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Sports car maker Lotus has announced restructuring plans which could cut up to 550 jobs at its UK factory in Norfolk.

The carmaker said the decision comes at a time of uncertainty for the sector amid Donald Trump’s tariff hikes in the US.

The company has launched a consultation process to determine how many roles out of the around 1,300-strong workforce at the factory will be affected.

The UK headquarters, based in Hethel, has been the home of the sports car’s production since 1966.

Under the proposals, roles across divisions including engineering, manufacturing, and supporting services will be affected.

A spokeswoman for the group said: “The proposal is designed to enable Lotus Cars to operate with a flexible and agile business model, allowing it to ramp operations and resources in line with demand, as and when needed.

“We believe this is necessary in order to secure a sustainable future for the company in today’s rapidly evolving automotive environment, which is seeing uncertainty with rapid changes in global policies, including tariffs.”

The company added that restructuring is “vital to enhancing our future competitiveness in the market”.

It said: “The brand remains fully committed to the UK, and Norfolk will remain the home of the Lotus sports car, motorsports and engineering consulting operations.

In June, Lotus said it had “no plans” to close the factory following reports that Chinese owner Geely was proposing to shut its UK operations.