August17
Contrary to an earlier report, Lotus says it will not be building the Europa, or any other car, in China within the next 5 years.
This goes against what Jinhua Neoplan has asserted in a number of articles in the Chinese press, including the China Daily. The truth was discovered in an e-mail sent out to Lotus staff. The email also said that such reports “could affect staff morale or performance” and that “in the future please treat such press comments with the skepticism they deserve.”
Proton, parent company of Lotus, has entered into an agreement with China’s Jinhua Neoplan Vehicle Co. that will see the Lotus Europa built in China. Production for the Europa will be at Jinhua Neoplan’s plant in Jinan, China.
According to the China Daily, the two companies are also working together on producing a four-door sedan. Until now, Jinhua Neoplan had only been producing buses, but plans on producing 150,000 cars annually for the Chinese market as well as export.
No doubt–China will be, if not the number 1, certainly one of the most important car markets for all car makers before too long. I can see why all car manufacturers want to get a foot-hold in the country, especially with production facilities.
But I’m wary of China-made auto products from the quality standpoint. This Lotus story is a case in point. The highly specialized Europa will be built at a plant that before now has only made buses. I’m guessing there is very little production technique or quality review that these two vehicles have in common. It took BMW a long time before it contracted out production of its cars to third-parties, but the BMW volume numbers basically made it a necessity. A low-volume niche company like Lotus would have little reason to build cars in China, but for the lower cost. Will the production quality match expectations for the brand? I’m not saying the Chinese can’t make quality anything, but for the time being there is a concern
China’s part of europe?
Scar: I agree with you, but i think all these companies have investigated the kind of quality China can come up with, and found it acceptable.
Will the consumers find it acceptable?
it will cost a fishhead, a bowl of rice, and the threat of not being killed for body parts to build one; and and then it will be sold for a hundred grand. who gets the better deal?
Trust me, the Chinese can build a more reliable product than the Brits.
LOL, exactly RicardoHead so Lotus built in China is actually an improvement. Heck they’re owned by the Malaysians anyway. Just check out the easily peeled sticker logo on the back of the Exige.
and maybe if they send products containing lead in it to customers, the CEO will hang himself too.
Scar it already is the most important market. It’s an overpopulated country in which, along with India, over 1,000,000,000 people live…and when they finally get out of poverty they will need cars. A country that has 4 times as many people as the United States does, will one day need much more cars than we do.
This is not good. The Chinese do not build safe cars regardless if it is a Lotus they are producing.
The “europa” built in china. Thats almost as bad as the jetta “wolfsburg” built in mexico.
Whatever guys. It’s a xxxxing free for all now in the auto world. Go with what the public consensus is, that’s all. Don’t be the first guy you know to buy one of these Chinese cars.
I don’t have a good feeling about any product that comes from china. This year alone we had the video of cars that fold up like origami, recalls of Chinese tires, tainted toothpaste, pet food and lead coated childrens toys. There is no quality control. If I were a low volume, excusive brand manufacturer I would steer clear of china just so my brand doesn’t get associated with the other low quality products the country produces.
Build quality on some lotus’s are shocking already, can’t be that much worse
Driven: I see where you’re coming from
I see cheap Lotuses for everyone. Who’s complaining??? Just like everywhere else, the Chinese build to specs. If the problem is in the engineering, don’t blame the manufacturer. Now if they were shoddily building well engineered models, that would be another story…
YAY!! great news
OMG OMG OMG UUUUUgggghhhh……Came to soon, typical LLN
Bad decision. Lotus quality will continue to be at the sub-sub-par british levels instead of the merely sub-par chinese levels.
It WOULD be a bad decision to have Lotus build their cars in China. Lotus shouldn’t be biting their nails over the price tag, as they already have that packed down. Keep quality in check for the time being.
aw shucks, i was hoping the same people that could build the europa would be building hot wheels cars too
can we still get the lead paint option?
Thanks Lotus! I would hate to see your cars made in China.
RicardoHead: The Lotus Elise and Exige are great DRIVER’s cars. We who own one love them and quality isn’t bad at all. They are made perform outstanding due to low weight and great grip! They are also economical to run.
They run in circles around much more powerful cars on twisty roads. “Precision tools!”
god…i cant believe anyone believed a Chinese newspaper
oh thats right…its LLN
BUILT IT IN ITALY THEN…..AH AHHHH!!