British classic luxury car brand strikes again

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Author | Chai Xuchen

Editor | Wang Xiaojuan

At present, the domestic auto industry is experiencing unprecedented prosperity, but homogenization is becoming increasingly severe. As Geely's supercar "white moonlight", Lotus is now ready to "break the cycle".

On September 21, the new Lotus sports cars ELETRE and EMEYA were launched. This is an annual facelift, mainly upgrading configurations and some details. The new ELETRE offers three models, priced at 558,000 to 838,000 yuan; the new EMEYA offers three models, priced at 538,000 to 828,000 yuan.

At the press conference, Lotus Group CEO Feng Qingfeng also called out to the industry, saying that in the development process of the auto industry, although technology keeps evolving and times are constantly progressing, only original spirit is the industry's true legacy.

"China's auto industry should do some original work, should develop technology that amazes and earns the respect of the world, rather than simply competing on price and gaining market share through 'substitute' products," Feng Qingfeng told Wallstreetcn directly.

This is indeed the case. Currently, players at the knockout round table in the market are being swept up by fierce competition, prioritizing survival first, which forces them to cater to consumers' "have it all" demands. True innovators dedicated to originality are caught in the dilemma of receiving praise but not sales. Clearly, this is an issue the domestic auto industry needs to consider.

At this moment, Lotus is determined to break out of the cycle of involution.

It is understood that this time Lotus has precisely optimized the new EMEYA/ELETRE: starting from mainstream performance preferences, streamlining product versions, focusing on core configuration combinations so that users do not need to struggle with redundant options; cascading "high-perception" core technologies strongly linked to the driving experience such as active stabilizer bars, rear wheel steering system, active rear wing, intelligent chassis, and carbon-ceramic brakes, allowing more users to enjoy the fun of driving control.

Industry insiders pointed out that through the dual-track strategy of "600 series balancing performance and lifestyle" and "900 series ultimate driving", Lotus is entering the sporty luxury submarket. Also, by lowering the entry price and unbundling benefits, Eletre/Emeya's starting price has dropped to the 538,000 yuan range, directly challenging market share from established rivals like Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan.

Clearly, in the high-end pure electric market, Lotus has found its own rhythm. Feng Qingfeng's confidence comes from Lotus's deep engineering roots.

It should be noted that Tesla's first electric sports car Roadster, which made it famous, was developed on the basis of the Lotus ELISE chassis, and Lotus itself mass-produced the world's first pure electric supercar with over 2,000 horsepower—EVIJAX. Now, Lotus uses intelligent active control technology to set a benchmark for balancing handling and comfort in electric vehicles.

Indeed, every technological breakthrough is hard-won. In addition to the digital chassis, Lotus sports cars also have several "black technologies," including an active twin-layer rear wing offering up to 215 kg of downforce, active stabilizer bars, active rear wheel steering that makes a 5-meter-long car handle mountain roads, and ten-piston carbon ceramic brakes.

Admittedly, the market keeps saying that few people still persist with driving control. After regaining the "Lotus" trademark this year, Lotus's ambitions have become clearer—to move out from "niche and obscure" to truly stand shoulder to shoulder with Ferrari and Porsche.

The Chinese luxury car market in 2025 is undergoing a deep adjustment. Overall sales from January to July fell 30-40% year-on-year, and many traditional luxury brands are mired in price wars. Against this backdrop, Lotus has taken a radically different path. In the second quarter, deliveries in China rose 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. Despite still being in a loss-making position, adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) loss narrowed 37% year-on-year to $240 million; operating losses also shrank by about 40% to $263 million.

"The gold content of our performance far outweighs any water content," Lotus China President Qin Peiji emphasized, "We will not do anything to hurt the brand just because of short-term sales anxiety. Counter-cyclical growth is not a miracle, but rather the natural result of our early planning and long-termism."

Lotus is proving to the industry that competition among luxury cars can still be built on value and brand. Investors are voting with their feet; recently, Lotus announced a $500 million funding commitment and a 1.6 billion yuan credit line.

In an increasingly impetuous market, Lotus has finally clarified its thinking and found its direction. The fate of this old British luxury car brand may be heading towards a turning point.

"Our breakeven point is not particularly high—selling just over 30,000 cars a year is enough to reach it. This is our plan for next year," Lotus Group CEO Feng Qingfeng revealed to Wallstreetcn.

To this end, Lotus has formulated two major strategies: first, to reshape its US strategy. Looking at the sales breakdown, the US, China, and Europe are Lotus's three major markets. Among them, the US, as the world's largest sports car market, is strategically important without question. Under the weight of tariffs, since the short-term problem cannot be solved, Lotus can only prioritize expanding the Chinese and European markets.

If Lotus succeeds in breaking through later, it can still become Geely's shining luxury car brand and return to the center stage of supercars.

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