What Next For Lotus? BBC Article - Matt Windle Still In Charge

What happens next after Lotus job cuts announcement?

Sports car manufacturer Lotus announced it would cut more than a third of its workforce in Norfolk.

www.bbc.co.uk

Not really much new here, mainly talking about support for the workers losing their jobs - other than Matt Windle leaving is apparently a rumour.

 

[lynchy73]

Matt Windle leaving was a rumour? This seems kind of weird.

 

[geoffbland]

Matt Windle leaving was a rumour? This seems kind of weird.

"Matt Windle, head of Lotus Cars Europe, remains at the helm, despite reports circulating since early August that he had stepped down." is reported.

I can't find anything official from Geeley or Lotus stating he is leaving in a a quick search other than from the FT stating both declined to comment when asked about this.

 

[freefall_junkie]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but an interesting article in the FT last week about the state of Lotus . Painful to read. https://www.ft.com/content/9ef25ba8-19f3-4f52-9096-bc055bef7ee2

 

[MoBoost]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but an interesting article in the FT last week about the state of Lotus . Painful to read. https://www.ft.com/content/9ef25ba8-19f3-4f52-9096-bc055bef7ee2

Paywalled; can’t access the article.

 

[geoffbland]

Paywalled; can’t access the article.

A 5 paragraph summary of the article from ChatGPT:

The recent upheaval at Lotus has intensified concerns about the company’s stability and its Chinese owner Geely’s long-term commitment to the British sports-car maker. After abruptly reversing a decision to close its historic Hethel plant, Lotus has faced ongoing turmoil, including leadership shakeups and a “toxic” culture described by insiders where tensions with top management have led to a “revolving door” of executives and constant changes in its product strategy.. The replacement of European boss Matt Windle with a Chinese executive and the announcement of 550 UK job cuts — around 40% of its workforce — have heightened uncertainty, despite official reassurances that the company remains committed to Britain.


Lotus became part of the Geely group in 2017, joining an empire that includes Volvo, Polestar, and Zeekr. Geely invested £3bn to revive the storied but loss-making brand, positioning it as a future rival to Porsche. Initially, market expectations were high, especially after Lotus Technology’s 2024 Nasdaq listing briefly pushed its valuation above $9bn. However, those ambitions soon faltered as sales fell sharply, missing aggressive targets and dragging the valuation down to about $1.4bn within 18 months.
“We wanted to be the British Porsche,” said one former executive at Lotus. “But Hethel has always existed in its own little world. They were not market driven.”
Another person who worked with Lotus said engineers at Hethel were given an impossible task: “The whole plan had no grounding in reality from the beginning. It was just La-La Land.”


The company’s struggles have been compounded by technical and logistical setbacks. Its final combustion-engine car, the Emira, faced delays, regulatory failures in the US, and parts shortages, leading to rows of unsold vehicles sitting idle at Hethel. Former executives described the company’s goals as unrealistic and its strategy as out of touch with market realities, with one calling the plans “La-La Land.” Attempts to shift toward electric and hybrid vehicles have also been slowed by global tariff disputes, wavering EV policies, and weak consumer demand, forcing Lotus to repeatedly alter its product roadmap.


Financial pressures remain acute, with Lotus Technology reporting an $850mn cash outflow last year and an operating loss of $263mn in the first half of 2025. The group’s fragmented structure — with traditional sports-car production in the UK and electric SUV manufacturing in China — has further complicated operations. Disputes with suppliers, a lack of marketing resources, and a revolving door of executives have deepened instability, while cultural clashes between UK staff and Chinese leadership under Feng Qingfeng have led to abrupt decisions and poor communication, including the controversial plan to halt UK production.


These challenges also reflect wider shifts in Geely’s strategy under founder Li Shufu, who has moved toward consolidation and prudence by merging or shutting other brands. This has raised questions about Lotus’s future within the group, especially given overlaps with Polestar in the premium EV space. While Geely insists it remains committed to Lotus and may explore partnerships or joint ventures to secure its future, the sports-car maker faces an uncertain path ahead, caught between its historic British heritage and the pressures of ambitious but faltering global expansion.

The FT used to be a highly respected factual paper in the UK. This again feels like a lot of hearsay and speculation.