Lotus Engineering has officially launched its global headquarters with a ‘breaking-ground’ ceremony in Wuhan, China.

  • International ‘intelligent technology’ subsidiary of Group Lotus introduced
  • Will speed up innovation and oversee manufacture of exciting new Lotus way of life types for worldwide marketplaces
  • Four new electric styles from Lotus in upcoming 5 several years – including all-new electrical athletics motor vehicle in 2026
  • Lotus SUV – the Type 132 – will be to start with, launching in 2022
  • All-new manufacturing unit operational in China afterwards this yr, Lotus Technological innovation HQ opening in 2024

Lotus Technology is a new division of Team Lotus, a world ‘intelligent technology’ subsidiary which augments the brand’s DNA and technological know-how gathered more than the 73 yrs that Lotus has existed. Its part is to accelerate innovation in the fields of batteries and vitality administration, electrical motors, electronic manage techniques, smart driving, smart manufacturing and much more.

Lotus Technology HQ

The new Lotus Know-how headquarters will be done in 2024.  An all-new Lotus factory, to manufacture Lotus electric cars for world wide markets, will open afterwards this year.

Eric Li, Chairman of Geely Keeping Team, and Feng Qingfeng, CEO of Team Lotus, attended the event. They were joined by Li Bin, founder of NIO, who is an investor in Lotus Technologies. They disclosed major level details of the Lotus product or service approach for the next 5 years, developed jointly by Lotus Technological know-how and the extremely professional Lotus workforce in the British isles.

In 2022, Lotus will debut an E-segment SUV codenamed Form 132. It will be followed in 2023 by an E-phase 4-doorway coupe, Type 133, and in 2025 by Type 134, a new D-segment SUV. This trio will be joined in 2026 by an all-new electrical sports auto, Kind 135.

The new models are in addition to the Evija all-electrical hypercar and the Emira, the past petrol-powered athletics motor vehicle from Lotus, which will both be constructed at Hethel, United kingdom.

In the area of clever generate, Lotus unveiled the idea of ‘track-amount smart drive’ as a 10-calendar year technological enhancement focus on. The new technology’s purpose is to help drivers to accomplish as nicely as an F1 driver on monitor, while expanding driver basic safety and improving efficiency on the street by means of sophisticated program and components. The end result is a extra worthwhile and reassuring experience in any ecosystem.

The advancement of the brand’s new high quality lifestyle automobiles will just take spot on the Lotus Quality architecture, one particular of the four new car or truck platforms announced at the Driving Tomorrow global technique conference in April. The High quality architecture supports a wheelbase vary from 2,889mm-3,100mm and could be further expanded in the upcoming. It supports the progress of all sorts of passenger vehicles from C+ to E segments. Working with 92-120kWh batteries, it is compatible with the industry’s most innovative 800-volt superior-speed EV charging system. Products and solutions developed on this platform will be capable of -100km/h acceleration in under a few seconds.

Eyesight80 is the ongoing strategic prepare which outlines the transformation of Lotus ahead of its 80th birthday in 2028. The institution of Lotus Technological innovation marks a essential move on that journey of world-wide growth, and on the road to an clever and electric potential. In the period of smart electrical mobility, Lotus will when once more established the common for general performance, redefining the romance among man and automobile, and enable the global automotive field in accelerating the pace of its transformation. 

Because getting started by Colin Chapman in 1948, Lotus has led the field in innovation with its motivation to pure driving, outstanding trip and handling, light-weight systems and environment-course aerodynamic engineering. Now, with the backing and world assets of Geely Keeping Team, Lotus benefits from new capabilities in R&D, producing and provide chain management, enabling it to supply global shoppers with a much more impressive and remarkable driving knowledge.

The new Lotus producing plant in Wuhan will open up later on this yr, complementing existing Uk sporting activities auto production and efficiency services in Hethel and Norwich. It is remaining designed with the world’s most innovative production systems to come to be a world-wide centre of excellence for Lotus’ premium way of life versions. Covering an area of above 1 million m2 with an financial commitment of in excess of 8 billion RMB (£900m), the plant has the capability to ramp up to manufacturing of 150,000 vehicles a yr.

The new Lotus plant is the 1st in the earth with an integrated smart test keep track of. It features an superior procedure whereby autos can be transported into workshops using autonomous driving technology without having any human intervention. It is built to accommodate motor vehicles driving at speeds up to 140mph (230km/h) via 16 corners.

Doing work hand in hand, China-centered Lotus Technologies and the Uk-centered Lotus workforce are at the core of Group Lotus’ potential development technique. Lotus in the British isles will be accountable for the improvement and production of sporting activities cars and the Evija electrical hypercar, as nicely as co-ordinating world wide gross sales for the Lotus brand name. Lotus Technological innovation in China will be dependable for integrating a new era of way of life solutions, bringing collectively China’s EV and producing specialisms, UK’s layout and advanced functionality centres and Germany-based R&D resources (Lotus Know-how Innovation Centre, Raunheim), as effectively as the worldwide enhancement and manufacturing of premium intelligent travel technologies. Collectively the China and United kingdom teams will empower Team Lotus’ transformation towards an expanded, intelligent and electric powered future. 

Feng Qingfeng, CEO, Team Lotus, commented: “This is an significant day in the transformation of the Lotus enterprise and model. Lotus Technological innovation will speed up the innovation which has usually been at the heart of the enterprise. Together the China and United kingdom groups will empower our journey towards an expanded, clever and electric powered long run, obtaining the ambitions and ambitions that have been in the making for 73 years of the Lotus model.”

Matt Windle, Managing Director, Lotus Cars and trucks, commented: “Transforming Lotus from a Uk athletics auto corporation to a really world-wide functionality motor vehicle enterprise has normally been at the core of Vision80. The start of Lotus Know-how is a key milestone on the street to building that a truth, while adhering to the unwavering Lotus rules of pure performance, effectiveness, motorsport accomplishment and, previously mentioned all, getting ‘For the Drivers’.”

Li Bin, the founder of NIO, has grow to be an trader in Lotus Engineering. Lotus and NIO share many common passions in the subject of clever electrical mobility. In the foreseeable future, both equally events may examine prospects for mutually helpful industrial cooperation.

The world automotive sector is going through profound adjustments right now. As the world’s biggest and speediest-increasing electric car or truck market place, China plays an important role in the transformation of the global automotive market. With its brand mission of usually getting ‘For The Motorists,’ Lotus will be centre stage, redefining the specifications for an intelligent and electric powered upcoming. 

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