- The British carmaker announced a separate round of layoffs in January.
- Lotus continues to develop a successor to the Emira, currently known as the Type 135.
- This next-generation model was previewed by the recent Theory 1 Concept.
Lotus has revealed it will slash up to 200 jobs in the UK, partially due to changes in market demand and evolving market conditions.
The small sports car manufacturer confirmed the jobs cuts to employees last week. It will look to redeploy some of the staff and intends to investigate ways it can “retain specific skills and knowledge within the business.”
Read: Lotus Theory 1 Concept Is A Three-Seat Electric Esprit With 986 HP
These are not the only job cuts Lotus has made recently. Last year, it announced layoffs in July, while in January this year, another round of employees were let go.
“The latest proposed organisational changes at Lotus Cars are to ensure that the company has the right organisation structure in place to ensure sustainable operations,” Lotus said in a statement issued to Auto Express. “Following a review of resources in line with market demand and evolving market conditions, the company is optimising its internal processes and structures to achieve its long-term business objectives.”
Last week, the executive director of Lotus’ Advanced Performance programme, Simon Lane, also vacated his position. Lotus says it remains focused on fulfilling its order book.
The job cuts come just a couple of months after Lotus unveiled the dramatic Theory 1 Concept. The wild, three-seat creation is equipped with a pair of electric motors that combine to pump out 986 hp. The electric supercar can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in less than 2 seconds and tops out at 199 mph (320 km/h). Lotus has not said if the Theory 1 will reach production, but it is expected to heavily inspire the brand’s next-generation sports car, known as the Type 135.
This new model will serve as an electric successor to the Emira and is expected to hit the production line in 2027. It was originally going to be brought to life through a collaboration between Lotus and Alpine, but the two parted ways halfway through the project.
