British sports car brand Lotus has ambitious plans for the near future, as the manufacturer targets a 100-fold increase in its global sales over the next six years, with electric vehicles and Chinese SUVs being the main focus of their production.
The brand, which is best known for their fiberglass light and compact sports cars and race cars, is set to become a mass manufacturer of electric vehicles. At the moment, Lotus Group is exploring a stock market listing within the next two years in order to secure funding for expansion into electric vehicles and a major international expansion.
Last year, Lotus Group, which is now majority owned by Chinese automaker Geely, produced a little over 1710 cars at the company’s plant at Hethel, UK. However, their prospects for the future include an increase of that number to 100,000.
Matt Windle, managing director of the sports car division at Lotus Group, has said the Lotus Eletre, introduced as the world’s first electric Hyper-SUV, together with another SUV planned for 2025 and an exciting sports car planned for release in 2026, will be the key drivers behind their bold plans.
“Globally, the 2023 Lotus Eletre SUV will kick things off,” Windle has said. “We then have our four-door Panamera-fighter coming shortly after, another SUV by 2025, and then finally our dedicated and exciting sports car in 2026,” he added.
Last year, the Lotus brand split its operations into two divisions: the Norfolk-based division that produces sports cars and a new Lotus lifestyle unit based in Wuhan, China that will make electric sport utility vehicles, including the Lotus Eletre SUV.
The company aims to broaden the horizons for both its current cars, the electric supercar Evija and combustion engine-driven sports car Emira, and its future SUVs, by making them appealing for Chinese car enthusiasts.
Last year, Lotus Group, which is now majority owned by Chinese automaker Geely, produced a little over 1710 cars at the company’s plant at Hethel, UK. However, their prospects for the future include an increase of that number to 100,000.
Matt Windle, managing director of the sports car division at Lotus Group, has said the Lotus Eletre, introduced as the world’s first electric Hyper-SUV, together with another SUV planned for 2025 and an exciting sports car planned for release in 2026, will be the key drivers behind their bold plans.
“Globally, the 2023 Lotus Eletre SUV will kick things off,” Windle has said. “We then have our four-door Panamera-fighter coming shortly after, another SUV by 2025, and then finally our dedicated and exciting sports car in 2026,” he added.
Last year, the Lotus brand split its operations into two divisions: the Norfolk-based division that produces sports cars and a new Lotus lifestyle unit based in Wuhan, China that will make electric sport utility vehicles, including the Lotus Eletre SUV.
The company aims to broaden the horizons for both its current cars, the electric supercar Evija and combustion engine-driven sports car Emira, and its future SUVs, by making them appealing for Chinese car enthusiasts.