Lotus backtracks and abandons its plan to go electric by 2028

La Mass electrification of the automotive sector is turning upside down a sector that, normally, has been conservative. This industry, since its birth, has seen countless technological innovations but in certain aspects it has always been very classic. However, with electrification the opposite has happened, as brands and their managers have thrown themselves into it almost without thinking about it. Of course, forced by the whole situation that has been generated around it, especially due to politics.

As you well know, the electrification of the automobile sector has reached all places and brands. Lotus It is one of the ones that has “run” the most thanks to the fact that it has with the financial and technical support of its parent company Geely. However, although the Hethel company has several really interesting models on sale, it has not managed to catch on with the public. So much so that its numbers have suffered and, worst of all, they have decided to “pull back” to avoid serious damage. So much so that By 2028 it will no longer be pure electric, but mixed by choice.

Lotus announced some time ago that it would be 2028% electric by XNUMX, but given the drop in demand…

You're probably wondering, is Lotus a mixed brand by choice? Well, yes, because the Hethel company had no choice but to assume that there is life beyond pure electrics. Mind you, arriving late to this conclusion has been a A mistake that has also been made by the Volkswagen Group and even by Ford and General Motors.. Therefore, as one of the most comforting popular sayings goes, “Misery loves company.” So they have shelved the idea of ​​all their models being pure electric by 2028.

The reason, as you well know, that the Anglo-Chinese company is changing its plans has to do with the "milk" that sales of electric cars have had. Even in China, where the brand has its greatest sales stronghold, are not able to place the units that the house had foreseen in its first plans. Therefore it can be said that the avoid, Electric y Emeya They have been a real failure. And not because they are over-designed models or have below-average qualities, but because customers themselves do not want them.

Sales of electric cars, except in China, are collapsing and it is therefore not profitable for Lotus to continue with its plans, CEO Feng Qingfeng told the Wall Street Journal. “At Lotus we have always chosen the best energy technology available, whether it is pure petrol, pure electric, hybrid or extended range [EV]”. Therefore, it is clear that in their race towards the future, they are not going to rule out the use of other technologies that will allow them to continue selling cars and making money.

Changes plans by announcing that they will adopt hybridization and range extender technology to make their range competitive…

In fact, other companies that are part of the Geely universe are already doing this. Volvo, without going any further, has declared that will keep its thermal engines as long as there is demand for it. And that is despite the fact that the Swedish company was one of the first to raise its fist in favour of pure electric cars. As for Zeekr or Lynk & Co It has been known that are going to merge into one entity to share expenses and be more efficient when developing your New extended-range hybrid and electric technology. In fact, they are going to follow exactly the same plans that have been confirmed for Lotus.

As you can see, Lotus, and its parent company Geely, are changing their strategy, as many other brands are going to do. For now, it is not known what technology will be developed by this large Chinese group and therefore there are many doubts on the table. Even more so when In the models of the Hethel house, concepts such as lightness have always been paramount. or simply delightful driving dynamics. In fact, it was said that the Emira was going to be its last thermal vehicle and in the end it will not be so.

The rumors that there are about what models could be hybridized or electrified with extended range There are many. The Evija is beyond any doubt, since the investment they would have to make would be unaffordable in terms of profitability. The Eletre and Emeya could indeed give a higher performance if a high-power, high-performance hybrid engine were introduced into its vain. Of course, its evolution would entail a cost that might not be worth assuming and Geely could take action with “new generations” of both. We will have to wait, because the soap opera is very interesting…

Source - Coach

Images | Lotus