- First buyers now visiting Hethel – the home of Lotus since 1966 – to collect their Emira
- Experience includes Factory Tour, car reveal and comprehensive handover workshop
- Many UK Emira customers already selecting Factory Collection during online ‘check-out’ process
- UK Lotus Centres now have demonstrators and are booking depositor test drives
Hethel, UK – 30 November 2022 Customer collections of the Lotus Emira from the Hethel factory where it’s built have now begun. The first recipient, Shaan Kodituwakku, travelled from his home in Edinburgh to pick up his V6 First Edition finished in stunning Hethel Yellow.
Factory Collection is an option for all Emira customers in the UK, and can be specified during the online ‘check-out’ process which completes their purchase through the Lotus Drive platform. It includes a fascinating tour of the Chapman Production Centre – the new assembly halls created as part of a £100m overhaul of Lotus’ UK facilities, and the home of the Emira. The walkaround delivers unparalleled access to the manufacture and hands-on assembly of the car, offering a true ‘up close and personal’ factory floor experience.
The tour is followed by the reveal of the customer’s new vehicle, plus a comprehensive handover workshop where the Emira’s numerous features and technologies are fully demonstrated. The finishing touch is the presentation of a framed image of their Emira as a souvenir of the day.
Shaan commented: “Factory Collection seemed like by far the best option to choose but I never for a second thought I would be the first to do it. When I arrived at Hethel I was greeted by a super-friendly security guard who knew my name, knew I was picking up an Emira and congratulated me! That was such a great feeling and worth the 4am start to fly down from Edinburgh.”
He added: “At the ‘moment of reveal’ of the car I was so excited, and it looked better than the photos and videos have shown and I was blown away. It and Lotus have exceeded my expectations. Overall, this is one very happy customer.”
Shaan was also impressed with the online check-out via Lotus Drive, calling it a seamless and easy process to follow. “It was clear what each stage was, what was required of me, and what the options were,” he explained.
Scott Walker, Head of Hethel Retail Operations, said: “Hethel has been the home of Lotus since 1966 and is unquestionably a ‘must-visit’ destination for many of our Emira customers. Factory Collection is already proving incredibly popular, and it’s thrilling for the team to be able to share this wonderful moment with people who are so genuinely excited to be visiting our spiritual home.”
He added: “Some guests have been to Hethel before, others are new to the Lotus brand and so have never been, but all leave hugely impressed with the site, the passion of the people, and the transition of Lotus from a UK sports car company to a global performance car business and brand.”
As well as Factory Collection, Emira customers can have their car delivered to their home or a convenient Lotus Centre.
Emira demonstrator drives are now available through Lotus Centres across the UK. Whilst demand has been extremely high, everybody wishing to experience an Emira will get the opportunity.
Ends
Notes to Editors
For more information please contact the Lotus Communications team:
Rob Borrett, Head of Media and Launch Programmes
+44 (0) 7718 560789
Richard Yarrow, Head of News and Technology Communications
+44 (0) 7471 994525
Alastair Florance, PR Manager
+ 44 (0) 7802 918662
Diederik Reitsma, PR Manager, European Markets
diederik.reitsma@eu.lotuscars.com
+ 31 651 939 185
Samantha Thomas, PR Officer, Product Press and Digital Media
+44 (0) 7909 813785
The Lotus media site – https://media.lotuscars.com – contains news, images, specifications and full details of current models, as well as heritage cars and engineering technology.
For the latest news and information from the Lotus PR Team please follow:
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About Lotus
Lotus Cars is based in Hethel, Norfolk, UK, and is the global HQ for sports car and hypercar manufacturing operations, Lotus Advanced Performance and the iconic 2.2-mile test track. Lotus Cars builds world-class high-performance cars, born out of legendary success on the racetrack including 13 FIA Formula 1 world titles and many other championship honours. In July 2021 Lotus unveiled the all-new Lotus Emira, its last petrol-powered sports car and best-of-breed, and in July 2019 it launched the Evija, the world’s first all-electric British hypercar. Customer deliveries of both cars will begin during 2022. In March 2022 Lotus revealed the Eletre, the world’s first all-electric hyper-SUV. Customer deliveries will begin in 2023. The Lotus Type 135, an all-electric sports car, is currently being designed and engineered at Hethel.
Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive consultancy services to many of the world’s OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. It is internationally recognised for its long-standing contribution to ground-breaking engineering and innovative vehicle development. Its expertise extends beyond automotive; in August 2021 a Lotus Engineering-developed track bike helped Team GB’s cyclists win seven medals, including three golds, at the Tokyo Olympics. An international consultancy with offices around the world, Lotus Engineering is headquartered at the Lotus Advanced Technology Centre on the University of Warwick’s Wellesbourne Campus in the UK.
Lotus Tech is an affiliate company of Group Lotus, established as part of the Vision80 strategy established in 2018. With operational assets across China, the UK and Europe, Lotus Tech is dedicated to delivering smart lifestyle battery electric vehicles (BEVs) such as the Eletre. Lotus Tech is focused on R&D in next-generation automobility technologies such as electrification, digitalisation and more. In addition to the Lotus Eletre, Lotus Tech plans to launch further BEV models including a sports sedan (Type 133) another SUV (Type 134) and more, as Vision80 reaches maturity in 2028.
Group Lotus is either the parent company of or affiliated with the above. In 2017, Geely Holding Group, one of the fastest growing automotive group in the world, acquired a 51% stake in Group Lotus. The other 49% is owned by Etika Automotive, a Malaysian conglomerate.