New sales shake up means cars are now bought direct from the factory; here's how it will happen
By Matt Bird / Wednesday, March 2, 2022 / Loading comments
Somewhat lost in the news about the Type 132, the Emira, the last Elise (and everything else going on at Hethel) has been a radical change in how Lotus sells its cars. From the traditional wholesale business model – where dealers buy stock from the manufacturer – Lotus will employ an agency model, where customers buy direct from the manufacturer. In this scenario, used by Polestar among many others, the dealers become agents for the factory, meaning Lotus has much more control over the sales process.
Having kicked off agency sales with the Emira, Lotus has now launched ‘Drive’, its e-commerce platform for managing every aspect of direct buying and selling. Lotus Drive will allow customers to value their part exchange, spec their car on the new configurator, choose a payment method and place the order. The new system will give buyers the option of choosing from delivery at home, collecting at Hethel or picking up from one of the 13 dealership sites.
Though this move will have been partly motivated by the need to modernise every aspect of Lotus ahead of the electric era, the recent transformation in car sales will likely have contributed as well. As recently as 2019, the idea of an entirely online car purchase would have seemed pretty adventurous; now Lotus’s research suggests that 69 per cent of the people it surveyed expect to buy their next car without leaving the house.
Furthermore, a significant 88 per cent of those asked said they would prefer to buy direct from a car maker “if it’s a seamless online process.” That feels like quite an important caveat that Lotus Drive will have to get right. Later on down the line, it will give Lotus more influence over used car values, too, as cars financed by them will be sold back to the manufacturer.
For the moment, the new platform is only being offered in the UK for Emira V6 First Editions, promising “a logical and intuitive journey for the customer.” It’s live on the Lotus customer site, taking in every step from choosing colours and options to doing the finance credit check. Don’t blame us if it’s such a seamless process you end up ordering one…
Lotus’s Executive Director of Sales and Aftersales, Geoff Dowding, commented: “Lotus Drive gives us the ability to deliver a consistent and highly personal shopping experience to our customers. Additionally, it will allow us to understand what cars customers want and build them to order, as well as gather and use customer data to personalise offers.”
- Lotus Type 132 reveal due next month
- Last-ever Lotus Elise goes to its namesake
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