12:31 pm, August 26, 2026
Lotus is set to operate as a single business after its technology arm completed the acquisition of the brand’s UK operations.
Lotus Technology, the luxury mobility company headquartered in Wuhan, China, now owns 100% of Lotus UK, the sports car manufacturer based at Hethel in Norfolk.
The deal also brings consultancy business Lotus Engineering under the ownership of Lotus Technology, meaning the UK and Chinese operations will now sit under one corporate umbrella.
Qingfeng Feng, chief executive of Lotus Technology, said the move would allow the company to operate with a unified strategy and accelerate the development of new products.
‘Lotus is one brand and one strategy, and from today it is one business,’ he said.
‘Everything that makes Lotus a Lotus – the engineering, the obsession, the discipline – now sits in a single organisation.
‘It unifies the brand, increasing our global competitiveness and accelerating product development and go-to-market speed. This is an important step in advancing our Focus 2030 strategy and embarking on the next chapter of Lotus’ global revitalisation.’
The move comes after Lotus announced its Focus 2030 strategy in May, which marked a significant shift in its product plans.
Rather than pursuing an exclusively electric future, the brand is adopting a multi-energy strategy, opening the door to greater use of hybrid powertrains across its range, as reported by Car Dealer.
Lotus said it would nevertheless continue to prioritise lightweight engineering and driver engagement as key principles of its product strategy.
Hethel will remain an important part of the business, with Lotus confirming that its Norfolk manufacturing operation is ‘central to the group’s future’.
The site is expected to continue producing the brand’s lightweight sports cars.
Lotus added that combining its UK and Chinese operations would also create opportunities to improve operational efficiency and better coordinate the development and launch of future products.