Lotus, the luxury electric vehicle (EV) company majority-owned by Geely Holding, recently announced a major brand revival milestone. The CEO of Lotus referred to the move as a significant achievement and revealed that the brand had sold over 2,000 units worldwide in December.
As part of its brand revival plan, Lotus Technology has changed its Chinese name to a more localized one. The company’s previous Chinese name, “路特斯,” was the English pronunciation of “Lotus.” However, the new Chinese name is now “莲花跑车,” which translates to “Lotus Race Car.”
This name change comes after Lotus successfully obtained a Chinese trademark for the new name. CEO Feng Qingfeng described this achievement as a historic legal victory and an important milestone in the brand’s revival journey.
Lotus first introduced its Vision80 strategy in 2018, aiming to transition into a global all-electric luxury technology brand by 2028. The company’s UK and China teams went through more than 20 years of litigation to secure Lotus-related trademarks. In December, Lotus achieved a significant milestone by selling more than 2,000 units worldwide.
Geely acquired Lotus in 2017, taking a 51% ownership stake in the company, which includes both Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering. In August 2021, Lotus established a new company in China called Wuhan Lotus Technology, with investment from Nio Capital.
In February 2024, Lotus Technology went public on the NASDAQ under the symbol “LOT” through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. The brand initially entered the Chinese market in 2011, using Chinese characters that corresponded to the pronunciation of the English name.
Currently, Lotus offers a range of vehicles, including the Emira, a gas-powered supercar, the Evija, an electric supercar, the Eletre, an electric SUV, and the Emeya, an electric coupe.
The brand’s recent name change and legal victories in trademark disputes signify a significant step forward in Lotus’s brand revival journey. With a strong focus on electric vehicles and luxury technology, Lotus is poised to make a significant impact in the automotive industry.
