Lotus Eletre: Geely's First Canadian Vehicle Is a Premium Electric Crossover

The Geely Group has officially entered Canada, but not under its own name. Its first vehicle there is the Lotus Eletre, an electric crossover from the British brand now under Geely's umbrella.

The Eletre is built at Geely's factory in Wuhan. For Canada, this sets an important precedent: a Chinese-assembled car has cleared local safety standards and is already heading to dealerships. A trade agreement between Canada and China also helps, allowing up to 49,000 Chinese EVs per year at a reduced tariff of 6.1%.

Rather than a mass-market budget EV, the Lotus Eletre arrives as a premium showcase of Geely's capabilities. The base version produces 603 hp, while the top Eletre R delivers up to 905 hp. WLTP range is roughly 600 km, and maximum fast-charging speed is 350 kW.

Technically, this isn't a classic lightweight Lotus like the Elise. The Eletre weighs over 2,565 kg unladen, but it comes with air suspension, rear-axle steering, and an active roll-control system. In other words, the brand is trying to maintain its sporty image, but in the form of a large electric crossover.

For now, deliveries are small through a network of six Lotus dealers. In the coming months, that number could grow by another six. Next, BYD, Chery, and other brands may enter Canada, while Geely itself has Lynk & Co, Zeekr, Volvo, and its main Geely brand in the pipeline.

For buyers, this marks the beginning of a new competitive dynamic: Chinese EVs are arriving not just through cheap models, but directly via a premium brand like Lotus. And that approach looks much softer than launching Geely from scratch.