British sports car brand will maintain its Hethel headquarters as 130 engineers relocate to the Midlands
23 Jul 2020 | 4628 Views | By James Attwood, Autocar UK
British sports car firm Lotus will establish a new advanced technology centre in partnership on the campus of the University of Warwick, with the facility playing a key role in the development of future electric powertrains.
The new facility will be built on the University of Warwick’s Wellesbourne campus and will include ...
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British sports car firm Lotus will establish a new advanced technology centre in partnership on the campus of the University of Warwick, with the facility playing a key role in the development of future electric powertrains.
The new facility will be built on the University of Warwick’s Wellesbourne campus and will include offices, workshops and laboratory space. As well as an advanced technology centre for Lotus Cars, the site will be the headquarters of Lotus Engineering, the consultancy division of Geely-owned Group Lotus.
Around 130 engineers will work at the site initially, with Lotus saying it offers “capacity for many new jobs as the facility is further established”. The advanced technology centre will complement Lotus Cars’ existing base in Hethel, Norfolk, which employs around 500 staff.
Lotus Cars boss Phil Popham described Wellesbourne as “the perfect home” for the new centre. He added: “Our engineering and R&D strategy around advanced propulsion systems is lock-in-step with the government’s vision and broader global ambitions for a low-carbon automotive future.
“We look forward to working in collaboration with government and with our new campus neighbours on this future. Having research partners at the university will bring significant benefits, as will the Midlands location, which is both very accessible and home to a rich pool of automotive talent.”
Lotus is currently gearing up to launch the Evija electric hypercar, which will be followed by a range of electric and electrified models. Autocar UK understands that a new sports car powered by a hybridised V6 powertrain will be revealed next year, possibly reviving the Esprit nameplate.
Matt Windle, Lotus Cars’ engineering boss, said: “Our team and specialist skills have grown significantly in the last two years as renewed impetus has been put in to the business with new shareholders and management.
“The all-electric Evija hypercar is the first new Lotus Cars product for us to deliver, with significant focus on this at Wellesbourne as we complete the project and continue to advance its technologies for our future programmes.”