Geely will open a new $1.3 billion factory in Wuhan, China, with the plan to produce Lotus models there for the first time.
Reuters got hold of government documents, revealing that Geely’s new Wuhan factory will build models for the British sports car maker while there are currently 20 open Wuhan-based roles related to Lotus on Geely’s website.
“Details on additional locations and models will be confirmed in due course,” Geely responded. The new Wuhan factory will have a capacity of 150,000 cars per year but the said documents didn’t reveal a date for its opening.
Lotus currently builds all of its cars in Norfolk, England, which will also receive an investment of $1.9 billion from Geely. Previous reports suggest that Lotus will continue building its sports cars in the UK while models like the awaited SUV will be produced in China. However, don’t act surprised if production of more Lotus models migrates to Geely’s home country.
It’s not clear yet if the new Wuhan factory will be exclusive to Lotus; Geely has big plans for the brand, with sources saying that the Chinese owner wants Lotus to grow and rival directly with brands like Porsche. The German carmaker enjoys great success in China, especially with its SUV models.
After all, Porsche was basically saved by the Cayenne, so why not do the same with Lotus?
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