Car Wearing: Lotus reveals its first electric SUV

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We drive the new Nissan Ariya, the Nio ET7 sets its sights on Europe, and VW plans a third gigafactory. But first:

Lotus' Electric Eletre SUV Is a Radical Departure

This week Lotus took the wraps off its long-awaited electric SUV, revealing a model expected not only to bring the automaker into the mass-market EV age, but also into the SUV age. Dubbed the Lotus Eletre, the aggressively styled model immediately invited comparisons to Lamborghini designs, specifically the Urus, helped in no small part by Lotus' choice of paint for the first official photos of the model.
Created with performance in mind, the Eletre promises at least 600 hp and 0-60 mph launch times under three seconds, but also plenty of long distance cruising ability thanks to a battery with a capacity north of 100 kWh.

The Eletre will be luxurious and modern inside, as well as spacious enough for the school run.

Of course, these numbers will also make it the heaviest Lotus model to date, just due to the hardware necessary to make all these competing priorities happen in the wrapper of an SUV.

But this will also make it the quickest and most capable grocery getter from Lotus, which is a goal worth pursuing as the automaker makes an effort to expand its lineup and emerge from relative obscurity worldwide. After all, just a few years ago Lotus models weren't on the lists of EV shoppers—or SUV shoppers, for that matter—but now they will be.
Read on to find out what else to expect from the Eletre.

Nio Begins Delivering Its Tesla Model S Fighter

Will the ET7 be able to match Tesla success in Europe?

Speaking of new EVs, this week the Chinese automaker Nio began deliveries of its sleek ET7 sedan, setting its sights on nothing short of the Tesla Model S and other luxury EV sedans in Europe in a matter of months.

That's right: the ET7 will make it to Europe later this year, as Nio expands its presence on the continent, and it will do so during nothing short of a boom for electric sedans.
What does the ET7 promise?
For starters, a massive 100-kWh battery and a dual-motor setup with 644 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, along with a promised range of over 400 miles. But there's more underneath the sleek exterior, including 33 sensors for what Nio calls "point A to point B autonomous driving," which should be coming online later this year.
The list of promised tech is long, with the automaker poised to storm Europe's EV-hungry market just as competition from German automakers heats up on the continent.
Here's what else we can expect to see from Nio in Europe.

What an Early Drive of the 2023 Nissan Ariya EV Reveals

For much of the last decade, Nissan led the way on electrification. After its launch in 2010, the Leaf hatchback quickly became the world's best-selling EV, a title it held for most of its life; across two generations sales are close to 600,000 units.

Then the Tesla Model 3 came along, passing the Leaf's total volume within a couple of years, and now—although exact figures are unavailable—is certainly beyond a million cars delivered worldwide. EV buyers are clearly prioritizing performance and design, two qualities that come up short for the aged Leaf.

The new Ariya is meant to fill these voids. Already on sale in Japan, set to reach Europe soon and coming to the US by the fall, the Ariya EV crossover will be priced from $47,125 to $60,125. And while we wait a while longer to experience it properly, Autoweek has managed to drive a European-spec version, albeit only on the unlikely environment of the Jarama race track near Madrid.

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VW Reveals Plans for Third Gigafactory in Europe

A few days ago Volkswagen has revealed plans for its third gigafactory in Europe, following the launch of the Salzgitter, Germany, EV hub. Dubbed Gigafactory Valencia, the battery plant is slated to launch in 2026 with an annual production capacity of 40 GWh, with an aim to produce components and vehicles for the VW Group, including the Spanish SEAT and Cupra brands.

Gigafactory Valencia will be part of the Volkswagen Group's Future Fast Forward program that will see a total investment of over €7 billion, representing what SEAT President Wayne Griffith calls "the largest industrial investment in Spanish history."

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