Matt Windle promoted, says he wants to build more cars at Hethel

Hot off the presses!

Lotus has a new European boss – and he wants to build more cars at the firm's Norfolk factory | Autocar

Production at the brand's UK base could be broadened, says Matt Windle, potentially to include the Polestar 6

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[B r I a n]

My concern is they promoted the person that oversaw brand elevation in the high-end EV market for the last 3 years.

 

[Lotustoronto]

Just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting that Mao created Vision 80. She is apparently taking over Matt's role, so I thought people might be interested in her background.

I totally agree that the Brits led the implementation of Vision 80, but I suspect Phil Popham was hired with clear instructions from Geely: "put together a plan for a luxury EV business, with vehicles to be built in China, that leverages the Lotus brand and its performance DNA."

You're 100% correct - Geely almost certainly said in 2018 "The automotive world is going electric, build us a strategy until 2030". Every single auto manufacturer at the time was doing the same. Even Porsche developed an EV hyper car with the mission X to compete with Evija. They never developed another ICE hyper car like Ferrari F80 and Mclaren W1. I can't blame the 2018 Vision 80, at the time they were on the correct path / idea - mostly led by Governments trying to go emissions free in Europe. (and still are) EV adoption is still on the rise and everyone is still developing EV platforms. The Chinese / Norway have proved to an extent that some mass adoption is possible. (with MASSIVE investment in infrastructure)

Then came COVID and the meteoric rise of Chinese led OEM's and electric vehicles. Breaking ring time records with brands that no one outside of china has ever heard of. This has every manufacturer and government (that builds Auto's) concerned. Adoption / rules begin to change to favour the legacy ICE auto makers. Our media plays a huge part in this. I feel for Lotus because I think they were caught in an anti-Chinese EV storm that current ICE automakers created to buy time for a transition. Not to transition completely away from ICE, because I don't think it will be 100% possible - but to develop and create a competitive product to what the Chinese are offering.

I get that Lotus fans may never have bought a Lotus EV SUV - but if a regular buyer is thinking of purchasing a BMW iX, why not look at the Eletre? It looks better than an iX, has better technology, and performs way better. They sold 89,000 iX SUVs in 2023 and 2024 worldwide. Audi sold 77,000 SQ8 E-tron models in the same time period. The Lotus Eletre is a way better vehicle than both - yet sold a small fraction against them. Why didn't large auto mag's do the correct comparison tests and promote the better vehicle when it was launched? All the headlines were "it's not a proper Lotus". As if the BMW iX is a proper BMW? Or is the Porsche Macan EV a proper Porsche?

Even Ferrari is concerned with the Chinese EV's - They bought a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra to benchmark. Think about that, Ferrari bought a Chinese EV sedan to benchmark it for their EV they are building. 10 years ago they would have laughed at that idea.

Chinese EV Spotted at Ferrari Headquarters—Could It Be a Benchmark?

Someone caught photos of a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra leaving Ferrari headquarters in Maranello. Could Ferrari be benchmarking it for its upcoming EV?

www.motor1.com

 

[B r I a n]

The Eletre may have better technology, and performance then it's competitors, the dealer and service network (at least in North America) that will prevent much of the mainstream from considering and test driving.

 

[Black Ice]

The Eletre may have better technology, and performance then it's competitors, the dealer and service network (at least in North America) that will prevent much of the mainstream from considering and test driving.

Nail on head…. I think we can all agree that the Lotus EV’s are aimed at non-Lotus enthusiasts, who are also probably not hardcore car enthusiasts generally. They want to be seen in something “premium” and are willing to pay for it. What they don’t want is hassle and inconvenience; they don’t like their car that much after all. So, why buy a Lotus when the alternatives are a more straightforward ownership proposition?

 

[Lotustoronto]

The Eletre may have better technology, and performance then it's competitors, the dealer and service network (at least in North America) that will prevent much of the mainstream from considering and test driving.

Nail on head…. I think we can all agree that the Lotus EV’s are aimed at non-Lotus enthusiasts, who are also probably not hardcore car enthusiasts generally. They want to be seen in something “premium” and are willing to pay for it. What they don’t want is hassle and inconvenience; they don’t like their car that much after all. So, why buy a Lotus when the alternatives are a more straightforward ownership proposition?

You are both correct. - The question on this thread is who is to blame for the terrible CS, Aftercare, Marketing, Buying Experience, Dealer Support, Warranty Work etc. This is where most of the failures are, not so much the product. I would be very curious to know how the service and buying experience is for a Lotus in China? Interested to know if it is the same as EU / North America.

 

[seriously]

My concern is they promoted the person that oversaw brand elevation in the high-end EV market for the last 3 years.

Yes precisely.

 

[Orchardbike]

Mao Jingbo – Profile & Career Background​

View attachment 68947

1. Early Career in Luxury Automotives​

• Spent approximately two decades in the luxury automotive sector in China.
• Held senior roles at Mercedes-Benz China, including:
  • Executive Vice President, Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co.
  • General Manager, North Region.
  • Vice President of Marketing, Mercedes-Benz (China).

2. Leadership at Lincoln Asia Pacific & China (2018–2022)​

• Appointed President of Lincoln Asia Pacific and China in July 2018.
• Led sales operations and brand growth, implementing local production.
• Under her leadership, Lincoln’s annual sales increased from 55,315 units in 2018 to over 91,620 units, supported by local manufacturing initiatives.

3. Transition to Lotus (Nov 2022–Mar 2025)​

• Joined Lotus in November 2022 as Founding Partner and President of Lotus China.
• Reported directly to Lotus Group CEO Feng Qingfeng.
• Oversaw brand elevation in the high-end EV market.
• Directed the opening of major Lotus “Experience Stores” in Guangzhou and Beijing, combining sales, delivery, and brand lounge functions.

4. Current Role – Global Chief Sales Officer (Mar 2025–Present)​

• Appointed Global Chief Sales Officer of Lotus Technology in March 2025.
• Oversees:
  • Global production strategy.
  • Sales coordination across all regions.
  • Marketing resource integration for international operations.
• Plays a pivotal role in aligning Lotus’s global strategy under Geely ownership.

5. Corporate Recognition​

• Listed in The Official Board’s organisation chart as CSO of Group Lotus.
• Recognised for her strategic focus on premium positioning and rapid retail expansion in China.

Her Lotus email address isn’t set up yet……

 

[675430VME]

You are both correct. - The question on this thread is who is to blame for the terrible CS, Aftercare, Marketing, Buying Experience, Dealer Support, Warranty Work etc. This is where most of the failures are, not so much the product. I would be very curious to know how the service and buying experience is for a Lotus in China? Interested to know if it is the same as EU / North America.

In China we have dealers in pretty much every major city. Emira owners got a 3 days racing academy with lodging for free. We can bring our own parts, be it oem or modified, to the dealers and use their DIY spot for free with in-house mechanics guiding us for the whole installation. Sometimes they will install your parts with us just watching on the side. We have a referral program that you can earn points for variety Lotus merchandises (constantly update). There are random Lotus events (free food, free drinks) through out the year.

Warranty sucks just like every other nation because Lotus Hethel requires all works must be approved by it, even doing a simple update requires a connection to Hethel so everything is slow and time consuming. Parts take forever because Hethel struggles to meet demand.

For people who like to blame China for Lotus acquisition, Lotus has been doing exactly what it is doing for the last few decades, never get a clue on quality control, marketing, nor customer service. In fact, everything related to Emira, Lotus China has no say nor it earns any manufacturer profit.

 

[675430VME]

My concern is they promoted the person that oversaw brand elevation in the high-end EV market for the last 3 years.

She is moved to this new position because she really screwed up Lotus' marketing strategy in China. I won't keep any hope on her.

 

[Lotustoronto]

In China we have dealers in pretty much every major city. Emira owners got a 3 days racing academy with lodging for free. We can bring our own parts, be it oem or modified, to the dealers and use their DIY spot for free with in-house mechanics guiding us for the whole installation. Sometimes they will install your parts with us just watching on the side. We have a referral program that you can earn points for variety Lotus merchandises (constantly update). There are random Lotus events (free food, free drinks) through out the year.

Warranty sucks just like every other nation because Lotus Hethel requires all works must be approved by it, even doing a simple update requires a connection to Hethel so everything is slow and time consuming. Parts take forever because Hethel struggles to meet demand.

For people who like to blame China for Lotus acquisition, Lotus has been doing exactly what it is doing for the last few decades, never get a clue on quality control, marketing, nor customer service. In fact, everything related to Emira, Lotus China has no say nor it earns any manufacturer profit.

This is interesting. Do you find or have heard if the Lotus EV SUV's have the same type of issues as the Emira in China? i.e. long warranty waiting? How is the customer service when visiting the dealer? It seems Lotus China does a bit more for its customers to stay engaged.

 

[Tomwa]

She is moved to this new position because she really screwed up Lotus' marketing strategy in China. I won't keep any hope on her.

She's the one who pitched changing all the car names to flowers I take it? While doing all this 'tuner' and 'racing' support in the dealerships? Seems pretty short-sited and contradictory to efforts already in place.

 

[seriously]

T

In China we have dealers in pretty much every major city. Emira owners got a 3 days racing academy with lodging for free. We can bring our own parts, be it oem or modified, to the dealers and use their DIY spot for free with in-house mechanics guiding us for the whole installation. Sometimes they will install your parts with us just watching on the side. We have a referral program that you can earn points for variety Lotus merchandises (constantly update). There are random Lotus events (free food, free drinks) through out the year.

Warranty sucks just like every other nation because Lotus Hethel requires all works must be approved by it, even doing a simple update requires a connection to Hethel so everything is slow and time consuming. Parts take forever because Hethel struggles to meet demand.

For people who like to blame China for Lotus acquisition, Lotus has been doing exactly what it is doing for the last few decades, never get a clue on quality control, marketing, nor customer service. In fact, everything related to Emira, Lotus China has no say nor it earns any manufacturer profit.

That sounds like a premium experience. Nice!

 

[Six Speed Stephen]

She is moved to this new position because she really screwed up Lotus' marketing strategy in China. I won't keep any hope on her.

Why didn't they just fire her?

 

[675430VME]

This is interesting. Do you find or have heard if the Lotus EV SUV's have the same type of issues as the Emira in China? i.e. long warranty waiting? How is the customer service when visiting the dealer? It seems Lotus China does a bit more for its customers to stay engaged.

There are chat groups for owners in each city. The complains I have seen most from EV owners are the OS are not as smart or as smooth and fast like other Chinese EV companies. I haven't seen any other issue myself, unlike us Emira owners, who have at least some of the issues we all aware of here. I thought I was lucky for a trouble free ownership, no cel or anything, but both sides of the door panels have bubbles recently. Hope this is the only problem I will ever have but most unlikely lol

Lotus EV ownership has so much more perks than Emira ownership. Staff treat them much better with faster service and overall experience. I guess it is because Lotus China makes so much more money selling EV than Emira.

 

[675430VME]

She's the one who pitched changing all the car names to flowers I take it? While doing all this 'tuner' and 'racing' support in the dealerships? Seems pretty short-sited and contradictory to efforts already in place.

That's right, not only she names the car flowers and stuff, she changed the whole marketing aim to "Single Strong Lady". There were multiple online protests from current owners.

 

[675430VME]

Why didn't they just fire her?

I like to know why also, could be something with her contract. You can't fire someone as easy as in the states, there are serious pay off you have to deal with, China is a pro-labor country.

 

[Jinba ittai]

The complains I have seen most from EV owners are the OS are not as smart or as smooth

Definitely different priorities from the Emira owners, lol.