Lotus Eletre

[MPx]

On 07/10/2023 at 16:25, exeterjeep said:

Went in today, booked for the 9th. 

Well done Keith - hope its a good one.  Sadly I had to cancel mine today.  F has been Covid positive for the last week or so and this morning I tested positive too.  B****r!  Our first go at Covid, F does most of the interfacing with the great unwashed while I stay at home so she was always more in the firing line but we've gotten away with it for three years.  I guess once its in the house its hard to avoid although I know Bibbo has a couple of times.  

[exeterjeep]

But you can rebook with the Hendy team when you are better. I wonder how the parking there will cope with the Lotus guys/all those Eletre and visitors cars.

[C8RKH]

They'll also need the EV "safe space" in case of fire I presume. I think all garages that work on EV's now need one, but, I may be wrong.

[exeterjeep]

On 08/10/2023 at 18:22, MPx said:

Well done Keith - hope its a good one

My thoughts on the shortish drive I had today in the Eletre.

This being the first time I have driven any EV, it is only possible to compare to the cars we actually have.
 
Performance – very easy to exceed the speed limit (eg in the 30's), very quick going from 60 and up to 90+ (on my own private road of course..) Very quiet, remarkably it somehow feels smaller than its actual size, but I chickened out reverse parking it back at the end of the drive.
Handling is better than the wife’s RR, but certainly not as sharp/precise as the Evora (as expected). Do even prefer the feel of my MG ZR on the road. Visibility was better than I had feared and possibly better the the RR, but always concerned about its size and things like parked cars/busses at bus stops etc

On my local roads there are loads of parts with no/poor road markings, causing a lot of beeps and had a warning triangle come up a couple of times – but did not know why. Seems you can turn these safety features off, but this would need doing each time. MG 4 owners (and others) have experienced this. All to do with the NCAP ratings.
Adjustment of the mirrors is not easy as the switch is difficult to access at the furthest end of the switch panel. Faffing about to change right/left- others vehicles have a better set up. Did not have a play with the screen settings, think it would take an hour or so to go through the options. I prefer the manual/old fashioned switches.
Had a few mins in sports mode, at the speeds I was at, the only noticeable thing was the seat squeezing you tighter. Should have spent a bit longer getting a more comfortable seating setting, that may have improved the feeling of controlling the car. Did not play with the regen.

Did not look closely at the interior quality etc as had seen this when I sat in one previously.
Overall, it’s too big for us, but gives me hope that Lotus could make the 134 smaller SUV a possibility.

 

[exeterjeep]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310122921319

First real one for sale?

Says..

Selling because the wife don't like it and already caught an alloy !!

[Rambo]

It's always the wife's fault. It's the default position. Maybe she didn't know where the "park and assist button" was 🤣

[C8RKH]

What's your default position? 🤭 Remember variety is the spice of wife.

[Rambo]

Terrible photo's too. I suppose that was the wife's fault as well?

PS the default position is "wife on top" 😉

[aquiss]

On 13/10/2023 at 09:05, exeterjeep said:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310122921319

First real one for sale?

Says..

Selling because the wife don't like it and already caught an alloy !!

Looks like the 123K asking price, has now been lowered to 113K

His wife really must not like it! 

[exeterjeep]

And now a series of Eletre base and S's and R's on AT listed by the factory.  All seem to be at the expected list price, choice of colours.

Cancelled orders?

Available from just these dealers.. 

This is your nearest collection point
Exeter
5 miles away
Lotus Exeter

Bristol
71 miles away
Lotus Bristol

Eastleigh
101 miles away
Lotus Southampton

Solihull
138 miles away
Lotus Birmingham

Ashford
201 miles away
Lotus Kent

Colchester
215 miles away
Lotus Essex

Bradford
227 miles away
Lotus Bradford

Hamilton
350 miles away
Lotus Glasgow

[aquiss]

Not sure if Cancelled...I saw them to and my thoughts were Lotus have loaded those on themselves as a way to stop those buying very early cars really milking it in by selling them on at inflated prices, by putting these out at baseline cost out to market.

[Rambo]

On 14/10/2023 at 11:35, aquiss said:

Looks like the 123K asking price, has now been lowered to 113K

His wife really must not like it! 

At that kind of money I'd expect that "the wife" to have paid for the alloy to be refurbished.

[exeterjeep]

58 minutes ago, Rambo said:

At that kind of money I'd expect that "the wife" to have paid for the alloy to be refurbished.

perhaps should refurbish the wife, probably cost a lot more.

[Bravo73]

On 15/10/2023 at 12:23, Rambo said:

At that kind of money I'd expect that "the wife" to have paid for the alloy to be refurbished.

I would also expect a picture of said alloy to appear in the ad… 🧐

[Bibs]

#ForTheDrivers

I guess using the brake pedal is a little too much to ask!! 

[Frickin_idiot]

I’m sure that some people are simply looking for things to complain about. Perhaps he should stick to his VW.

[exeterjeep]

7 hours ago, Bibs said:

I guess using the brake pedal is a little too much to ask!! 

He just needs to use a taxi, save him from enjoying the driving experience of the Eletre or a Lotus. Must admit I felt it was a bit strange driving the Eletre, do prefer a 'normal' petrol one - the feel is much better.

[Rambo]

8 hours ago, Bibs said:

#ForTheDrivers

I guess using the brake pedal is a little too much to ask!! 

Who gives a Vukovic about "recuperation"? Stretch you leg muscles and use the brake VVS !

[JB]

On 14/10/2023 at 12:54, exeterjeep said:

And now a series of Eletre base and S's and R's on AT listed by the factory.  All seem to be at the expected list price, choice of colours.

Cancelled orders?

Available from just these dealers.. 

This is your nearest collection point
Exeter
5 miles away
Lotus Exeter

Bristol
71 miles away
Lotus Bristol

Eastleigh
101 miles away
Lotus Southampton

Solihull
138 miles away
Lotus Birmingham

Ashford
201 miles away
Lotus Kent

Colchester
215 miles away
Lotus Essex

Bradford
227 miles away
Lotus Bradford

Hamilton
350 miles away
Lotus Glasgow

Available at any dealer/agent to be honest. They have built more cars to fulfil the 'I want it now' brigade and don't want to wait!!!

[MPx]

Well that was fun....had my test drive today.  The base model black one at Hendy Exeter.  I guess I'm part of the target market for this since I drive an SVAD Range Rover - so a 2.5 ton very big car with over 550BHP.  On the other hand, I'm old and really don't like the way cars are heading with so called driver aids and screen based switch gear.  So how did it go. 

This is the fourth Eletre I've sat in.  It was nicer than the pre-production pinky grey thing they had here pre-launch but not as nice as the green production car they had at Thruxton.  Although initial impressions were going well - I quite like the weird key card on the B pillar to unlock, pop out handles - but there were quite a few banana skins.  Its not as high as the Rangie so easier to get in - although that translates to a less commanding position on the road.  Its comfy with lots of seat adjustment so easily able to get an ideal position.  Relatively easy to adjust mirrors but admittedly with prompts as its not just a matter of a rocker switch and joy stick - which has been fine in all cars for a couple of decades - now needs lots more flicks and presses of various bits of the same switch on the steering wheel.  The now ubiquious large central screen was a complete pain.  Jess must have had to say a dozen times or more that the screen needed an update as it threw up errors and froze while trying to demonstrtae various settings.  I did ask why they hadn't applied the update if that was all that was needed - apparantly it has no signal to get it over the air and the workshop hasn't had time to do it.   Hmmm!  

Anyway torment over I was able to drive off and was directed on a lengthy test drive with lots of variation in roads - fortunately I knew several of them that offered a more spririted drive location.  The car is quick.  In my hands the all important to me 30-70 (50-100 on private roads!) was excellent and in this base model felt very much the same as the SVAD.  Of course no lovely V8 sound to accompany but no less impressive at all.   Didn't really push on the twisties, but wasn't hanging about and it was well up for rapid progress - didn't feel as heavy as the Rangie although it is !   So I loved it dynamically and no doubt would love the R even more.  Those that say the base/S are plenty fast enough have just not got used to SUVs with that power yet.  More is always better!

But its bristling with driver aids which do anything but aid.  I had almost constant bonging - how annoying is that!  You have to drive right in the middle of the lane.  Get closer to either the side line or centre line and the bonging starts - that's not touching them its just not central between the lines.  Make the heinous error of trying to actually cross a line without indicating and its a fight with the steering wheel.  Fran was playing with the screen which had all sorts of animations showing other cars/vehicles/people/animals etc in realistic live positions around us and with the road markings flashing away as I strayed too close or over anything.  How it is you're not allowed to touch a mobile phone on pain of death almost but having a wide screen animated TV to look at in the centre consol is not only considered safe, but a driving aid - its completely beyond me.  Fortunately the HUD duplicates some of the info on the screen so i was actually able to look at it.  Speed/limit/cruise etc I'm used to.  The road markings flashing in time with the bonging were apparently indicatiing where I was going wrong.   There was another symbol (20 in a ring) which I couldn't see doing anything, but Jess suggested it was due to a previous test driver setting a 20 mph speed limiter.  That may be so, but fortunately it didn't have any impact on my drive.

As we have an i3 I'm used to electric propulsion and regen allowing one pedal driving - assuming you allow a reasonable distance in front and have your anticipation hat on.  The Eletre has four settings (the i3 just one) and setting 4 is what you need to drive with one pedal in urban like settings - it all works well, except it doesn't actually stop, once you're almost stopped the regen appears to switch off and you coast forward - quickly got used to needing to brake at the end but surprised me a couple of times early on.  The weirdest bit though was that regen appears to switch off if you're travelling more quickly.  Jess suggested anything over 50mph.  So on dual carriageway I'm cruising up behind someone and lift expecting regen to slow me only to find nothing happens and I have to make a quick stab for the brake.  Again something you would quickly get familiar with but why do that?  I'd like the pedal to do the same thing every time not sometimes regen and sometimes not, the dynamic difference is very marked and makes it much harder to stay smooth.

All too soon my drive was over (about 30 mins) and we were back at Hendys.  Easy to park up even in their tiny spaces with all the cameras and aids.   We then spec'd up "my" R at about £135k.  That's a good whack lower then the current model L460 Range Rover (and they no longer do the performace version anyway).  But overall I still prefer the (older L405) Range Rover (over the base model Eletre) but maybe I'll return when they get an R demonstrater and see if that can turn my head.

 

[exeterjeep]

I think the 20 mph cruise setting is a default setting, and unlike most other cars 1 press will activate cruise (did not try this..)  Would have needed a few hours to play with the settings on the screen. As you say the constant bombarding of warnings particularly on poor roads was really annoying, found me watching the lines on the HUD more than what was actually happening n front. One of the Lotus team discussed the max regen setting, don't think they had any intention of one pedal driving. 

[Rambo]

Maybe the 20 mph setting is for the Welsh owners 🤣

[rs200evo]

Any idea if all these audible aids can be disabled, and if so remain disabled from trip to trip? 

[hedgerley]

I've been invited to test drive the Eletre by Lotus Glasgow. Its tomorrow. I'm also going to ask if I can take an Emira out while I'm there. My V8 Esprit is about to undergo a major refurb which I am hoping will significantly improve its value as I am considering selling/chopping it in for either an Eletre (new daily required soon) or an Emira to maintain my sporting credentials, probably in the Spring.

I'll probably end up keeping the Esprit but the opinions of the esteemed members here would be most welcome!

[exeterjeep]

47 minutes ago, rs200evo said:

Any idea if all these audible aids can be disabled, and if so remain disabled from trip to trip? 

When I asked the Lotus factory crew this question (as I found it bloody annoying) , the good news is that you can turn it off, but the bad news is it will come back on again automatically after lock/unlock. This is for the NCAP ratings, and is becoming the standard for such new cars - have a look at the MG4 EV forums, they call LKA,  Lane Kill Assist, as it is really bad.