Lotus may be going through its greatest monetary problem in years, together with slashing the workforce at its Hethel HQ within the UK, however it’s good to see the model is not standing nonetheless and remains to be trying to the long run. In a latest second-quarter outcomes name, firm CEO Feng Qingfeng gave an replace on future product, particularly the way forward for the Emira sports activities automotive. The Emira, which was deliberate to be Lotus’s final combustion-powered automotive ever, will now have a keep of execution, with a 2027 facelift bringing with it plug-in hybrid energy.
The ‘Hyper Hybrid’ know-how will allegedly be the identical because the stuff going into the Eletre later this 12 months, however there will probably be elementary variations. The Eletre began life out as a battery-electric automobile, whereas the Emira makes use of an older combustion platform. Whereas there could also be some tech sharing, it will not fairly be a case of mixing one with the opposite and getting one thing good within the center floor.
Supercharged Toyota V6 Seemingly To Be Axed
Lotus does not produce its personal engines. As an alternative, it outsources engine provide to Toyota and Mercedes-AMG. The supercharged 3.5-liter Toyota V6 that has been a mainstay in Lotus’s sports activities automobiles for years, nonetheless, is unlikely to proceed, even with hybrid help. Lotus beforehand mentioned the engine couldn’t be upgraded to adjust to incoming emissions laws in Europe, and with Toyota casting off that motor with the earlier Camry, it’s going to possible be all too joyful to cease producing it altogether.
The opposite engine used within the Emira is an AMG-sourced turbo four-cylinder. The way forward for this motor is unsure, too, though variations of this have been utilized in live performance with plug-in energy in Mercedes fashions just like the AMG C63 S E-Efficiency.
Plug-in hybrid know-how is not totally international to Lotus, because the model beforehand pioneered a plug-in hybrid Evora idea referred to as the 414E. That used a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine and a 17 kWh battery pack with an electrical vary of 35 miles again in 2010. PHEV know-how has advanced considerably since then, and lighter, extra power-dense batteries might present an Emira PHEV with ample vary and efficiency with out compromising its light-weight nature. What stays to be seen is the place the battery, e-motor, and combustion parts will come from. The US stays a key marketplace for Lotus, so it might want to keep away from sourcing powertrain components from China – problematic when one in all Lotus’s house owners, Geely, is Chinese language.
Rumors have recommended the Emira might by some means get a Mercedes-AMG V8 in future iterations, however it’s nonetheless unclear whether or not this could be a hybrid powertrain or coexist alongside the PHEV for markets just like the US the place demand for V8s has seen a resurgence.
Lotus Losses Solely Dampened By Improved Gross sales In China
The tantalizing lifeline for the Emira was one in all only some vibrant factors within the earnings name. On the entire, issues aren’t wanting good for Lotus proper now. The corporate posted a $313 million internet loss for the primary half of 2025 – however this was an enchancment from the identical interval final 12 months, when it misplaced $424 million. It was largely buoyed by improved gross sales of the Eletre SUV and new Emeya electrical sedan in China.
Qingfeng did not contact on the latest shedding of 550 Hethel-based employees and targeted the dialog on the efficiencies Lotus might obtain by means of combining Lotus Applied sciences with Lotus Vehicles. “We see huge room for effectivity enhancements whereas we consolidate numerous the capabilities collectively, together with the know-how synergies,” mentioned Feng, including that Lotus has “bold objectives for the Lotus Vehicles operation sooner or later.” He highlighted a deal with “very-high-performance attributes and in addition high-performance engineering providers,” and it has been lately reported that Lotus might help different manufacturers within the engineering and even manufacturing of their automobiles. The Polestar 6 was highlighted as a possible mannequin that could be produced by Lotus.
Lotus has solely bought 2,813 automobiles within the first half of 2025, nearly half what it had managed on the identical time in 2024. The tariff scenario within the UK was a big proponent of this slip, as Lotus needed to halt deliveries of the Emira to the US earlier this 12 months. Solely 891 Emiras had been delivered within the first six months of 2025, down 64%. However Lotus’s woes began lengthy earlier than the Trump administration, and even below Biden, when a 102% tariff was applied on Chinese language-built automobiles, the Eletre and Emeya’s fates had been all however sealed.
Supply: Autocar