Lotus takes on Tesla with ultra-fast EV charger of its own

Lotus has revealed an electric car charger that claims to be 80 percent faster than the most powerful Tesla Supercharger.

Called the Liquid-Cooled All-in-One DC Charger, Lotus says the device can fill batteries at a rate of up to 450 kW. This is significantly quicker than the latest, fourth-generation Tesla Supercharger, which can manage a peak charge rate of 250 kW.

It is also quicker than the 350 kW rate offered by Ionity chargers and the 360 kW offered by Gridserve’s Terra 360, currently regarded as the fastest public charger available in the UK.

Lotus says its Eletre R electric SUV, pictured below, can gain up to 88.5 miles of range with just five minutes’ use of the new charger. This compares to 74 miles when plugged into a 350 kW charger, the company says.

Revealed for the first time at the London EV Show this week, the super-fast chargers aren’t available for UK and European drivers just yet.

Aimed at businesses, they are expected to be bought by motorway service stations and made available to all EV drivers (not just Lotus owners) in 2024. A liquid coolant is used to reduce the temperature of the charging connector, therefore allowing for a higher charge rate.

Lotus has also announced a liquid-cooled power cabinet. This is a modular unit designed for “spaces that require high energy in order to increase efficiency and minimise charging time, such as motorway rest stops,” the company said. Lotus also showed off a new liquid-cooled charging unit, which is designed to be used with the power cabinet and can charge up to four vehicles at once. 

These new charging products are all part of Lotus’ bid to quell the range anxiety concerns faced by electric car buyers. Citing a survey conducted by the Energy Policy Institute, Lotus said: “Charging anxiety remains one of the main barriers to electric vehicle adoption, with nearly 80 percent of the public citing the lack of charging infrastructure as a primary reason for not buying an EV”.

Lotus says these chargers will be rolled out “across the majority of European countries and Middle East in Q2 2024,” adding that availability in other markets will be announced later.