China will have the priority for 2.0 FE Emira

[Matt]

I remember a video metioned that 2.0 FE will be delivered to China preferentially. Not sure if it is true.

 

[Lotustoronto]

Hmmm. Sneaky if that’s what they are up to. Lotus certainly give the distinct impression from what’s been said that ALL ICE Lotus sports cars will be produced in Hethel.

Do you happen to know where on the Emira the Vin is located and what denotes a UK built Vin code?

SA-SM is UK

L - is China (almost 100% on that)

Should be the first letter of the VIN number - VIN numbers are almost always in the front windshield of the vehicle.
If its a prototype tho... who knows where... I am fairly interested to know if these are in fact not built in the UK.

 

[lynchy73]

I don't care about the place or production, as long as all cars could have the same quality. It will be a good signal if the first 2.0 FE goes off the production line.

I only care if I pay a significantly higher price for a UK produced, imported Emira, that is then produced locally in China and sold at a significantly lower price.

Would you be ok with paying circa 960,000rmb (the approximate OTR price for a 2.0 FE Emira) if it was later offered for 650kRMB (approx RMB equivalent of what the Emira FE cost in the UK) after production is localised in China?

For example we paid circa 340,000rmb (before options) for the Tesla Model 3 P early 21. Before they localised Tesla production that same model was I believe 520,000rmb if I’m not mistaken, plus I think options were much more expensive too on the imported Teslas.

 

[lynchy73]

SA-SM is UK

L - is China (almost 100% on that)

Should be the first letter of the VIN number - VIN numbers are almost always in the front windshield of the vehicle.
If its a prototype tho... who knows where... I am fairly interested to know if these are in fact not built in the UK.

Our China produced Audi has the Vin visible on the lower windshield. Will check the Tesla. I suspect the Vin location is stipulated in China but don’t know either way. Will be looking into it

 

[Matt]

Something about the VIN letters meaning is correct. However, I don't think LOTUS will build another factory to produce Emira. Normally, the VIN info will also be showed on the sticker inside the car. As the picuture below.But I didn't see this sticker on the showing car.

 

[lynchy73]

Lotus don’t need their own Factory (and anyway I’m sure Geely have existing facilities available for local assembly/production). Nio the Chinese EV maker didn’t have their own factory in the past (might have now, not too sure), they were built by JAC if I’m not mistaken.

Lotus (or rather Geely) could quite easily locally assemble/produce in China if they choose to do so. I have no problem with that, it would be good for the company. I just don’t want to be 1 of the guys that paid more for the imported FE cars when/if a much cheaper domestic Emira is on the horizon.

At the end of the day, Lotus can’t produce the cars fast enough now to keep up with demand, so why bother pushing for China Sales of imported Emiras when/if they have plans to localise production?

 

[lynchy73]

Checked in the car park in our Complex. Every car I checked had the Vin displayed in the same spot. The lower section of windscreen, driver side (Ferrari too). China starts L, Germany starts W, Italy is Z. The 2nd letter denotes the manufacturer I believe.

 

[TomE]

Hmmm. Sneaky if that’s what they are up to. Lotus certainly give the distinct impression from what’s been said that ALL ICE Lotus sports cars will be produced in Hethel.

Do you happen to know where on the Emira the Vin is located and what denotes a UK built Vin code?

The VIN is on a label at the bottom of the windscreen, as well as being stamped somewhere on the chassis. Character #11 in the VIN is the assembly plant and "H" = Hethel.

Edited to add: the first 3 characters of the VIN are the manufacturer. Lotus is SCC and the Lotus NYO cars also start with SCC. It doesn't tell you where they were built.

 

[KJD]

This is the VIN decoder for the Evora. The Emira should be very similar (with a new model code at #5/6)

 

[lynchy73]

See: https://epicvin.com/blog/vin-country-codes-of-the-vehicles

As far as I can tell, if a foreign brand has localised production for that car in China it will wear a Vin starting L. As @Lotustoronto states above, UK produced cars will have a Vin starting SA-SM (with Lotus being SC).

Our locally produced Audi starts L, and locally produced Mercedes in our Car Park also start L. Imported Mercedes start W (WD If not mistaken) as do Porsche (WP if not mistaken).

 

[TomE]

Under a previous Lotus ownership structure, Lotus cars produced in Proton factories in Malaysia had VIN starting with SCC and 11th character (factory) as B.

 

[Autopsy]

I think that aforementioned senior people at Lotus probably meant that some SHOW cars floating around in China were built there instead of at Hethel. *The yellow one and the green one, that seem to show up from no where and only seen touring within China.

As lynchy73 said, It'll be brand suicidal to first ask for core fans to pay massive extra for a imported car then immediately dishes out cheaper domesticly produced ones. Especially for a low volumed sports car.

 

[lynchy73]

Under a previous Lotus ownership structure, Lotus cars produced in Proton factories in Malaysia had VIN starting with SCC and 11th character (factory) as B.

I’m pretty sure that for a car to be recognised as being locally produced in China (and benefit from the tax savings and lower retail pricing), that the manufacturer would have to jump through lots of hoops. I’m pretty sure it would have to have a Vin starting L too. However, I don’t know the rules, just my best guess. An imported car does have a higher status in China, which people with the money, are willing to pay for (Porsche sell loads of cars in China, and they are all imported).

I’m a bit doubtful they’d bother with localised production in China for the Emira, but for a future Electric sports car, I have no doubts they’d be produced in China. With EVs being quite incentivised in China’s first tier Cities (locally produced much more so) and with a lack of sporty EVs on the market, I’m sure they find customers in China for a Sports Lotus EV.

 

[lynchy73]

As lynchy73 said, It'll be brand suicidal to first ask for core fans to pay massive extra for a imported car then immediately dishes out cheaper domesticly produced ones. Especially for a low volumed sports car.

It’s hard to know. Localised models for International Car brands tend to be the not so special variants, no chance they’d do an M or RS or the like, just the bread and butter stuff. Then again Lotus is owned by Geely, so hard to know.

I don’t feel they need to localise production for a relatively low volume sports car like the Emira, with a relatively short production run. I think it might cheapen the brand.

 

[ianchien]

国内车友？

Something about the VIN letters meaning is correct. However, I don't think LOTUS will build another factory to produce Emira. Normally, the VIN info will also be showed on the sticker inside the car. As the picuture below.But I didn't see this sticker on the showing car. View attachment 8098View attachment 8099

国内车友？

 

[NickR]

There will be people (from Asia) on here that know more about this than me but most OEMs have to supply Chinese built cars (or big % of) that are locally built.
Obviously being owned by Geely makes it an economic no brainer….

 

[Iten]

The question is whether it makes economical sense to build a second production line for a low production volume car...we are talking about 5000 cars globally a year...

 

[Matt]

The question is whether it makes economical sense to build a second production line for a low production volume car...we are talking about 5000 cars globally a year...

Definately no 2nd line for this car. Just look at how many production lines there are for most 2-door coupes.