The Lotus Emira Sports Car Just Got Even More Difficult To Own For Americans

The list of automakers halting exports of cars to the US keeps growing. In addition to Stellantis, Infiniti, Jaguar, and Land Rover, Lotus is going to hold back the Emira as a result of the Trump administration’s car tariffs. The 400-horsepower sports car is the entry point for the brand, and is the only model with a price tag just under $100,000 (excluding destination charge). It’s a substantial difference to the Eletre electric SUV, which now starts at more than $200,000. Not only is the sports car going to be in limbo for the foreseeable future, but many people are losing their jobs.

Get An Emira While You Can

The Emira news comes to us from a forum called Lotus Talk, which was spotted by Car and Driver. A user shared a message they received from a local Lotus dealer explaining the news. Not only have imports been paused, but apparently production of the 2025 models, at least for the US, has, too. According to the dealer’s message, anyone with pending orders for a 2025 example will have to keep waiting until production and imports resume, and they may end up paying more than expected as a result of the tariffs. The only good news is that the dealer, and seemingly other Lotus dealers, still have new 2024 inventory. So customers can still get a new Emira, and for the expected price, if they’re willing to get one that’s already on a lot.

As for the lost jobs, Business Matters, a British business and financial news outlet, reports that Lotus is laying off 270 employees at its factory in Hethel. This is where the Emira and Evija are built, whereas the company’s Eletre and upcoming Emeya are built in China. According to the outlet, the company also laid off 200 other employees at the end of 2023, though for reasons unrelated to tariffs.

The Growing List Of Affected Cars And Jobs

The situation with Lotus has many similarities to those at other automakers, especially Stellantis. Stellantis paused production at its factories in Windsor, Canada, and Toluca, Mexico. The factories build both volume models such as the Chrysler Pacifica and Jeep Compass, as well as new EVs including the Dodge Charger Daytona and Jeep Wagoneer S. With those plants paused, 4,500 employees in Canada were temporarily laid off, along with 900 employees at parts factories in the US. Jaguar and Land Rover have paused all their exporting to the US, at least for the month of April. Infiniti did the same for its QX50 and QX55 models.

Related

Stellantis Idles Plants, Lays Off Employees Following Tariffs

The closures affect a broad range of vehicles for Stellantis.

Pricing is another issue. Ferrari has announced increased prices on a few of its cars, and Subaru hasn’t been able to guarantee pricing. Some automakers are trying to take steps to keep prices reasonably affordable. Stellantis and Ford have made employee pricing available for all customers, and Hyundai and BMW have guaranteed pricing won’t go up in the near term, but things could change depending on how long the tariffs stay in effect.

Source: Lotus Talk via Car and Driver, Business Matters