Lotus presents fast charger with 450 kW capacity

First, the financial part: Lotus Technology has recently received around 750 million US dollars (685 million euros) in new financing commitments, bringing the total this year to 870 million dollars (795 million euros). The agreements were concluded before the expected completion of the planned merger of Lotus Tech with L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corporation for the purpose of going public in the USA.

Lotus Tech plans to use the fresh capital to expand its global distribution network and drive the development of its technologies, among other things. “As a leader in the electrification of luxury vehicles, Lotus Tech is positioned to capitalize on the rapid growth of the segment as we address unmet market needs,” said Lotus Tech CEO Qingfeng Feng. “The $870 million in funding commitments we have received this year demonstrate the confidence of global investors in Lotus Tech’s performance and growth potential.”

Lotus has also presented a range of its own liquid-cooled charging solutions for electric cars. Specifically, these are a DC column with a charging capacity of up to 450 kW, a power cabinet for highway service stations, for example, and a matching charging solution that can charge up to four electric cars simultaneously in conjunction with the power cabinet with a current of 600 amps.

The 450 kW charger is known as the ‘Lotus Flash Charger’and, with its high charging capacity, should be able to supply an Eletre R with electricity for 142 kilometres in five minutes – however, Lotus does not specify which cycle was used to determine the 142 kilometres. But there is a comparative value: 120 kilometres can be recharged in five minutes on a 350 kW charger. A charging process from ten to 80 per cent should take around 20 minutes at the new charging station. Incidentally, the 450 kW was chosen in order to be equipped for future generations of vehicles – and to future-proof the investment in a charging station.

The “power cabinet” with its own liquid cooling system is intended to be suitable for locations that require a lot of energy in a small space – such as highway service stations. Large parts of the technology are installed in the central power cabinet, which means that the actual charging stations at the parking space can be slimmer. Up to four of these charging terminals, which Lotus has also presented, can be connected to a “Liquid-Cooled Power Cabinet”. Up to 600 amps of charging current are possible per charging point.

According to the press release, Lotus’ fast charging solutions have already been deployed in China and are expected to be launched “in most European countries and the Middle East” in the second quarter of 2024. Further market availability will be announced in due course, according to Lotus Tech.

“Over the past six years, Lotus has been investing in the technology and infrastructure to accelerate the transition to electrification,” said Mike Johnstone, Lotus Group Chief Commercial Officer. “We want to make it easier than ever to own an electric vehicle and with our latest offerings, Lotus is able to provide customers with the confidence to access easy, fast, and efficient charging.”

Alan Wang, Vice President of Lotus Technology and CEO of Lotus Flash Charge, added: “As more governments are increasing investment into electrification in their journey to net-zero, the demand for a reliable electric vehicle charging infrastructure has never been higher than before. Lotus has developed best-in-class fast charging solutions to deliver a quick and reliable charging experience to meet customer needs.”

prnewswire.com (financing), lotuscars.com (charging stations)