Photo: Lotus
Something is going on with Lotus, and the company's head honchos are preparing to pop the champagne. Last year, the carmaker sold just 576 cars. Now they already have 17,000 orders. It is already a record-breaking year of the Brits.
It must be the carmaker's choice to go electric or the fact that it finally went the SUV way with the Eletre. They have never been a company to tick numbers milestones. Furthermore, only recently, they announced they were considering to cut jobs, while trying to reduce costs and come out of the financial crisis they were in.
The Norfolk-based sports car manufacturer was planning to cut 200 jobs following the loss of 145.1 million pounds ($186.4 million) before tax last year. In 2021, the deficit was of 86.6 million. But right now, Lotus is finally considering profit. In the first half of the year, they have already received 17,000 orders worldwide. Those are record-breaking figures for Lotus, easily surpassing last year's 576 units sold.
There is one major factor that contributed to such numbers. It is the Eletre SUV that had its global premiere last year. The model entered production, and the company started deliveries in China at the end of March 2023. Deliveries in the United Kingdom and Europe are set to begin this summer. So the Geely-owned brand is counting on even more impressive numbers in terms of sales.
The Eletre electric hyper-SUV rolls off the assembly line at Geely's factory in Wuhan, China. The model is powered by two electric motors that together deliver 603 horsepower and 524 lb-ft of torque in the entry-level variant, which does the 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) run in 4.5 seconds.
Upper in the range, there is the S version, with the exact same figures as the entry-level one, but equipped with 22-inch wheels, a rear active spoiler, ambient lighting, and a 23-speaker 160-Watt KEF Reference audio system.
The range-topping R version comes with 905 horsepower and 726 lb-ft for a run from 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) in just 2.9 seconds. Rear steering, carbon fiber body components, as well as Pirelli P Zero tires, are on the equipment list.
The entry-level version starts at 95,990 euros in Europe, which is the equivalent of $105,248. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-range Eletre R is 150,990 euros ($165,553). That is way more than a Tesla Model X Plaid, for instance, which starts at $108,490 in the US, or the recently unveiled Cadillac Escalade IQ, which kicks off at $130,000.
To keep up with demand, Lotus is planning to ramp up production and has already opened 24 more outlets in the first six months of 2023, expanding their global retail network to 193 stores. They expect the figures of this year to surpass those of all years before.
The Norfolk-based sports car manufacturer was planning to cut 200 jobs following the loss of 145.1 million pounds ($186.4 million) before tax last year. In 2021, the deficit was of 86.6 million. But right now, Lotus is finally considering profit. In the first half of the year, they have already received 17,000 orders worldwide. Those are record-breaking figures for Lotus, easily surpassing last year's 576 units sold.
There is one major factor that contributed to such numbers. It is the Eletre SUV that had its global premiere last year. The model entered production, and the company started deliveries in China at the end of March 2023. Deliveries in the United Kingdom and Europe are set to begin this summer. So the Geely-owned brand is counting on even more impressive numbers in terms of sales.
The Eletre electric hyper-SUV rolls off the assembly line at Geely's factory in Wuhan, China. The model is powered by two electric motors that together deliver 603 horsepower and 524 lb-ft of torque in the entry-level variant, which does the 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) run in 4.5 seconds.
Upper in the range, there is the S version, with the exact same figures as the entry-level one, but equipped with 22-inch wheels, a rear active spoiler, ambient lighting, and a 23-speaker 160-Watt KEF Reference audio system.
The range-topping R version comes with 905 horsepower and 726 lb-ft for a run from 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) in just 2.9 seconds. Rear steering, carbon fiber body components, as well as Pirelli P Zero tires, are on the equipment list.
The entry-level version starts at 95,990 euros in Europe, which is the equivalent of $105,248. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-range Eletre R is 150,990 euros ($165,553). That is way more than a Tesla Model X Plaid, for instance, which starts at $108,490 in the US, or the recently unveiled Cadillac Escalade IQ, which kicks off at $130,000.
To keep up with demand, Lotus is planning to ramp up production and has already opened 24 more outlets in the first six months of 2023, expanding their global retail network to 193 stores. They expect the figures of this year to surpass those of all years before.
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