Lotus has proposed making at least 30 workers redundant across Norfolk, after it said it had discovered “a more efficient process” for producing its cars. 

The latest layoffs would affect permanent employees at the company’s Hethel site and its learning academy on Hurricane Way in Norwich, with those working in manufacturing, facilities and materials handling the worst hit.

The company said it had also let go a number of agency staff.

It comes after the firm said it had achieved “record production levels” in 2023.

The redundancies also come less than six months after the firm laid off around 100 staff in July last year, having made a loss of £145.1m before tax the year prior.

A spokesman for Lotus Group said: “The latest organisational changes at Lotus Cars are part of Lotus's wider strategy to deliver on its promise to become an all-electric luxury technology brand and ensure that we can compete effectively on the global stage and continue on the path to long-term, sustainable growth.

“Over the last year, Lotus achieved record production levels in the UK and in doing so identified a more efficient process where we can deliver our future target production volumes with less people on shift. 

“We are primarily reducing agency workers across manufacturing and material handling, who have supported ramping up production levels.”

Lotus produced 2,200 vehicles at its Hethel site in the final six months of 2023, representing a 381pc increase on last year.

The bulk of the vehicles built were the Emira sports car, the first new car launched by Lotus since Chinese-owned Geely snapped up a 51 per cent stake in the business in 2017.

The company also grew its order book to 17,000 vehicles worldwide for the Eletre, Lotus’ first electric 'lifestyle hyper-SUV'.