Lotus to debut its first plug-in hybrid in 2026

The British Geely brand Lotus initially intended to phase out its last combustion engine vehicles gradually. However, Lotus will not become a purely electric brand: As CEO Qingfeng Feng now confirmed, the brand's first plug-in hybrid will debut next year—likely in the Eletre SUV model.

Lotus eletre norwegen norway min e — Image: Lotus

After the British Geely-owned brand Lotus revised its strategy in late 2024 to transition into a fully electric brand by 2028, Lotus CEO Qingfeng Feng announced during a conference call on the company’s latest financial results that its first plug-in hybrid model will enter the Chinese market in the first quarter of 2026, followed by a European launch in the second half of the same year.

Qingfeng Feng did not reveal the model’s name but suggested it would be an SUV. Lotus already offers the battery-electric Eletre SUV, though it could theoretically adapt other models from within the Geely Group. However, this seems unlikely, as recently spotted camouflaged Eletre prototypes in China featured an additional fuel filler flap and a rear exhaust.

According to a report by CarNewsChina, the first Lotus PHEV, like the battery-electric version of the Eletre, will utilise a 900-volt system and achieve a combined range of 1,100 kilometres under China’s CLTC cycle. Further details about the powertrain remain unconfirmed.

The Chinese portal speculated that, given Lotus’s affiliation with Geely, the internal combustion component of the powertrain is likely to come from Horse Powertrain, the combustion engine joint venture between Geely, Renault, and Aramco. Horse Powertrain already offers a suitable engine—a 205 kW four-cylinder unit designated DHE20TDE. This two-litre turbocharged engine is reportedly already used in the plug-in hybrid Zeekr 9X in China. Its top version delivers 1,030 kW of power with three electric motors and is available with two battery options (50 or 70 kWh).

In the first nine months of 2024, Lotus delivered 4,612 vehicles worldwide, with 46% sold in China. This represents a decline compared to the same period last year. Lotus attributes the drop to its current model transition phase, inventory reduction efforts, and tariffs. According to CEO Qingfeng Feng, the upcoming plug-in hybrid will mark an “important milestone in the company’s strategy”.

carnewschina.com

This article was first published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition.