Report: Lotus Considering U.S. Production at Volvo's South Carolina Factory
Even with much deeper pockets from its Chinese parent company, Lotus has never been on the most comfortable financial ground. The company is looking at ways to get back on track, leading to reports that it could close its iconic Norfolk plant in the UK, but Lotus strongly denied those reports. That said, the company acknowledged that it is considering other solutions, one of which could involve a U.S. production arm.
CEO Feng Qingfeng told reporters that Lotus is “actively exploring strategic options to enhance efficiency and ensure global competitiveness in the evolving market. We are trying to leverage our U.S. strategy to catch up the losses due to the tariff hike. We believe that localization is a feasible plan.”
Auto factories are far from cheap, making it unlikely that Lotus would spin up a new facility here. Instead, Automotive News reported that the automaker would lean on Volvo’s South Carolina factory to build the Emira and other electric models. The factory has a 150,000-unit annual capacity, but Volvo has never utilized its full potential.
Lotus stopped imports in April due to the tariffs, but Feng said they would resume in August when deliveries of the 2026 Emira are due to start. Both of the automaker’s electric vehicles, the Eletre and Emeya, are built in China and not sold in the United States, though the Eletre made a brief appearance.
[Images: Lotus]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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LOTUSA?
Volvo and Lotus are both linked to Chinese automakers and are suffering brand identity drift. They are slowly emptying brands. Remind me of big box presence of once great brand names in sad, generic form.