New Lotus factory in China to build SUVs as part of electric vehicle range

UPDATE, March 30, 2022: Lotus has finally unveiled its new electric SUV, the Eletre. Get the full story at the link below.

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The story to here

British sports car company Lotus will soon open its new Chinese manufacturing facility, and it's set to produce two SUVs as part of the company’s all-new electric vehicle (EV) range.

Lotus plans to offer four new fully-electric models by 2026, which will include a medium SUV and a large SUV, both to be produced at the company’s Chinese plant in Wuhan when construction is completed in late 2021.

Only one of the four new EVs will be a sports car – developed in collaboration with Renault’s electric performance arm Alpine – with the final slot to be taken up by a four-door coupe.

All but the Lotus-Alpine sports car will be produced at the new Wuhan facility.

The four vehicles announced are in addition to the electric Evija hypercar and the recently-unveiled Emira – the company’s last petrol-powered model – which will both be produced at its factory in Hethel, UK.

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The new ¥8 billion (AU$1.69 billion) Wuhan plant will have the capacity to produce up to 150,000 vehicles annually, and is said to have the world’s first integrated intelligent test track. The circuit will put vehicles through their paces in 16 corners and at speeds of up to 230km/h.

Chinese majority owner Geely is understood to be floating the expansion, with plans to transform Lotus into a direct Porsche competitor.

While the two new Lotus SUV models will be the approximate size of the Porsche Macan and its larger Cayenne sibling, the four-door coupe is expected to challenge the Taycan.

To further drive development of its new EV line-up, the British carmaker has broken ground on its new Lotus Technology headquarters, set to open in 2024 in Wuhan.

Lotus says the new facility will be “responsible for integrating a new generation of lifestyle products, bringing together China’s EV and manufacturing specialisms, the UK’s design and advanced performance centres, and Germany-based [research and development] resources”.