Lotus has marked a manufacturing rebound with the record production of over 2,200 Emira sports cars during the first half of the year at its U.K. Hethel manufacturing base in Norfolk, England. The exact number of these cars that have found buyers remains uncertain; nonetheless, this robust output comes as somewhat of an unexpected rebound after a challenging 2022 for the company. Supply chain disruptions resulted in setbacks that reverberated into the preceding year. These delays led to a significant financial setback to a loss of 150 million pounds. This exigent situation compelled the company to reduce staff by approximately 200 positions.

Every single vehicle that rolled off the assembly line at the facility in England this year has been an Emira – the last Lotus sports car to feature a traditional internal combustion engine. The inception of Emira’s production had been momentarily hampered by supply chain disruptions, leading to a measured commencement last year.

The initial sluggish pace of production saw the Geely-owned Lotus fabricate a modest 867 vehicles within the confines of Hethel during the previous year. A stark decline from the 1,402 cars crafted in 2021, which also marked the conclusion of the preceding sports car generation encompassing the likes of the Elise and Exige.

This coincides with Lotus’s launch of its Chinese-manufactured Eletre all-electric SUV in the Chinese market, signifying a dual-pronged progression strategy. Both the Emira and the Eletre have been strategic undertakings since Geely, hailing from China, acquired a substantial stake in Lotus back in 2017, unveiling their ambitious intentions to revolutionize this niche manufacturer and forge a formidable adversary to renowned brands like Porsche.

Beyond the current milestones, Lotus’s forward trajectory envisions the introduction of additional ‘lifestyle’ models, encompassing a sedan and a compact SUV, poised to emerge from their Wuhan, China facility. This production hub boasts a capacity of 150,000 units.

Lotus has encountered delays in the delivery of its inaugural Evija electric hypercar. Unveiled in 2019 with an initial target production year of 2020, the 1,973-horsepower coupe known as Evija was poised to make its mark. With the first customer deliveries anticipated for this year, Lotus aims to fulfil its commitment.