Around the world carmakers are u-turning on their plans to go big – or even all-in – on EVs, and Lotus is no different. The Geely-owned brand is developing hybrid versions of its Emeya sedan and Eletre SUV, but until they arrive, dealers have to focus on finding homes for the electric versions. And they’re offering huge discounts.

The UK’s Autotrader website currently has 15 brand new, unregistered examples of Lotus’s Porsche Taycan rival up for sale at prices that’ll bring tears to the eyes of anyone who paid full price for one of the EVs when they first became available in 2024.

Related: The Rarest Emira Coming To America Has A Name From The Dark Side

Most of the really crazy deals are on the flagship Emeya R, whose 905 hp (918 PS / 675 kW) bi-motor setup gets the emissions-free sedan to 62 mph (100 km/h) in less than 2.8 seconds. The biggest saving we could find was on a Kaimi Grey car at Endeavour Lotus West London. Originally priced at £140,105 ($189,330), it’s now up for £89,950 ($121,550). That’s a 40 percent (£50,155 /$67,900) haircut.

Not far away in Hatfield, another dealer has two new Rs price well below list, one of them promising a £43,755 ($59,130) saving. And a couple of hours away to the north east of the capital, Endeavour Lotus Colchester has a cut the price of another four Emeya Rs by similar amounts.

New Car, But An Old Badge

Technically, the R is an obsolete model, Lotus having now switched up its base, S, R grade structure for 600 and 900 names that reference the power outputs. But the powertrains themselves are carried over unchanged, so these heavily discounted Rs we’ve found look great value next to a new £129,990 ($175,660) 900 Sport or £139,990 ($189,180) 900 Carbon.

And if you’re determined to have your Emeya in the current trim, dealers are offering some healthy savings on those too, including £15,000 ($20,300) off a brand new 603 hp (612 PS / 450 kW) Emeya 600 GT, which should cost £95,000 ($128,400) with options.

Hybrids This Year

Lotus is working on a hybrid Emeya, which is expected to match the spec of the bizarrely-named Lotus For Me, the new Chinese-market petrol-electric version of Lotus’s new Eletre SUV. Combining a 2.0-liter combustion engine, twin-motor 900-volt electrical system and a 70 kWh battery, the Eletre hybrid makes 939 hp (952 PS / 700 kW), and should arrive in Western markets – minus the silly name – this year. the Emeya hybrid shouldn’t ber far behind.

Would these big savings tempt you into an Emeya, would you rather wait for the hybrid, or skip the Anglo-Chinese Taycan rival altogether?

Endeavour Lotus/Autotrader UK

Lotus has been quite open about plans to introduce a plug-in hybrid version of the Eletre in China. What slipped under the radar until now is the name change. Meet the Lotus For Me. Yes, that really is the official name for the Chinese market. Thankfully, the rest of the world will not have to explain it at dinner parties.

The automaker calls the PHEV a “hyper-SUV,” built around its new X-Hybrid architecture. The setup uses a 900-volt electrical system paired with a 70 kWh battery pack and two electric motors. Combined output lands at 939 hp, which is slightly more than the flagship all-electric Eletre R. A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is also part of the powertrain, stepping in when the battery needs backup.

Read: Lotus Might Slash Eletre’s Price In Half In Canada

Off the line, the For Me reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.3 seconds. It continues to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 10.5 seconds and clears the quarter-mile in 11.16 seconds.

Electric Range And Charging Capability

More surprising are the range claims. Lotus says the SUV can travel 260 miles (418 km) on electricity alone and more than 870 miles (1,400 km) when the hybrid system is working together. WLTP-rated fuel consumption is quoted at just 0.07 l/100 km under ideal test conditions, which is impressive on paper and, as usual, a bit harder to match outside a laboratory.

The battery pack supports 6C charging rates, which means it can jump from 30-80 percent in just eight minutes.

What Else Is New?

Visually, there is almost nothing separating the new For Me from the regular Eletre. Aside from fresh badges, functional exhaust pipes, and a few extra cooling vents up front, the design remains largely unchanged.

Under the skin, the same 48-volt active anti-roll bars as the Eletre have been retained, as has the trick dual-chamber air suspension and dual-valve adaptive dampers. Despite the fitment of a new plug-in hybrid system, the For Me weighs roughly the same as the Eletre, varying between 2,575 kg (5,676 lbs) and 2,626 kg (5,789 lbs), depending on the specification.

Lotus says the For Me will go on sale in China later this month. Europe is next in line in mid-2026, followed by North America, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and other markets before the end of the year.

What Is Lotus Tuned Specification?

Its debut also coincides with Lotus introducing a new internal standard called Lotus Tuned Specification (LTS). According to the company, LTS is a proprietary engineering and dynamic tuning framework that brings several core systems under one coordinated development process. Lotus engineers worked alongside key suppliers to co-develop components such as the brakes, active stabilizer bars, and suspension hardware.