Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Lotus to cut up to 200 jobs after heavy losses

Interesting times:

This just published by the BBC.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-66258900

crikey!. car production down nearly two thirds in a year. I think the car industry as a whole is a bit of a mess.

I just dont think many people want to risk their money in an ICE'd fun car

MMC looks like a really successful business compared to that. Perhaps Lotus/Geely should take a leaf out of the MMC book

Or more likely they are positioning to offshore everything except the Brand ID?

Recent announcements show the next round of vehicles are going to be Geely based electric off road battlewagons. The recent announcement about the expansion in Europe does not mention the UK at all. It does mention a UK HQ but that's window dressing?

Yep Lotus will just become a Chinese made electric SUV

I wonder if their decision to do direct sales is part of the issue. I know of quite a few retailers who gave up their franchise due to issues on Lotus' new way of doing business. Fingers crossed they turn things around!

MMC will follow soon IMHO.

One headline today......An inconvenient truth.....you can't sell the green revolution to people who can't afford it.

Although directed at Ulez and the recent Uxbridge by election, the green agenda will start to impact on politics in unpredictable ways.

Agreed..... EVs are not selling, because people either don't want them or can't afford them, or both. When VW has to stop EV production for a month it is a sign of the times. IF the EU sticks to its plans to fine car makers that do not sell "enough" EVs we will see people in car factories losing their jobs, which will go down in Germany, France and Italy like a lead balloon.

In Germany, the state subsidy for EVs is coming to an end these days. As I wrote before, small Chinese cars will determine the EV market in Germany because the masses can't afford or don't want "better" EVs. In addition, there is the cheeky pricing policy: for a badly made, outdated VW ID3, you are supposed to pay 50,000 € in Germany, while the same car costs 16,000 € in China, but still nobody wants it in China. Of course I realise that VW can produce cheaper cars for the Chinese market in China, but the consequence will be that VW will only produce the ID3 or its successor in China and no longer in Germany. This is what is currently happening to all industries with our energy prices, taxes and labour costs. Those who literally have legs to run in the industry will run away.