Lotus — Geely Holding — Who's really behind Chinese cars

"LOW-tus," same as the flower.

controlled since 2017

In 2017, Zhejiang Geely acquired a controlling 51% stake in British sports-car maker Lotus from Malaysia's DRB-HICOM (Proton's parent company) — a deal that brought the legendary marque investment it had lacked for decades. Since then, Lotus has balanced its heritage of lightweight sports cars with a new electric era funded by Geely.

Distinguishing feature

Lotus is the only British sports-car brand in Geely's portfolio, and its "add lightness" philosophy — favor less weight over more power — persists even in the age of heavy battery-electric cars.