Lotus shows off new investment

Lotus' revival under Geely ownership has continued with news it has upgraded its Hethel HQ and created a new R&D hub as part of a multi-million-dollar investment in the British car-maker.

Upgrades to the Hethel headquarters in Norfolk are comprehensive and involve a new Electric Drive Unit test cell to develop pure-electric powertrains as well as an upgrade to Lotus' existing engine dyno.

Other new additions include what the car-maker calls a 'Propulsion Prototype' workshop that allows Lotus to build and test new engines, plus an upgraded vehicle emissions test lab.

Outside the now glass-fronted main building, Lotus' 3.5km test track has received a thorough revamp with the introduction of extra safety barriers, CCTV cameras and improved fire safety equipment.

As part of the revamp of Lotus, the small sports car-maker has also opened a new base for Lotus Engineering that is embedded in the University of Warwick's campus in the West Midlands.

This move, says engineering boss Matt Windle, will put the brand at the "cutting edge of automotive innovation".

In future, Lotus hopes, it will recoup the money ploughed into Lotus Engineering as the division expands its consultancy services for the car industry that most recently has seen it work with Jaguar Land Rover and two unnamed Japanese car brands.

In the past Lotus Engineering has expanded from just providing chassis tunes. The division now advises on developing new human-machine interfaces and can assist with the creation of architectures and platforms for future vehicles.

Lotus Engineering also advises other brands on how to develop advanced weight-saving techniques that are now crucial for lowering CO2 emissions.