Charging infrastructure and range anxiety are two huge roadblocks impeding the mass adoption of EVs, and Lotus aims to nullify them both with the reveal of three new charging systems, the fastest of which is capable of adding over 88 miles of range in five minutes.
Lotus says these chargers are designed for businesses, and there are three different setups available, all of which are liquid-cooled. The first is a “power cabinet” that’s designed for rest stops and is capable of the market-leading 480-kW output. The second, fastest system is a DC charger that’s intended for a single vehicle and can charge at 450 kW or 350 kW depending on the car. Plug in a Lotus Eletre R, for instance, and you can go from 10% to 80% charge in 20 minutes with 350 kW of energy. The final system that Lotus released is a charging unit capable of juicing up to four vehicles at once with a maximum current output of 600 Amp, perfect for quick charging sessions.
These charging systems are already available in China, where Lotus’ parent company Geely is based, and Lotus plans to implement them across most of Europe and the Middle East by the second quarter of next year.
While nearly all EVs that are presently available to consumers are not capable of receiving energy at outputs above 350 kW – Lotus’ own Eletre SUV and Emeya sedan included – the brand wants these chargers to be futureproofed for upcoming EV models.
Other companies have released their own charging solutions. Mercedes-Benz recently unveiled its first 400-kW charging hub in Sandy Springs, GA; plus there’s Jeep’s off-road chargers, Rivian’s Adventure Network, and of course Tesla’s ubiquitous Supercharger network. Two of the three new Lotus EV chargers are capable of charging at higher outputs than any of the existing manufacturer-run chargers, which should set them apart from competitors and make them appealing to EV roadtrippers.
No pricing was announced for these new charging solutions, and there is no current mention of U.S. implementation of these ultra-fast chargers, likely due to infrastructure challenges and Lotus’ smaller presence.