350 kilowatts.

Source: Blick