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Lotus returned his plans to complete Car production in the UK after the government signaled it was ready to offer support to the British sports car brand.
In a statement on Saturday, Lotusthat controls the Chinese carmaker GeelyHe said it was “active research on strategic options” to improve the efficiency of its work and global competitiveness.
“Lotus cars continue with normal operations and there are no plans to close the plant,” the report said.
Financial Times announced on Friday that the company plans to stop producing at its Hatl factory in Norfolk, putting 1,300 jobs in danger.
Two people, with knowledge of the situation, say government officials in the UK have contacted Lotus and Gel directors immediately after the report was released. “Everyone just panicks,” said one of the people.
UK Business Secretary of the UK is expected to talk to Lotus on Sunday, a person close to the government said.
A government spokesman said: “The government does not comment on speculation or commercial work of private companies.”
Gells declined to comment.
Shutting down the hatel plant would order a new blow to car production in the UK after the closure of Honda and Ford over the past decade.
In an effort to boost car and other advanced production premier Sir Kir Starmer promised to reduce high energy costs as part of a recently discovered labor government Industrial strategy.
On Friday, Lotus said he paused production in the UK in mid -May for stock management and supply chain problems related to US tariffs after stopping the shipments of his Emira sports car in the United States.
But people with knowledge of discussions say the company has been struggling to pay its suppliers in recent weeks and suffers from a low demand for vehicles and an increase in inventory, which have also put pressure on its Hettel factory in the UK, as well as the Gel -owned factory in Wuhan, China.
“They face problems that are deeper than the issue of tariff US tariffs,” said one person close to the company.
Lotus did not respond immediately to FT’s request for comment.
Feng Kingfeng, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Technology in the United States, who has a control stake in the UK, told senior executives earlier this week To prepare a proposal to withdraw from production in the UK. He also told investors that Lotus wants to localize US production.
Lotus has cut jobs in recent years, while many senior executives have left, including its European Chief Dan Ballmer and chief commercial officer Mike Johnonton.
In three months until June, Lotus Technology announced an operational loss of $ 103 million, compared to a loss of $ 233 million the previous year, while delivering 1,274 vehicles, a 42 %reduction.
Her factory Hettel, founded in 1966, has an annual capacity of about 10,000 cars, while its factory Wuhan can produce about 150,000 vehicles.
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