Currently reading: Lotus ends Evija development contract with Williams Advanced Engineering

Engineering firm begins legal action against Lotus, claiming decision is "wrongful and without any legal basis"

Lotus has terminated its technical partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), which had seen the two firms work together on the all-electric Evija hypercar.

In an official statement, Lotus said: "Williams Advanced Engineering has been a technical partner, bringing specific high voltage and battery development expertise to the Evija hypercar project.

"As the programme entered its latter stages pre the Covid lockdown, Lotus elected to bring the project in house due to delivery problems from Williams Advanced Engineering. Lotus will complete and enhance the programme in house as referred to in previous statements about our new Advanced Technical Centre in Warwickshire and the revised Evija production timetable.  

"The end result will be a better product as we introduce not only the most powerful production car in the world, but also the world's best electric car for the drivers."

WAE claims Lotus’ decision is “wrongful and without any legal basis, made for Lotus/Geely’s unrelated commercial reasons”. 

The engineering firm also claims that any allegations from Lotus that it breached the terms of the agreement, signed in January 2019, are “false and contrived”. 

WAE is now taking legal action against Lotus on grounds of wrongful termination and will pursue compensation for invoices that are claimed to have gone unpaid since April 2020. 

According to WAE, the decision puts a number of UK jobs at risk and jeopardises the launch of the Evija, which was recently delayed because testing could not take place during the pandemic

WAE claimed the project is “now in its latter stages” and that it had “continued to perform outstanding work and progress the project despite the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

“WAE wishes to make clear that this issue has no impact on its existing projects, customers and partners,” it added.

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Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years. 

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manicm 3 September 2020

Would the idiots stop about

Would the idiots stop about China? Firstly if Geely wanted to cut costs they wouldn't have Lotus make the stupid, yes stupid decision to launch a 2m pound car first, do you think Williams's consulting cost would make such a dent?

My guess is they've mastered the knowledge and now want to renege in the LEGAL agreement with Williams. They can be thus sued.

Just stop saying stupid things.

manicm 3 September 2020

manicm wrote:

manicm wrote:

Would the idiots stop about China? Firstly if Geely wanted to cut costs they wouldn't have Lotus make the stupid, yes stupid decision to launch a 2m pound car first, do you think Williams's consulting cost would make such a dent?

My guess is they've mastered the knowledge and now want to renege in the LEGAL agreement with Williams. They can be thus sued.

Just stop saying stupid things.

My apologies everyone, I think I was the stupid one here.

soldi 2 September 2020

Sad day for the UK

Even though neither are British companies anymore, it's sad to see such a ding-dong going on between two UK-based companies.

Neither one will cover themselves with glory and whilst lawyers will make a fortune, both Williams and Lotus will lose.

Sad day.

gavsmit 2 September 2020

Isn't that what Chinese-owned companies do?

Take all the goods / expertise / secrets then cancel the deal?

Marc 2 September 2020

No... really? The Chinese

No... really? The Chinese wouldn't be that underhand.
lambo58 2 September 2020

Thats right- they wouldnt.

Thats right- they wouldnt. Just a silly spat between two incompetant idiot companies over a daft hypercar that has no relevance in the real world except for the morons that buy them and the gleeful so called journalists that like to drive them

 

CarNut170 3 September 2020

Other than to utterly destroy

Other than to utterly destroy every lambo ever built over a 1/4 mile? ;-)

Quite the opposite of wat you state. This is Geeley posing a statement to the world that they are coming for Porsche - that they are coming for VAG.

Quite a serious motor indeed.