British brand to challenge Tesla with new 'best-in-class' ultra-rapid electric car chargers
The brand aims to roll out the new chargers across the UK
LOTUS
A classic British brand is set to take on Tesla to become the UK’s leading electric car charging point provider, with the company aiming to be “best-in-class”.
Lotus has launched its own electric vehicle charging solutions including an ultra-fast 450kW DC charger and power cabinet capable of charging up to four vehicles at once.
There are plans to transform the Norfolk-based brand into an all-electric marque by 2028, having developed its own EV charging solution through the Vision80 strategy.
According to data from the Energy Policy Institute, almost 80 per cent of the public says the lack of charging infrastructure is holding them back from investing in electric.
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The company aims to provide customers with “reliability and confidence” wherever they are driving with their electric car.
Lotus is using liquid-cooled technologies in its suite of commercial chargers to increase the speed of EV charging.
With the Lotus Eletre R and the all-in-one DC charger, drivers can add up to 88.5 miles (142km) of range in just five minutes.
A 20-minute charge can ensure the vehicle is refuelled from 10 to 80 per cent, with a range extension of 74 miles from a five-minute charge when using the 350kW rapid station.
These solutions have already been deployed in China and are expected to roll out across the majority of Europe and the Middle East in quarter two of 2024.
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 electric vehicle and with our latest offerings, Lotus is able to provide customers with the confidence to access easy, fast, and efficient charging.”
At present, Tesla has the largest share of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers for a car manufacturer with 8.2 per cent of the total network.
According to Zapmap, there are 792 Tesla-only Superchargers around the UK, in addition to 853 Tesla Destination charging points.
Lotus is looking to become the next vehicle manufacturer to launch a range of rapid and ultra-rapid charging stations around the UK to challenge Tesla for the charging crown.
The British brand, which was established in 1948, launched its first electric hyper-SUV in 2022 with the Eletre, with deliveries of the hypercar expected to take place this year.
It also announced the next-generation hyper-GT in September 2023 which boasts a staggering 905hp, instant acceleration of 2.78 seconds to go from zero to 60mph and a top speed of 159mph.
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 electric vehicle 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.”
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Tesla has a large network of Superchargers
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Lotus clarified that Germany and Austria would be included in the plans after mid-2024, with further market availability being revealed at a later point.