Lotus is bidding farewell to internal combustion engines with the Emira sports car being the last ICE model from Norfolk. The Geely-owned brand has committed to go all-electric by 2028, starting with the Eletre SUV and Emeya sedan. A smaller crossover and a zero-emission sports car are also in the plans. To support its growing EV portfolio, the British brand is introducing multiple charging solutions.

Addressing charging anxiety, Lotus has developed a liquid-cooled DC charger capable of delivering 450 kilowatts of power. Charging the Eletre R for just five minutes will provide over 88 miles of range. For comparison, Tesla’s Supercharger V3 replenishes the battery for 75 miles of range in the same time while a Hyundai Ioniq 5 gives you 62 miles.

The liquid-cooled DC charger allows the Eletre R to charge from 10 to 80 percent in 20 minutes at 450 kW. At 350 kW, it can extend the range by 74 miles in five minutes. This robust charger is complemented by a power cabinet, also liquid-cooled, designed for rest areas along highways. Furthermore, Lotus has produced a charging unit capable of supporting up to four EVs simultaneously.

These high-power charging solutions are already operational in China and will be rolled out in Europe and the Middle East in the second quarter of 2024. Additional countries outside of these regions will be added later.

Lotus is part of the Geely empire, which also includes Polestar under the same corporate umbrella. Polestar is cooperating with StoreDot to develop a faster charging solution that would add 100 miles of range in five minutes, known as extreme fast charging (XFC). The technology is currently undergoing testing, with engineers claiming it won’t cause battery degradation.