Lotus had big ambitions about selling the all-electric Eletre in the United States. The SUV was supposed to arrive from just $107,000, a figure that reads reasonably against the performance and technology on the table even if six digits is hardly pocket change. An Eletre costing just north of $100,000 never made it to a single American driveway.

Just months after Lotus announced its plans for the SUV in the US, the Biden administration jacked up tariffs on Chinese-built EVs from 25 percent to 100 percent. Lotus was forced to change plans and decided to import a small number of well-equipped models based on the Eletre R, which was initially going to start at $145,000. The new model, known as the Eletre Carbon, cost an eye-watering $232,900.

Read: The First Chinese EVs Reaching Canada Aren’t The Bargains Buyers Were Promised

Speaking with Motor Trend, president and chief executive of Lotus Americas, Massimiliano Trantini, revealed that after the allocation of Eletre Carbon models was sold out for 2025, no other examples have been imported into the country.

What Went Wrong?

“We planned to bring the Eletre into the U.S.,” he told the magazine. “We made all the activity to prepare the car, we got all the homologation. We were ready. When we decided to bring the car, the tariffs started kicking in, so we had to select carefully the car we wanted to bring. There was a moment where, with 100 percent tariff, we could still manage. We decided to take the highest trim—the Eletre Carbon, a fully loaded car—sold then as model-year 25 in a limited edition.”

Trantini added that when the import duty was increased once again, this time to 150 percent, Lotus could no longer find a business case for selling the Eletre in the U.S. market.

While the Eletre is now available internationally as a plug-in hybrid, it’s highly unlikely either it or the Emeya will come to the US, given the Connected Vehicle Rule, which bans new vehicles with Chinese technology. Thankfully, Trantini said that the Emira remains compliant through the 2027 model year. Given that it’s built in the US, rather than China like the Eletre and Emeya, there’s hope it’ll remain on sale for several years to come.

Canadians shopping for a high-end electric SUV have another name to consider, and it wears a Lotus badge. The Eletre comes into the country at a reduced tariff rate, yet the sticker still lands well into luxury territory, nowhere near the cut-rate EVs plenty of locals were hoping the China trade deal would bring to their driveways.

Thanks to a new trade deal struck between Canada and China earlier this year, EVs imported from China are now only subject to a 6.1 percent. This has generated plenty of buzz among car manufacturers looking to expand their reach into Canada, with companies including BYD, Chery, and others all planning local launches.

Read: Canada’s China Deal Promised Affordable EVs, But $100,000 SUVs Are First Off The Boat

Lotus is one of the most prominent brands to benefit, as it’s owned by Geely and already has a presence in Canada, allowing it to quickly take some of the vehicles initially available at this reduced quota. They’re built in Wuhan and start at CA$119,000 (equal to around US$84,000 at current rates) for the base model, rising to $159,000 (US$112,000) for the flagship version.

Speaking with CTV News, Lotus Cars Americas chief executive Max Trantini said interest in the Eletre has been high, although he didn’t specify how many have been sold, nor how many have been imported. In an initial shipment sent to Canada in May, we know that 18 Eletres landed.

The softer tariff has done Lotus a real favor, given that the company had to sharply hike the Eletre’s US pricing in late 2024 because of tariffs there. What was originally going to be an EV starting at US$107,000 suddenly became one costing at least US$229,000.

The “Perfect” Car For Canada?

“We developed the U.S market for this car, and also the Canadian market for this car, but then due to the tariff we had to hold the import because of that situation,” Trantini said when referring to the US cars. “We believe that the car is perfect for the Canadian market.”

Under the new importation policy, up to 49,000 EVs can enter Canada at the reduced rate over the coming year. Recent data shows that 2,910 EVs from China have arrived since March 1, though oddly, none turned up in June or so far this month.

Photos Lotus Cars