Over the weekend, multiple reports emerged suggesting Lotus might shut down its historic Norfolk plant and cease car production in the United Kingdom. However, those rumors have since been denied: “Lotus Cars is continuing normal operations, and there are no plans to close the factory.” The statement followed reports from the BBC and Financial Times, which alleged that the Geely-controlled sports car brand was planning to end UK production, putting 1,300 jobs at risk.
While the British plant isn’t shutting down, Lotus has acknowledged it’s “actively exploring strategic options to enhance efficiency and ensure global competitiveness in the evolving market.” According to Automotive News, CEO Feng Qingfeng said during the company’s Q1 earnings call last week that Lotus is considering building cars in the United States to avoid tariffs: “We are trying to leverage our U.S. strategy to catch up the losses due to the tariff hike. We believe that localization is a feasible plan.”
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