Lotus to rival Tesla Superchargers with its own ultra-rapid EV charging network

The British sports car maker will start rolling out 450kW rapid chargers in Europe next summer

Lotus has committed to launching its own network of super-rapid electric-car chargers, with the first European sites due to go live towards the middle of next year. The chargers, rated at up to 450kW, will be among the fastest available, capable of adding almost 90 miles of range in “approximately five minutes” to the brand’s flagship Lotus Eletre R.

The first chargers are already operating in China, and are expected to be rolled out to the “majority of European countries” from Q2 2024. Lotus says further market availability will be announced in due course; Auto Express has asked for confirmation on UK expansion plans, though no comment has been made at this time.

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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.”

It’s not yet clear whether the network will be open to all makes and models, or just the fast-expanding range of Lotus EVs. Just one model – the Eletre SUV – has been launched so far but the Emeya electric GT has recently been revealed, and there is promise of a smaller SUV model on the horizon. Lotus is set to become an electric-only brand by 2028.

In addition to its proposed public network, Lotus has revealed a ‘Liquid-Cooled Power Cabinet’, which will run alongside its high-power chargers. This setup will enable sites to provide peak power at times of high demand – working in conjunction with Lotus’s ‘Liquid-Cooler Charging Unit’, which is capable of charging up to four electric cars at once.

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