Lotus is best known for its twin seater sports cars. From James Bond's Lotus Esprit through to the Elise, Exige and Evora, it's an iconic brand with a long performance pedigree, but one that's going through a huge transition. 

Now under ownership of Chinese auto group Geely (alongside the likes of Polestar), the company has plans to launch four electric cars across a range of segments, starting with the Lotus Eletre, formerly known by the codename Lotus Type 132. We already know this is an electric SUV, so it's quite the change for Lotus.

Here's how you can watch the unveiling of the new model. 

When is the Lotus Eletre launch?

The launch of the Lotus Eletre will take place on Tuesday 29 March 2022, at 19:30 in London. Here are the global times for your reference:

  • San Francisco - 11:30 PDT
  • New York - 14:30 EDT
  • London - 19:30 BST
  • Berlin - 20:30 CEST
  • New Delhi - 00:00 IST, 30 Mar
  • Tokyo - 03:30 JST, 30 Mar
  • Sydney - 05:30 AEDT, 30 Mar

Can I watch the Lotus Eletre launch online?

Yes, Lotus has confirmed that you'll be able to watch the launch on YouTube, Facebook or on Lotuscars.com. We will aim to embed the video here when it is made available. 

What to expect from the Lotus Eletre

Lotus has been teasing the Lotus Type 132 for some time, having originally said that it would be a E segment SUV. That suggests that this isn't going to be mass market, it's going to be exclusive - and that's what we'd expect from this new breed of Lotus car. 

Teaser videos have focused on things like carbonfibre materials, modern agressive lines with an emphasis on speed and light. That's what Lotus is known for and we'd expect the Lotus Type 132 - now known as the Lotus Eletre - to be a showcase of everything that Lotus has done in the past. 

This is a huge change for Lotus, so we're expecting performance figures designed to impress, we're expecting to hear a lot about ride and handling, about a sports car pedigree and heritage that comes from the race track. But behind all that, we're expecting something that's technologically advanced, paving the way for the electric Lotus cars that will follow it.