Future of Lotus

[Bibs]

Down another $1.3bn since then!

[exeterjeep]

not time to buy buy buy yet then?

[exeterjeep]

SMMT UK new car registrations published yesterday, for Jan and Feb a total of 87.

Last year same period 119.

[exeterjeep]

Noticed today, on the Lotus dealer map, that Christopher Neil / Oakmere / Lotus Cheshire are no longer dealers - just service agents. I had heard about this a couple of months ago. Suppose they were not keen on Lotus EV's?

 

[webfoot]

I also noticed this. Might be a "mistake" since you can still book an Emira test drive through Lotus Prestbury. Suspect that the main map might be on "Electre filter" setting.

[Kimbers]

Had this with some of the Brands I manage, When the brand changes it's Branding perception they often dispose of dealers they don't think "fits the Brand". We had it years ago with KIA where they got rid of many of their family owned and run dealerships because they demanded £1million in investment in shiny new Gin Palaces.

[exeterjeep]

2 hours ago, webfoot said:

I also noticed this. Might be a "mistake" since you can still book an Emira test drive through Lotus Prestbury. Suspect that the main map might be on "Electre filter" setting.

Think I read on here some months ago on another thread, not sure if this was for the first Eletre drives  or for Emira, but some people booked there but when they tried to attend there was no one there. Think I would trust the dealer map more than their booking system.

[mdavies]

For those that do not subscribe to EVO - and including those who “Positively prefer not to see it!” – I strongly suggest that, when the news-shelf issue No. 390, April edition, appears in WH Smith or wherever, to have a glance at the “Letter of The Week” on page 37.

It is not an letter as such, but a miniature short story. (Not by me, although I would have been more than happy to put my name to it.)

I assure people here that the “Future of Lotus” is indeed the perfect thread for this post.

[pete]

https://www.ft.com/content/74713a22-f557-43d3-8952-645de8211ee7

Not looking good for geely

[exeterjeep]

Looks as if Hendy Performance Exeter may be in trouble, they have gone off Hendy Performance  website - now only shows Eastleigh. I think this looks like the beginning of the end?  

 I know @MPx, @Markindevon and  @mayevora are also aware of what may be on the cards.

[Kimbers]

4 hours ago, pete said:

https://www.ft.com/content/74713a22-f557-43d3-8952-645de8211ee7

Not looking good for geely

The issue for Geely is understanding the market. In China EV's are a much improving market funded and driven in part by cheap electricity (partly created by Coal fired Power stations. 100 built in the last few years I believe.)

The market if further clouded by the fudging of figures throughout the Manufacturers in European owned brands by pre-reg and forced dealer registrations. Not something they deal with in China. If press, like the main newspapers and industry inside magazines like Fleet News, keep saying how wonderful EV's are and how they are up 26% already this year, are the way you gauge sales and business plans then you would think BEV's are a great idea. 

So, a very long winded way to say, If your Policy is all EV and quicker than anyone else, you will suffer right now. And Lotus of all the companies around are saying full EV by 2027. No wonder their shares have crashed, people have no confidence in EV's therefore no confidence in the company policy. You can have the best reviews on your EV's ever but if people don't want EV's then you won't sell them for a profit, if at all.

[Markindevon]

2 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

Looks as if Hendy Performance Exeter may be in trouble, they have gone off Hendy Performance  website - now only shows Eastleigh. I think this looks like the beginning of the end?  

 I know @MPx, @Markindevon and  @mayevora are also aware of what may be on the cards.

They don’t hang around do they…?

… still seeing that 0% deal on i4 Emiras on facebook for the Exeter branch!

Lets hope there’s another dealer / agent waiting in the wings for any of us who may eventually want to buy a new car!

Real shame for Lloyd et al but he’s good and will find a new position pretty quickly I’m sure.

[exeterjeep]

May be the Lotus part is hanging on for a bit longer.

[chipp]

An update on the expansion plans.

Flooding and heritage issues with Lotus expansion in Hethel | Eastern Daily Press (edp24.co.uk)

[Kimbers]

5 minutes ago, chipp said:

An update on the expansion plans.

Flooding and heritage issues with Lotus expansion in Hethel | Eastern Daily Press (edp24.co.uk)

Norfolk County council should look at their own Planning Dept for Flood risks. Covering over fields and building on flood plains is causing flooding everywhere including my back garden which never flooded until they approved and built a 27 house estate on an adjoining field!

If anything they should be approving more building on Brown field sites like Lotus and less on Green field! I do agree with the archaeological side. Make sure its prtected before building!

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Drives me nuts the amount of house building on green field sites here in the East Midlands. Vast swathes of farmland are being sold to housing estate developers every year, resulting in loads of extra council tax for the local authorities. Then we hear all that bollox in the media about housing shortages. It’s getting like cars: “I must have a brand new house to keep up with the Joneses.” No you mustn’t.

[jonwat]

Lotus is adamant big, heavy EVs will still be fun to drive 

[DarrylV8]

Our Eletre is certainly good fun to drive even on twisty roads.

[Kimbers]

tearing up the Tarmac with your 3 ton behemoth you should be paying much more Road Tax than me in my 1 ton Evora!!  

[JimmytheTurbo]

 

[Bibs]

2.5 vs 1.4 - You should be a politician!

[Bibs]

It's back up almost 50% in the last few days. 

[mdavies]

A bad sign?

Wonder if I'm the only one "chosen by Lotus and B&C" to receive "special offers" in the last week or so?  (0%  finance deals/3 year servicing plan/home chargers & cheap charging). For two days only.

Persistent: two recent emails and today a phone call as I'd not booked yet!  Learnt that the scheme is being managed by a subcontractor, so I guess it's fairly large scale.

[Mods, please delete if discussed already.]

[Bibs]

@Rupert McLean has had a few contacts from them today too! 

[C8RKH]

I'm getting invites to Lotus Scotland events with "special offers".

I'm holding out for the 3 years supply of battered mars bar suppers, to go with the 3 year servicing, and 50:50 deal.

It seams new car registrations are not hyper. Or have I missed this?

In all seriousness I am worried re Lotus viability and wonder if the "sports car business" might go, to allow focused expansion of the Hyper SUV and Saloon hyper premium, hyper performance, hyper battery behemoths.

I'm obviously still hyper underqualified for a hyper job in Lotus' hyper marketing team as I just can't find enough hyper opportunities for the use of the word hyper!