The Lotus Emira is one of the most anticipated sports cars of the year. For American buyers, that anticipation is turning into impatience, as difficulties with emissions approval mean that their new toys are just out of reach.
Lotus was expecting to start being able to deliver Emiras quite soon. Some customer examples of the Emira are already in the country, sitting on dealer lots. But they can’t be delivered yet, because Lotus is still awaiting approval from the California Air Resources Board.
The automaker initially expected to have the necessary emissions approvals in place by the end of this month, but it has since changed its tune. It’s not yet clear if the Emira, which is powered by a supercharged Toyota V6, has failed its emissions test, but Lotus says it won’t start delivering any cars to American customers as long as it can’t sell them in CARB states.
Read: Is The Lotus Emira Good Enough To Replace The Exige, Elise, And Evora?
“Basically, what we are saying is that there are some final checks that need to be done before we can move forward, and we don’t have an update at this point,” Vanessa Meier, a Lotus spokesperson, told Autonews. However, the situation has been highly frustrating for customers and its 42 American dealers.
Buyers have taken to forums to complain about the delays on their vehicles. Some have been contacted by Lotus and told that their vehicles are being shipped, only to be told by the dealer that they can’t be delivered.
One dealer says it has more than 100 Emiras on the ground, waiting to be released and handed over to customers. Another claims that buyers have been stopping by the dealership, to look at their cars and sit in them while they wait for the keys to be handed over.
Meanwhile, dealers are frustrated because high-interest rates are driving up the price of their showrooms. Without new vehicles to sell, there’s no money coming in, and Lotus hasn’t told them when to expect CARB approval.
Lotus told its dealers that it plans to cover the cost or reimburse them for their increased floor plan expenses related to the new models. However, once again, communication between Lotus and its dealers has been poor, and dealers say specific details for the program have not been shared.
“We are working on that as speak. It is something we are all talking about,” Meier said. “For the most part, dealers are understanding. People have questions and we are working to make sure we can get them all the information they need.”
