Peter Lyon
November 28, 2023
Tesla will soon have a rival to its Superchargers. In news coming out of the U.K. today, Lotus just announced that it will launch a super-rapid charging network, with its first European sites due to start operation around the middle of 2024.
The brand’s flagship Lotus Eletre R will be able to charge about 90 miles of range in “approximately 5 minutes” using these chargers which are rated at up to 450kW. Just to put things in perspective, if you were to use so-called “quick chargers” in some other countries, like Japan for example, that boasts around 50kW of charging capacity, then it would take around 30 minutes to add about 50 miles of range.
Tesla’s ‘V3’ Superchargers can charge at up to 250kW at present with new ‘V4’ chargers just coming into service in certain locations across the U.S. that promise to offer up to 615kW in the near future.
The first Lotus chargers are already online in China, and starting in Q2 2024, they should be made available in the “majority of European countries.” Further market availability, according to Lotus, will be revealed when ready.”
“As more governments increase their investment into electrification in their journey to net-zero, the demand for a reliable EV charging infrastructure has never been higher than before,” stated Alan Wang, Vice-President of Lotus Technology and CEO of Lotus Flash Charge. In order to satisfy client demands, Lotus says they have created best-in-class rapid charging solutions that offer a dependable and timely charging experience.
It’s unclear at this time if the network will accommodate all vehicle types or just the rapidly growing fleet of Lotus EVs. Just one EV – the Eletre SUV – has debuted so far but the Emeya electric GT was recently revealed, and there are strong rumors of a smaller SUV model on the horizon. Lotus tells us it is set to become an EV-only brand by 2028.
Lotus has unveiled a “Liquid-Cooled Power Cabinet,” which will function in tandem with its high-power chargers, in addition to its intended public network. In conjunction with Lotus’s “Liquid-Cooler Charging Unit,” which has the capacity to charge up to four electric cars at once, this configuration will allow sites to supply peak power during periods of high demand.
OUR THOUGHTS
In a world where most major auto manufacturers have opted to use Tesla’s Superchargers over the coming years, it’s great to see a rival company like Lotus putting in serious effort and investment to create a viable quick-charging option. Because 450kW capacity is a very serious charger in the world of quick chargers. The question everyone will be asking is whether Lotus will allow rival carmakers to use its sites. Let’s hope so.
