Future of Lotus

[Bibs]

[Kimbers]

I do love Lotus but they really should take their Manufacturer head off and listen to the General Retail Market.

Customers are NOT interested in a move to Electrification. In a recent survey just under 80% supported postponing the "All EV move". 

And though the market currently looks ok for EV's this is only due to the fleet market and the demand for Ev's for that is dropping off a cliff as more and more companies and people experience the "True" cost of running an EV.

[jonwat]

The lightness is at the end of the tunnel for Lotus

[C8RKH]

I wish Lotus would drop all the "hyper bullshit".  Hyper GT. HyperStance. Sorry, Hyper Bullshit.

It's like when you get a new Director at work, fresh out if his Harvard MBA. HyperShite everywhere.

Saw a video on YouTube last night. A car Park full of thousands of brand new, Chinese registered EV's, parked bumper to bumper. All of them counting as "sold" Ev's to shore up China's dominance of the EV manufacturing market. None of them really owned by anyone. Being used. Going anywhere. A very significant chunk where Gelly Group products too.

It's like the manufacturing equivalent of a Ponzi scheme.

[DarrylV8]

We wish Lotus well, however it will be without us, the Eletre we have just purchased will be our last Lotus. I was informed over two years ago that the new buying process for Lotus cars would be stress free for buyers, unfortunately this has not been the case, the process was that bad that we won’t be purchasing another new Lotus.

The Eletre is our 6th new Lotus privately purchased since 2010, and have lost count since our first purchase from Souter & Rhodes in 1980’s

[stevensr34]

8 hours ago, jonwat said:

The lightness is at the end of the tunnel for Lotus

Quote: "...purists may struggle a little bit to grasp, but will allow us to keep making super-high-performance, lightweight cars in the future. And that’s what it’s all about."

Seems strange - when their "Vision80" is: "Transform the brand from a heritage automotive company to an all-electric, intelligent, luxury mobility provider by 2028"

No mention of "lightweight cars in the future" in Vision80... has something changed?

[jonwat]

Lotus’s path to profitability is proving rocky

[C8RKH]

That's behind a paywall.

[DarrylV8]

@stevensr34 we assume we could be classed as purists but as a mechanical and a electrical engineers we have both had to move with the times, and except this in a changing world.

not sure how Lotus think they can move to the luxury market with such poor customer service and awful communication with the customer 

[Markindevon]

Another odd piece of customer communication today from Lotus... I just received in the post (and have had numerous emails) inviting me to a 75th anniversary event at my local (Exeter) dealer...  It seems to be another attempt to get people to test drive the Eletre and Emira but they already know that I'm interested in the i4 (having driven the V6 ages ago) but of course the i4 isn't yet available... (despite the invitation saying that I'd have access to "the finest choice of Eletre and Emira models"!!)

If the waiting times are still 1-2 years, why on earth are they spending all this money on a pretty piecemeal '75th anniversary' dealer event, when they don't have all the cars to show / try out... very odd.

[Bibs]

That sounds like a dealership initiative to me rather than from Hethel. 

[exeterjeep]

1 hour ago, Markindevon said:

75th anniversary event

Anyone else had such an invite @EGTE @mayevora ?

They have not even had a coffee morning at all this year, due to lack of space.

[Markindevon]

1 hour ago, Bibs said:

That sounds like a dealership initiative to me rather than from Hethel. 

Fair enough - it's very Lotus branded of course but may well be driven by Hendy...

@mayevora and @exeterjeep, it's a multi-day 'event' rather than coffee morning... 22-25th November.  I expect they are really trying to drum up more interest in the Eletre...

[MPx]

Interesting, did you get anything Keith?  Obviously we have both had our Eletra test drives - so maybe nothing more to see here.  Mine following a (single) Hethel email/invite.  I've not had any recent emails or been invited back so maybe I didn't make a very good impresson!  Although, on the day, Lloyd kindly invited me back any time....

[exeterjeep]

2 minutes ago, MPx said:

get anything Keith

no, think I feel missed out...... Ian had an Emira drive weeks ago and is waiting for some info.

I have had 2 other emails from Lotus about Emira/Eletre test drives and a booking form/schedule, which would have allowed me to book slots on Dec 25th/26th and Jan 1. 

I think an Eletre test drive with one of the Hendy crew may have been better than the Lotus test drive crew.  

Not seen anything on Hendy Exeter Facebook/Instagram about the dates that Mark refers to.

A multi day event sounds interesting but would have thought they may have made contact with other owners and even SWLC for some support.  A 75th anniversary do could try to cover a wider range of Lotus models.

[mdavies]

I also had a 75th Anniversary invitation for the same 22-25th Nov from Lotus Surrey - alias B&C.  It came indirectly via an events management company via email. Nothing by ordinary email directly to me though, nor by post.

 

[exeterjeep]

Just now, mdavies said:

I also had a 75th Anniversary invitation for the same 22-25th Nov from Lotus Surrey

plot thickens.....

[mdavies]

My invitation included the words:

"...... one of our most valued customers, I am delighted to offer you and a guest an exclusive invitation......."

So no hoi polloi -  could be relevant! 😀

(Not relevant to anyone here of course!)

[MPx]

1 hour ago, MPx said:

  I've not had any recent emails or been invited back so maybe I didn't make a very good impresson! 

Update on that....got a letter today (late post in the sticks!) from Conor Horne UK&Ireland Director assume of Hendy not Lotus???   Anyway its my invite to the 75th anni event at Hendy between 22nd  and 25th Nov.  Annoyingly we're busy those days so I wont make it....but the exciting part is the 22nd should be the long awaited pick up of Lionel from PNM...

[exeterjeep]

3 minutes ago, MPx said:

Conor Horne

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/conor-horne-joins-lotus-as-commercial-boss-for-uk-and-ireland/287798

I take it that there are no details of what's on at the event.

Be careful with Lionel getting him home.

[DarrylV8]

4 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

Anyone else had such an invite @EGTE @mayevora ?

They have not even had a coffee morning at all this year, due to lack of space.

We received an email from Silverstone yesterday same invitation as the Exeter invite.

[MPx]

4 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

I take it that there are no details of what's on at the event.

There's a bit of fluff about being greeted and presented to (interrogated even?), but its generally worded as an exclusive opportunity to jump the queue and acquire a stock Eletra or Emira...

[EGTE]

I've received nothing. Guess I was too succinct in summarising my lack of interest in Emira or Eletre.

[exeterjeep]

19 minutes ago, MPx said:

There's a bit of fluff about being greeted and presented to (interrogated even?), but its generally worded as an exclusive opportunity to jump the queue and acquire a stock Eletra or Emira...

On the Eletre owners FB group someone said.......

Also if anyone (UK) in the group is after an Eletre and doesn't want to wait for a custom build, then it's worth giving your local dealer/agent a call. Bell and Colvill had 18 Eletre's at the showroom and around 10 more at their service centre, many unsold, so a lot of prebuilt options available if you want get behind the wheel a bit quicker.

I was having difficulty imagining that many Eletre's in the B&C showroom.

[Redwing]

8 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

no, think I feel missed out...... Ian had an Emira drive weeks ago and is waiting for some info.

I have had 2 other emails from Lotus about Emira/Eletre test drives and a booking form/schedule, which would have allowed me to book slots on Dec 25th/26th and Jan 1. 

 

Well they must be keen if they are offering test drives on Christmas day.  Maybe Santa will be there with some worried looking reindeer?