LONDON: Centrica plc, the parent company of British Gas, and Lotus are working together to develop a new model for electric vehicle ownership that integrates future mobility and energy.
By making the car an extension of the home, capable of storing electricity, minimising emissions and generating new income by providing services to the energy market, the companies aim to redefine the customer relationship with cars – one controlled by smart devices at home and on the move.
The energy company will also facilitate a sustainability programme that leverages innovative, low carbon technologies, and helps mitigate the environmental impact of everything from manufacturing through to sales and the day-to-day activities of Lotus employees, helping meet Lotus’ carbon reduction aspirations.
The new partnership will help form a new global charging and energy infrastructure for new products as part of Lotus’ move to net-zero carbon following huge investment into the business since 2018.
“We are committed to helping our customers and communities achieve net-zero and to do so, we must enable the change to electric vehicles," said Centrica Group CEO Chris O’Shea.
"The future of mobility is a huge opportunity for providing value-added services to the consumer and this platform will put Lotus at the forefront of that digital mobility ecosystem," said Lotus executive director for corporate strategy Uday Senapati.
In summary, the partnership sees the two companies adopting a multi-work-stream strategy together, covering:
> A dedicated Lotus EV Energy strategy
> Charging infrastructure serving Lotus’ global network and customers
> De-carbonisation strategy for Lotus operations globally
> A breakthrough new energy product and platform integrating connected vehicles, homes and customers to support the growth in digital mobility lifestyle
Group Lotus is part of Geely Automotive, which has also bought a strategic stake in Proton. Geely has a 51% controlling stake in Lotus, with the rest taken up by Malaysia's Etika Automotive, which is owned by tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary.
