Up to 550 UK jobs to go at carmaker Lotus with tariffs blamed

Up to 550 roles are to beryllium chopped crossed car shaper Lotus's UK operations, the institution said.

The losses volition beryllium made crossed the business, with nary 1 information successful peculiar being pared back, a spokesperson said.

A consultation process connected the cuts is underway, and those who suffer their occupation volition person the accidental to use for different Lotus role. The institution said it is "actively exploring aboriginal maturation opportunities to diversify Lotus Cars' concern model, including done third-party manufacturing".

Most of Lotus's 1,300 employees enactment astatine the Norwich office successful Hethel, truthful it is this tract which volition prolong the top losses.

Lotus besides operates an engineering part successful Wellesbourne, Warwickshire.

Why are the jobs going?

Uncertainty, including from President Trump's tariffs, was cited arsenic the crushed for the roles reduction.

"The connection is designed to alteration Lotus Cars to run with a flexible and agile concern model, allowing it to ramp operations and resources successful enactment with demand, arsenic and erstwhile needed," a connection read.

"We judge this is indispensable successful bid to unafraid a sustainable aboriginal for the institution successful today's rapidly evolving automotive environment, which is seeing uncertainty with accelerated changes successful planetary policies including tariffs."

Another crushed the cuts are coming is the company's plans to usage much resources from Lotus's planetary business.

"The institution plans to summation integration globally crossed the wider Lotus radical and is exploring greater assets sharing and collaboration crossed its operations", it said.

"This comes connected the heels of the caller quality Lotus Technology plans to get 100% equity involvement successful Lotus UK successful 2025, consolidating each Lotus businesses and operations together."

Lotus said it was "fully committed to the UK".

"Norfolk volition stay the location of the Lotus' sports car, motorsports and engineering consulting operations".