Lotus has formally regained using its emblem, identify, and Chinese language trademark in a authorized deal. This comes because the model broadcasts file gross sales in December 2024, which it claims makes Lotus 2024 among the many high three ultra-luxury automotive manufacturers.
Gross sales in December for the primary time had been over 2000 globally, though an actual determine has but to be printed. It is a file for the Lotus model. The declare has additionally been made that Lotus now ranks among the many high three ultra-luxury manufacturers. It needs to be famous, nonetheless, that what this implies has but to be outlined.
It’s additionally been reported that Lotus Group CEO Feng Qingfeng issued an inside announcement Stating that Lotus has gained its authorized case. Because of this from December 7, 2024, the spherical Lotus emblem, Chinese language language trademark Lianhua, and wordmark have been returned to the Lotus Group.
Lotus has been bought as Lotus NYO since Geely acquired a controlling stake in 2017. The issue with the Lotus identify stems again to a take care of the Youngman Group in China throughout the early 2000s.
Initially, the deal included distribution rights for Lotus together with the precise to the Chinese language identify Lianhua (Chinese language for Lotus). Underneath the deal, Youngman imported the Lotus Europa.
From 1996, the Lotus model was largely owned by the Malaysian automotive firm Proton. Youngman additionally did a take care of Proton which lined the supply of 30,000 CKD kits for what was often known as the Proton GEN-2 in Malaysia.
This was the beginning of manufacturing Proton based mostly automobiles by the Youngman Group. The Jinhua, Zhejiang Province-based firm then employed Lotus Engineering for the challenge. Automobiles turned branded as Europestar with the wording “Engineered by Lotus.” Later, the Europestar model identify was dropped altogether, and the automobiles had been merely labelled as Lianhua.
It’s reported that the contract between Youngman and Proton expired in 2012, though the corporate continued to supply Proton base automobiles up till some level in 2015.
Each the UK facet and Geely have been in prolonged authorized proceedings in China to attempt to wrest management of the identify again from the Youngman Group.
It’s claimed that the victory in December comes after 5 years of labor on the Chinese language facet and greater than 20 years of litigation proceedings on the British facet.
This implies it’ll now not be essential to label Lotus in China as Lotus NYO.
2025 will probably be a key yr for Lotus being the 75th anniversary of System One And the 50th anniversary of the Esprit.
Sources: Quick Expertise, IT Dwelling,
![Hyundai’s new IONIQ 6 already looks like a major upgrade on the road [Video]](https://ecodrivedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Hyundais-new-IONIQ-6-150x150.jpeg)
