Today's Financial Times | Carmaker Lotus plans to end production in the UK

Is this confirmed news ?
https://www.ft.com/.../dc5948e6-6645-405b-a556-df06b1ad26be

 

[GrahamClark_60-68]

Two new articles on today’s meeting with UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2025-06-29/business-secretary-meets-lotus-after-reports-of-plans-to-scrap-uk-carmaking

Lotus reassures business secretary it has no plans to shut Norfolk factory

Jonathan Reynolds contacted sports car maker after it emerged it was considering moving production from UK to US

www.theguardian.com

 

[geoffbland]

Lotus mannufacturing began in China after it became a key market, so why not America? If China is good enough for Lotus, isn't America? Isn't the X5 built in SC and GLE in AL?

Obviously I can't speak for everyone in the UK and EU but to try and capture the general feeling it goes something like this:

The EVs made in China aren't really Lotus cars; EVs aren't the "same" as ICE cars and are "made by robots" so buying them from China is OK (also Chinese manufacturers have paid for an huge number of positive reviews in the UK).
US make fantastic muscle cars, everyone loves the Mustang and the Charger, big heavy cars that lunk around and are great in a straight line. Therefore US cars are big and heavy and don't "fit" twisty, narrow roads. Also many reports of bad build quality of US cars (almost as bad as UK built ones). Tesla are the exception to this rule.
Heritage sports cars (or bespoke cars) have a "home" and if you don't get one built there then the heritage is gone.

I'm not saying I agree with any of this and it's very out of of date way of thinking. But as similar questions have been asked by other US owners I had a stab at conveying the general sentiment for you.

 

[Black Ice]

Interesting reminder regarding manuals in the UK. You’re probably aware of the relatively small but passionate crowd on this side of the Atlantic on a campaign to save the manuals, and the notion in some quarters here that a manual can be one sign of an enthusiast. Since the time I started driving, I’ve always gone out of my way to get a manual whenever offered on the car I was getting. I imagine that’s a common thread amongst folks on the forum.

I totally get it, especially in a market where manuals are the exception. I’ve always said I’d rather take a hit on the 0-60 time and retain the driver involvement you get with a manual. On this occasion though I felt the I4 was too compelling a package to overlook.

 

[MickOpalak]

many reports of bad build quality of US cars . Tesla are the exception to this rule.

 

[Tomwa]

Yes, I think less likely to catch fire but harder to extinguish when they do is an accurate assessment.

Also worth mentioning. Conditions when an ICE would or could catch fire are rational and reasonable situations that are well understood.

It's an old car with no maintenance, therefore a fuel line split open, therefore fire.
It's a heavily modified car therefore more heat, something not routed well considering conditions. oil line touches exhaust. Fire
Car is in a bad accident, fuel has spilled, comes in contact with really hot engine parts. Fire.
Ferrari designs a poor wheel well liner with bad material for glue...gets too hot. Fire

For EVs, while Accident = Fire is probably the most common cause. There are other non-rational causes.

Car is charging as per normal. Fire starts (some short in charging system? overheat? who can say)
Car just sitting not doing anything at all Fire starts.
Car driving down the road, all of a sudden loss of power, error messages. Fire.

^ These shake confidence far more. And I think we can say it's more likely in any given time we are saying there is a car fire, it is more likely to be an ICE vehicle. (been to a junkyard lots, Car-b-ques are not an uncommon sight)

I think per-capita fires for ICE is perhaps lower than for EVs. Globally at least.

 

[Black Ice]

Also worth mentioning. Conditions when an ICE would or could catch fire are rational and reasonable situations that are well understood.

It's an old car with no maintenance, therefore a fuel line split open, therefore fire.
It's a heavily modified car therefore more heat, something not routed well considering conditions. oil line touches exhaust. Fire
Car is in a bad accident, fuel has spilled, comes in contact with really hot engine parts. Fire.
Ferrari designs a poor wheel well liner with bad material for glue...gets too hot. Fire

For EVs, while Accident = Fire is probably the most common cause. There are other non-rational causes.

Car is charging as per normal. Fire starts (some short in charging system? overheat? who can say)
Car just sitting not doing anything at all Fire starts.
Car driving down the road, all of a sudden loss of power, error messages. Fire.

^ These shake confidence far more. And I think we can say it's more likely in any given time we are saying there is a car fire, it is more likely to be an ICE vehicle. (been to a junkyard lots, Car-b-ques are not an uncommon sight)

I think per-capita fires for ICE is perhaps lower than for EVs. Globally at least.

Valid points. In the UK we have an issue with e-bikes spontaneously combusting inside people’s homes. I suspect the batteries are far poorer quality than those usually found in a car, but there’s an inherent risk regardless.

 

[freefall_junkie]

Interesting take on Lotus's predicament:


Bottom line: Lotus is in deep, deep trouble

 

[Lear88]

Similar outlook...

https://www.evo.co.uk/lotus/emira/207957/can-lotus-survive-its-latest-crisis

 

[Lotustoronto]

What the Evija should have been..... They would have sold every single one.

 

[Rupes]

It's a great time to be a "journalist" and create a hit piece about a brand under financial distress and talk about all the things (in hindsight) that should have happened to prevent this. With all this business wisdom, you'd think they would be running their own car company instead of looking for clicks.

The Emira is truly my favorite car I've ever owned. I wish Lotus/Geely the best in navigating their ongoing challenges so more people can hopefully share in this enjoyment.

 

[F1 SML8R]

It's a great time to be a "journalist" and create a hit piece about a brand under financial distress and talk about all the things (in hindsight) that should have happened to prevent this. With all this business wisdom, you'd think they would be running their own car company instead of looking for clicks.

The Emira is truly my favorite car I've ever owned. I wish Lotus/Geely the best in navigating their ongoing challenges so more people can hopefully share in this enjoyment.

This.

BTW, Journalists have been saying "Lotus is dead", frankly since the "90's". Personally, I'm hoping their accuracy stays consistent (i.e., wrong to date...).

 

[Yorkie]

I reckon there are folk who are just adding 6 to 6 and getting 10 with all this Hethal closing stuff.

The big USA tariffs are on Chinese manufactured stuff. So maybe the Chinese made EVs are to be made in the USA in factory accommodation which already exists? Close the factory in China not Norfolk?

 

[Tomwa]

I reckon there are folk who are just adding 6 to 6 and getting 10 with all this Hethal closing stuff.

The big USA tariffs are on Chinese manufactured stuff. So maybe the Chinese made EVs are to be made in the USA in factory accommodation which already exists? Close the factory in China not Norfolk?

Well, probably don't close the factory that was built to handle a volume of 150,000 cars

 

[JimH]

Well, probably don't close the factory that was built to handle a volume of 150,000 cars

Apparently there's plenty of capacity in the US-based Polestar (also owned by Geely) factory......

 

[Nick in Sydney]

Well, probably don't close the factory that was built to handle a volume of 150,000 cars

It's a Geely factory. Lotus just has a contract manufacturing arrangement with Geely . . . I'm sure they can reallocate the manufacturing capacity to another brand.

My bet is that Hethel continues to make the Emira (at least for a few more years), but the EVs end up being built in a shared Geely factory in the US.

 

[freefall_junkie]

Pretty damning opinion piece on Geely's management of Lotus from Autocar's editor https://www.autocar.co.uk/opinion/new-cars/why-did-geelys-lotus-go-so-wrong

 

[Lotus64]

The big USA tariffs are on Chinese manufactured stuff. So maybe the Chinese made EVs are to be made in the USA in factory accommodation which already exists? Close the factory in China not Norfolk?

Well, probably don't close the factory that was built to handle a volume of 150,000 cars

It's a Geely factory. Lotus just has a contract manufacturing arrangement with Geely . . . I'm sure they can reallocate the manufacturing capacity to another brand.

My bet is that Hethel continues to make the Emira (at least for a few more years), but the EVs end up being built in a shared Geely factory in the US.

They don't need to close Wuhan factory but the US needs a piece of the pie! We are a key market and deserve investment. Lotus need to invest here as a show of faith, whether it's the dealer net work, manufacturing, customer relations, part availability, more apology gift baskets (I'd love a Lotus driving shoe in size 14 US), etc.