Lotus Technology 1H 2024 Financial Results

[crestima]

Lotus don't even make the body panels any more.

Wow, that's news, to me anyway. Who makes them then?

 

[seriously]

I heard something a while back about Geeley slowly turning the taps off at Lotus and its future is undetermined. They dont feel the brand has the enough prestige to carry off the EV transition and that Geeley are looking at Aston Martin as a potential route for this.

IMHO Lotus went too big on the EV thing too soon. This was a manufacturer who had a very small current portfolio of ICE sports cars and had essentially been carried by the Elise/Elixge for decades. They hadnt really released a new model since 2008.

I'm not overly concerned about what happens if they disappeared. It would be a huge shame as they're a great brand for the enthusiast but given the Emira is essentially an Evora and built largely out of Volvo/Toyoto and aftermarket parts, the only concern would be body panels. Someone should get the moulds and get decent carbon alternatives. I'd just strip the car down and make it a slightly larger and more civilised Exige.

Aston Martin would have been a better match for the luxury EV market. But if Geely didn't pick Lotus we wouldn't have the Emira so I'm not complaining.

 

[Nick in Sydney]

I heard something a while back about Geeley slowly turning the taps off at Lotus and its future is undetermined. They dont feel the brand has the enough prestige to carry off the EV transition and that Geeley are looking at Aston Martin as a potential route for this.

Don't think this is true. Geely injected another US$110M into Lotus just three months ago. Sadly this massive cash injection will probably be wasted building fat expensive EVs that no one wants.

 

[Nick in Sydney]

Wow, that's news, to me anyway. Who makes them then?

Teijin Automotive makes them in Pouancé, France. Teijin is a Japanese chemical company.

 

[crestima]

Teijin Automotive makes them in Pouancé, France. Teijin is a Japanese chemical company.

Great, are at least the Emira's bolts and screws made in England? Don't even bother Nick, it's just a rhetorical question...

 

[virtualmacho]

Teijin Automotive makes them in Pouancé, France. Teijin is a Japanese chemical company.

They make the ingredients in France, and form the panels in Portugal, according to something I read on the internet some time ago...

 

[FlashingBlade]

My point was that most parts could be sourced from other manufacturers, after market equivalents etc except the body panels. If lotus disappeared, it’s unlikely Teijin would continue with them (maybe AliExpress lol)

And they did say slowly turning off the cash flow taps. Not over night.