Lotus has lengthy produced quick vehicles. Now it is also producing quick chargers.
The automaker on Tuesday unveiled fast-charging {hardware} it claims to have developed in-house, together with a liquid-cooled DC charger able to as much as 450 kw. It is designed for use with a Lotus-developed energy cupboard and 600-amp charging unit in a setup Lotus claims can cost as much as 4 autos without delay.
With this setup, Lotus claims the charger can add 88.5 miles of vary to its Eletre electrical SUV in simply 5 minutes of charging at 450 kw, undertaking a 10-80% cost in 20 minutes. It could additionally replenish 74 miles of vary in 5 minutes with a 350-kw connector, Lotus notes.
Lotus Flash Cost DC quick charger
Lotus stated this charging {hardware} is already being deployed in China, with installations additionally deliberate for Europe and the Center East within the second quarter of 2024. Availability in different markets might be mentioned “sooner or later,” the automaker famous.
This makes Lotus one among only a handful of automakers to debate charging above 350 kw, the utmost for many public charging stations and EVs within the U.S. proper now. At current, within the U.S., the Lucid Air maxes out round 300 kw, and the GMC Hummer EV is likely one of the few merchandise that may make full use of 350 kw.
Porsche has hinted that one among its future EVs could make the most of 400-kw quick charging, whereas Mercedes plans to supply {hardware} able to charging at that energy stage throughout its personal fast-charging community. Mercedes can also be a part of a consortium of seven international automakers planning a separate fast-charging community which have referred to as 350 kw a place to begin.
Lotus Flash Cost energy cupboard
These networks will rival the Tesla Supercharger community. Tesla’s present V4 {hardware} is proscribed to 350 kw, however the firm has hinted that larger energy might be enabled sooner or later.
The Lotus quick chargers can even be among the many first of their type in Europe, however the rollout of such higher-power {hardware} is already taking place in China from a number of networks. Xpeng teased 480-kw quick chargers able to including 124 miles in 5 minutes of charging again in 2021.