The classic British luxury car brand strikes again

Author | Chai Xuchen

Editor | Wang Xiaojun

The domestic automotive industry is currently experiencing unprecedented prosperity, but homogenization is becoming increasingly severe. As Geely's supercar "white moonlight," Lotus is ready to "break the mold" this time.

On September 21, the new Lotus sports cars ELETRE and EMEYA were launched, marking an annual facelift primarily focused on upgrades to configurations and certain details. The new ELETRE offers 3 models, priced between 558,000 and 838,000 yuan; the new EMEYA also offers 3 models, priced between 538,000 and 828,000 yuan.

At the launch event, Lotus Group CEO Feng Qingfeng also addressed the industry, stating that in the development process of the automotive industry, although technology is constantly evolving and the times are advancing, only the spirit of originality can ultimately remain as the industry's wealth.

"The Chinese automotive industry should create some original works, should produce technologies that shock and earn respect from the world, rather than merely competing on price and achieving market share through 'alternatives,'" Feng Qingfeng candidly told Wall Street Journal.

This is indeed the case. Currently, players on the elimination table are caught up in competition, prioritizing survival, which forces them to cater to consumers' conflicting demands. Meanwhile, those truly investing in originality face the dilemma of receiving praise without sales. Clearly, this is a topic that the domestic automotive industry needs to contemplate.

At this moment, Lotus is determined to break through the narrative of internal competition.

It is understood that Lotus has made precise optimizations for the new EMEYA/ELETRE: starting from mainstream performance preferences, simplifying product models, and focusing on core configuration combinations, allowing users to avoid getting entangled in redundant options; core technologies closely related to driving experience, such as active stabilizer bars, rear-wheel steering systems, active rear wings, intelligent chassis, and carbon-ceramic brakes, have been made accessible to more users to experience the joy of driving.

Industry insiders point out that this dual-line strategy of "600 series balancing performance and lifestyle" and "900 series extreme driving" allows Lotus to penetrate the sports luxury niche market. Additionally, through the strategy of "price reduction + benefit unbundling," the starting price of Eletre/Emeya has been lowered to the 538,000 yuan range, directly impacting the market share of competitors like Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan.

Clearly, in the high-end pure electric market, Lotus has found its rhythm. The confidence behind Feng Qingfeng comes from Lotus's profound engineering technology foundation.

It is worth noting that the first electric sports car Roadster, which made Tesla famous, was developed based on the Lotus ELISE chassis, while Lotus itself has mass-produced the world's first pure electric supercar EVIJAX with over 2,000 horsepower. Now, Lotus is using intelligent active control technology to set a benchmark for balancing the engineering challenges of electric vehicle handling and comfort In fact, every technological breakthrough is hard-won. In addition to its digital chassis, the Lotus sports car also features several "black technologies," including an active dual-layer rear wing that can provide up to 215kg of downforce, active stabilizer bars, active rear-wheel steering that allows a 5-meter-long vehicle to navigate mountain roads, and ten-piston carbon-ceramic brakes.

Indeed, the market is increasingly declaring that there are not many who insist on driving control. After reclaiming the "Lotus" trademark this year, its aspirations have become clearer—stepping out of the "niche" and truly standing shoulder to shoulder with Ferrari and Porsche.

The Chinese luxury car market in 2025 is undergoing a deep adjustment. From January to July, overall sales have dropped by 30-40% year-on-year, with several traditional luxury brands mired in price wars. Against this backdrop, Lotus has taken a distinctly different path. In the second quarter, deliveries in China increased by 86% quarter-on-quarter and 31% year-on-year.

In the first half of this year, Lotus delivered a total of 2,813 new cars, achieving revenue of $218 million. Although still in a loss-making state, the adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) loss narrowed by 37% year-on-year to $240 million; operating losses also decreased by about 40%, narrowing to $263 million.

"The quality of our performance is far more important than the quantity," emphasized Qin Peiji, President of Lotus China. "We will not engage in brand-damaging actions due to short-term sales anxiety. Growth against the trend is not a miracle, but a natural result of our early layout and long-termism."

Lotus is proving to the industry that competition in the luxury car market can still be built on value and brand. Investors are also voting with their feet; recently, Lotus announced it has secured a $500 million funding commitment and 1.6 billion yuan in credit support.

In an increasingly restless market, Lotus has finally clarified its thoughts and found its direction of effort. The fate of this British luxury car brand may also be on the verge of a turning point.

"Our breakeven point is not particularly high; selling over 30,000 cars a year will achieve that, which is our plan for next year," revealed Feng Qingfeng, CEO of Lotus Group, to Wall Street Insights.

To this end, Lotus has formulated two major strategies: first, to reshape its strategy for the United States. In terms of sales composition, the U.S., China, and Europe are Lotus's three major markets. Among them, the U.S. is undoubtedly the world's largest sports car market, making its strategic importance unquestionable. Under the pressure of tariffs, with no short-term solutions, Lotus can only prioritize expanding its markets in China and Europe.

If it can successfully navigate the challenges ahead, Lotus can still become a dazzling luxury car brand under Geely, returning to the center stage of the supercar arena.

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