Skip advert
Advertisement

Geely considering £1.5 billion investment to boost Lotus

Lotus majority stakeholder poised to spend billions on British brand, according to sources

Lotus Exige Sport 410 - front

New Lotus controller Geely is preparing to invest over £1.5 billion on the British sports car brand as it aims to push Lotus to the front and centre of the sports car market once again. That's according to Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The Chinese car giant - which owns Volvo, Polestar, the London Taxi Company, Lynk & Co, Yuan Cheng Auto and has a 49.9 per cent stake in Proton - now also owns 51 per cent of the British brand after completing a deal last September.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Lynk & Co reveals production ready SUV at Shanghai Motor Show

Bloomberg says that Geely plans to build new Lotus production facilities and research centres in the UK, and that the the company is planning to buy itself an even larger stake in Lotus by purchasing more shares of Malaysian minority stakeholders Etika Automotive.

Bloomberg says that Geely is aiming to build itself into one of the automotive industry's biggest groups, and that its plans for Lotus could see the British brand revived and repositioned into a genuine Porsche competitor. Bloomberg also claims that the first phase of Geely's Lotus expansion will see around 200 new engineers hired and an expansion of the firm's current plant in Hethel, Norfolk.

Geely executive vice president and chief financial officer, Daniel Donghui Li, has been chairman of the new look Lotus board since the acquisition of the brand.

Last September, concluding the deal, Daniel Donghui Li said: “With the transaction completion we now look forward to working with our partners to develop the Lotus brand into a globally competitive brand and a well recognised leader in the sports car market.”

While news of fresh investment sounds exciting, Geely’s real desire to acquire Lotus could stem from the marque’s expertise in composite materials and lightweight construction methods. Geely sees this technology as transferable across the vehicles it sells in China. Lighter cars will help the brand meet stringent future emissions targets in its home Chinese market.

Is new Chinese ownership a good thing for Lotus? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Lotus UK factory future: Hethel plant put 'under review' by Chinese owner
Lotus Hethel factory

Lotus UK factory future: Hethel plant put 'under review' by Chinese owner

Geely weighing up a host of options as it tries to stem huge losses at troubled British sports car firm – including possible closure of Norfolk base
News
4 Jul 2025
Big plans for the Lotus Emira with hybrid tech on the cards
Lotus Emira Turbo SE Racing Line in Cosmos black - front static

Big plans for the Lotus Emira with hybrid tech on the cards

Lotus is plotting a raft of developments for its mid-engined Emira sports car – with combined petrol/electric power a future option
News
27 Jun 2025
The Lotus electric car rebirth is struggling, but will new hyper-hybrids save the day?
Auto Express editor-at-large Phil McNamara standing next to a Lotus Emeyal

The Lotus electric car rebirth is struggling, but will new hyper-hybrids save the day?

Despite huge Chinese investment to electrify Lotus, sports car sales still prop up the loss-making business. Can Lotus achieve take-off?
Features
27 Jun 2025
Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2025, 2026 and beyond
New cars coming soon header image

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2025, 2026 and beyond

These are the most important new cars headed our way, from brands including Audi, BMW, Dacia, Ferrari, Ford, Skoda and more
Best cars & vans
23 Jun 2025

Most Popular

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range
MG IM5 - Goodwood front

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range

The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
News
10 Jul 2025
New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand
Cyberster Black - front 3/4

New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand

MG boss thinks special editions like this might be the ticket to keeping up demand for the electric sports car
News
10 Jul 2025
New Mazda CX-5 revealed with fresh looks, more space and far fewer buttons
Mazda CX-5 - front

New Mazda CX-5 revealed with fresh looks, more space and far fewer buttons

The Mazda CX-5 has been revolutionised to take on the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson
News
10 Jul 2025