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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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 wrote:
My apologies everyone, I think I was the stupid one here.
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.
Isn't that what Chinese-owned companies do?
Take all the goods / expertise / secrets then cancel the deal?
No... really? The Chinese
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
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.