Under the leadership of the Chinese Geely, the Lotus brand wants to record sales that it could only dream of before. And the new electric SUV is especially helpful.
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Information about the upcoming SUV Lotus are nothing new, but there have been mentions of it since 2016. At that time, the project was under the former boss Jean-Marc Gales and was supposed to be an elevated car with a plug-in hybrid drive, which would share technology with the Polestar or Volvo brands. But according to Lotus, the market has developed rapidly, so instead of an internal combustion engine, Lotus will bet directly on electric propulsion.
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According to the British Autocaru The Lotus SUV (with the internal name Lambda) will arrive in 2022. Production is to be procured by a Chinese plant, and Lotus wants to concentrate heavily on the local market and demand for premium electric cars. The initial shot of the parameters looks promising – 750 electric horses and a range of 580 km, these are decent portions. But we will have to wait for some time for reality.
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The main goal of the new SUV is, of course, to increase sales. And to such numbers that the carmaker does not remember. The company’s management, with Chinese investors at its back, believes that the SUV, in addition to China, will also attract attention in the United States, for example, and will take care of about three times more sales in the next few years. Of the current 1,500 cars, the company would like to reach 5,000 units per year and continue to grow.
Part of the reincarnation of the brand is of course also new Esprit with the electrified six-cylinder coming next year. The sports car will be created at the Lotus headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk, which is currently undergoing a major reconstruction. After its completion, the mentioned SUV could theoretically be produced here (the plant can handle up to 10,000 cars a year), but the management wants this space to remain reserved for the brand’s sports cars.
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The first SUV in the brand’s history will be produced by a newly completed factory in Wuhan (yes, tom Wuhan) with a production capacity of up to 150,000 cars per year. A large part of this portion belongs to the home Geely, but a separate part of the factory will be intended for Lotus. We should learn more details over the next year.
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