Luxury car brand Lotus has launched its own EV charging solutions including an ultra-fast 450kW DC charger, power cabinet and a modular unit for charging up to four vehicles at a time.
The company says it can add up to 88.5 miles to a vehicle in just five minutes. And the chargers won’t be locked to Lotus owners; they will be able to charge other EVs too.
The new suite of EV charging solutions designed for businesses (eg chargepoint operators, fleet providers and dealerships) includes:
• Liquid-Cooled All-in-One DC Charger: a new charger, which offers ultra-fast charging of up to 450kW. For example, with the Lotus Eletre R, it can add up to 88.5 miles or 142 km of range with approximately five minutes of charge. A 10% to 80% charge can be achieved in just 20 minutes with a range extension of 74 miles or 120 kilometres from a five-minute charge when using a 350 kW Rapid Charger.
• Liquid-Cooled Power Cabinet: a modular power cabinet that is suited for spaces that require high energy to increase efficiency and minimise charging time, such as motorway service areas. It offers power output capabilities of up to 480kW.
• Liquid-Cooled Charging Unit: a charging terminal which, when used with the Liquid-Cooled Power Cabinet, can charge up to four vehicles at once. The unit has a maximum current output of 600 Amp, which ensures it is able to meet the needs of all EV drivers.
Lotus says it is using liquid-cooled technologies to make it easier and quicker for EV drivers to charge their vehicles. Apparently the use of coolant allows for higher temperatures and therefore faster charging.
Lotus’ fast-charging solutions have already been deployed in China and are expected to roll out across the majority of European countries and the Middle East in Q2 2024.
Lotus says that as charging infrastructure improves over time, it is ensuring its customers are equipped by providing a 450kW solution. It says it has futureproofed its charging offering, which is expected to be the next step forward in fast charging when the infrastructure becomes readily available. Lotus customers will be able to easily upgrade to this power output without additional hardware costs once in-market service providers rollout grid upgrades.
Mike Johnstone, chief commercial officer at Lotus Group, said: “Over the past six years, Lotus has been investing in the technology and infrastructure to accelerate the transition to electrification. We want to make it easier than ever to own an EV and with our latest offerings, Lotus is able to provide customers with the confidence to access easy, fast, and efficient charging.”
Alan Wang, vice-president of Lotus Technology and CEO at Lotus Flash Charge, said: “As more governments are increasing investment into electrification in their journey to net zero, the demand for a reliable EV charging infrastructure has never been higher than before. Lotus has developed best-in-class fast charging solutions to deliver a quick and reliable charging experience to meet customer needs.”
The company launched its first electric hyper-SUV Eletre in 2022, with customer deliveries across UK, Europe and China taking place this year. More recently it launched Emeya, its next-generation electric hyper-GT.
Lotus has seen a huge demand for its products, with an orderbook of over 19,000 vehicles for its Emira sports car and Eletre hyper-SUV. The company has ramped up production this year, having had a record-breaking first half of 2023, and expects the full year to surpass all previous years.
