Lotus, the British sports car manufacturer, recently announced that it will be hiring 200 engineers as it seeks to triple its yearly car production capacity.
Reliable reports cite that the car manufacturer, in a bid to reinvent itself, will be increasing its car production to 5,000 per year with the opening of an engineering center in the Midlands. This would be the first time that Lotus will be looking to expand its business beyond Norfolk.
Geely, the fast expanding Chinese automotive manufacturing company acquired a controlling stake in Lotus in 2017 for £100 million. According to sources, Lotus CEO, Phil Popham has been reported to say that the move to step up turnaround of Lotus is a part of the demonstration of intent expressed by Geely through its multibillion-dollar deal. The move also includes the lunching of a hypercar which is anticipated to be priced over £1 million.
According to experts, Geely’s acquisition of stakes in the 70-year-old automotive manufacturer is aimed at earning profitable turnaround that Geely has already managed to achieve with black cab manufacturer LEVC as well as with Volvo.
Lotus’s announcement to hire is in direct contrast with the rest of the automotive world where job cuts have created a havoc. While JLR has cut off 10% of its workforce, Honda is planning to close its plant at Swindon and Ford is anticipated to lay off 1,000 employees.
Lotus on the other hand has been bankrolled by Geely to set it on the tracks of producing a car that has been unforeseen by the world.
According to reliable sources, Lotus is currently designing an all-electric hypercar named Project 130. The 2,000-horsepower super car is being designed to achieve 200mph while maintaining the superb aerodynamics and lightweight attributes that established Lotus as a premium car manufacturer.
Lotus has been a marquee that formerly ruled the Formula 1 scene and even developed Esprit, the 007 submarine. But the company suffered under a line of cash-strapped owners and racked up losses of £600 million under its previous owner, Drb-hicom of Malaysia.
Sources cite that the latest move is supposed to demonstrate that Lotus is ready to regain its place as a frontrunner in the auto industry.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/05/12/lotus-hire-200-staff-expansion-plan-kicks-gear/