Laut CEO wird Lotus im Rahmen einer neuen Tarifvereinbarung die erste chinesische Elektrofahrzeugmarke in Kanada
Lotus to become first Chinese EV brand in Canada under new tariff agreement, CEO says
Laut CEO wird Lotus im Rahmen einer neuen Tarifvereinbarung die erste chinesische Elektrofahrzeugmarke in Kanada
Lotus to become first Chinese EV brand in Canada under new tariff agreement, CEO says
22 Kommentare
Not BYD, seriously 😐
Sigh, so surprise surprise, Canada’s first Chinese EVs are gonna be luxury models that will probably sell for $120,000 CAD.
How foolish of me to think we’d get affordable models here.
Update: It has been pointed out that Lotus already has dealers in Canada so not surprising they’re first to the punch. Still hope to see affordable EVs too.
Update 2: Chinese Lotus is the UK Lotus, but owned by Geely now. All makes sense.
So many new brands in China. I haven’t heard of Lotus before.
For those that don’t know. Lotus is a British car brand that is majority owned by China’s Geely.
A did a quick search and the AI summery says this.
“Lotus Cars, founded in 1952 by Colin Chapman in Hethel, UK, is a renowned British manufacturer of lightweight, high-performance sports cars and, more recently, luxury electric vehicles (EVs). Now owned by Chinese multinational Geely, Lotus is transitioning from iconic models like the Elise and Evora to an all-electric lineup, including the Evija hypercar, Eletre SUV, and Emeya sedan”
So these appear to be high end and expensive cars. You can see them on the Lotus web site here.
https://www.lotuscars.com/en-CA
I might be missing some info and they may have some lower cost vehicles but this is what I found with a quick search.
I thought Lotus is UK?
Didn’t they specifically say the goal of this deal was to get sub 35k EVs into Canada? This seems like the wrong brand then…?
I thought the tariff deal was for EVs under $35k?
So definitely not a cheaper brand and more affordable cars for consumers then. Nothing has changed.
I actually think this could be a good move for Canada.
First, it opens the door to more economic engagement with China, which could create opportunities beyond just high-end EVs. Today it might be luxury vehicles, but down the line it could mean more competition and potentially more affordable options for consumers.
Second, it quietly signals to the U.S. that Canada has alternatives. Our trade relationship under CUSMA/USMCA is important, but it’s not the only option available to us. Canada represents a market of roughly 34–35 million adults today, and if long-term population projections toward ~100 million by 2100 hold, that market becomes even more significant.
Canada is rich in resources and talent, and we’re generally seen as a stable and trusted partner internationally. Being open to multiple economic relationships is just smart strategy.
I was hoping it would be BYD. The BYD 2.0 blade batteries could be a game changer for Canadian winters because they are better at maintaining capacity in cold weather, and also have much better range.
[This article talks about how cold weather affects the Blade 2.0 battery’s range and charging time](https://autonews.gasgoo.com/articles/ev/byd-raises-the-ceiling-for-ev-batteriesand-signals-new-phase-of-competition-2029908364610355200):
>Company testing indicates that the second-generation Blade Battery retains more than 85% of its capacity at –20°C, with winter range loss limited to roughly 15%. In extreme conditions of –30°C, the battery reportedly charges from 20% to 97% in about 12 minutes—only a few minutes longer than in moderate temperatures. The new dual-loop thermal-management system keeps cell temperatures within an optimal range of roughly 25–35°C, which BYD says can improve charging efficiency by about 50% at –10°C.
And [this article discusses the range of the new Blade 2.0 batteries on the WLTP and EPA scale, although I think the range is for normal temperatures only and for the Denza model](https://electrek.co/2026/03/05/byds-new-ev-battery-unlocks-1000-km-range-10-min-charging/):
>On the WLTP scale, it would be about 900 km (559 miles), and on the US EPA rating system, around 725 km (450 miles). Again, that’s more than enough for an average week (or for some, a month+) commute.
Glad I just bought a lightly used EV for 36k. It’s going to take far longer to get the cheap EVs into Canada…
God forbid we start seeing affordable cars for the average Canadian.
A Geely brand was always going to be the first mover on this opportunity. They have existing dealership infrastructure in the country with Volvo so it wasn’t going to be difficult for them to setup another brand here, compared to BYD who would basically have to start from scratch.
My view is that we can also probably expect Geely to also setup Smart in Canada (yes, the same Smart that made the SmartCar, they own it now and are producing some normal looking EVs in China) in the near future as an affordable option to build a full platform and complement their premium Volvo and Lotus brands.
But will they be able to turn into a submarine in case 7 feet tall assassins with steel teeth are chasing you?
I’d expect that any announcements and imports in the immediate future are going to be from brands that already exists in Canada. The actual tariff structure and process was only released and in effect at the start of this month, and it’s going to take a bit of time before companies without any North American presence to make their models follow the North American spec cars AND set up distribution here. This then naturally means brands that already have distribution in Canada is going to eat up most of the first half of the allocation.
It is apparently important to reiterate that the announcement was that half of the 49k car quota is reserved for cars below 35k CAD.
So Lotus being first has absolutely no impact on the low cost EV import potential, because they dont take away any from that reserved space.
not the brand we wanted :\
This will be an end to all car manufacturing in a Canada.
WHITE LOTUS………LOL
Lotus as in the company who made the Elise?
Does Lotus have its own separate EV brand? You can already purchase a Lotus if you want to in Canada.
From Wikipedia:
>Lotus Group is composed of three primary entities. Lotus Cars is a high-performance sports car company based in Hethel, Norfolk. Lotus Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: LOT) is an all-electric lifestyle vehicle company, headquartered in Wuhan, China, that operates regional facilities in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany.[3]