I realize this will be a short thread.
I attended the tour event June 27 at Colton, CA. It was held in the parking lot of the Hampton Inn and Suites. The below information is from that event.
I had wondered how they could have a moon roof and be a marshalling center installed option. It looked to me like it would have to be installed at the manufacturing plant. I was told it would indeed be installed at the marshalling center. They would simply cut a hole in the roof and set the moon roof in place.
There are certain notable individuals on Y-Tube with “channels” dedicated to reviewing cars, and several of them are in LA. I learned that while the P4 was in LA at the time of the LA Invitation Only event, several were invited to test drive the Elio. Bliokart and I were at the LA Invitation Only event and we recognized one due to his trademark dark sunglasses. I am sure the others were present also. Their videos were all published shortly after the event, if you note their date. Some of them are:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vobEBqEISh8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgSWB3zX4D8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30UG77zIzI4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYbprouVRIw#t=16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGUO8AucxhQ
I particularly liked the comment by one about driving a truck and wanting to make sure his fishing rods and tackle box would fit in the Elio trunk. Being a Midwestern boy and having lived in the greater LA area for several years, I found that quite refreshing.
Prior to the tour event, I had heard vague references on the internet about the Elio method of design. At the tour event I heard a greater and very logical clarification of that, It is known Elio Motors brings all the suppliers together for summits where they design the vehicle as a group. This is a first for the suppliers and more respect than traditionally shown to them. They are extremely happy with it and telling the other car companies. I am sure the other car companies find their suppliers lecturing them about “The Elio Way” to be annoying. ( I hope they do not find it too annoying as they are very powerful.)
The idea of relocating the valve stem on the inside of the wheel for ease of access was mentioned, but I do not know if it is being considered by Elio Motors or just personally mentioned by the team member.
It was stated Cooper Tire is designing a new tire for the front. It is to be narrow in order to have less wind resistance but still be able to maintain the 0.85G force the vehicle is specified to withstand. I personally suspect this would require softer rubber which wears quicker. I also suspect there will eventually be other tire companies with tires of the same size for the Elio, but made of standard rubber, and thus less traction and not withstanding 0.85G.
I was told by a team member the P5 would be made by Comau at the Shreveport plant. What? Is this possible at this time? I thought it was Technosport. I expected Comau to assemble a few vehicles on the assembly line to verify it is set up properly, but I expected it to be later prototypes. Has the assembly line already been prepared for production? This is baffling to me.
I was told by Paul Elio at the LA Invitation Only event, that Elio Motors was expecting to achieve a production rate of 250,000 per year by 90 days into production. I mentioned this rate to one of the team members and they said the rate would start at 300 per day, increase eventually to 500 per day, and produce 60,000 the first year. This caused me worry. Had I severely misunderstood what Paul Elio said earlier? I asked another team member and he confirmed the 250,000 per year rate by 90 days.
I found the team to be very friendly and eager to help. It was a delight to talk to them. Obviously they did not think of it as “just a job”. It is something they believe it.
The model followed in training the tour personnel appears to be similar to the model followed in training show room personnel at dealerships: primarily knowledge of the model on display. But the people going to tour events are nothing like the people going to dealership show rooms. People visiting dealerships do not think of Chevy or Ford as movements that will change society. They do not ask about the company’s financial health, nor do they inquire how well engine development is progressing. Nor do they inquire about production rates, assembly lines, equipment sales on ebay, etc, etc, etc. The Elio tour personnel must deal with these subjects which no dealership person faces. If dealership show room personnel faced this, they would quit and very quickly. They could not handle it.
I believe it would be good if Elio Motors brought the tour personnel more into the loop of activities. They are the interface to the world, and their job is not simple.
I attended the tour event June 27 at Colton, CA. It was held in the parking lot of the Hampton Inn and Suites. The below information is from that event.
I had wondered how they could have a moon roof and be a marshalling center installed option. It looked to me like it would have to be installed at the manufacturing plant. I was told it would indeed be installed at the marshalling center. They would simply cut a hole in the roof and set the moon roof in place.
There are certain notable individuals on Y-Tube with “channels” dedicated to reviewing cars, and several of them are in LA. I learned that while the P4 was in LA at the time of the LA Invitation Only event, several were invited to test drive the Elio. Bliokart and I were at the LA Invitation Only event and we recognized one due to his trademark dark sunglasses. I am sure the others were present also. Their videos were all published shortly after the event, if you note their date. Some of them are:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vobEBqEISh8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgSWB3zX4D8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30UG77zIzI4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYbprouVRIw#t=16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGUO8AucxhQ
I particularly liked the comment by one about driving a truck and wanting to make sure his fishing rods and tackle box would fit in the Elio trunk. Being a Midwestern boy and having lived in the greater LA area for several years, I found that quite refreshing.
Prior to the tour event, I had heard vague references on the internet about the Elio method of design. At the tour event I heard a greater and very logical clarification of that, It is known Elio Motors brings all the suppliers together for summits where they design the vehicle as a group. This is a first for the suppliers and more respect than traditionally shown to them. They are extremely happy with it and telling the other car companies. I am sure the other car companies find their suppliers lecturing them about “The Elio Way” to be annoying. ( I hope they do not find it too annoying as they are very powerful.)
The idea of relocating the valve stem on the inside of the wheel for ease of access was mentioned, but I do not know if it is being considered by Elio Motors or just personally mentioned by the team member.
It was stated Cooper Tire is designing a new tire for the front. It is to be narrow in order to have less wind resistance but still be able to maintain the 0.85G force the vehicle is specified to withstand. I personally suspect this would require softer rubber which wears quicker. I also suspect there will eventually be other tire companies with tires of the same size for the Elio, but made of standard rubber, and thus less traction and not withstanding 0.85G.
I was told by a team member the P5 would be made by Comau at the Shreveport plant. What? Is this possible at this time? I thought it was Technosport. I expected Comau to assemble a few vehicles on the assembly line to verify it is set up properly, but I expected it to be later prototypes. Has the assembly line already been prepared for production? This is baffling to me.
I was told by Paul Elio at the LA Invitation Only event, that Elio Motors was expecting to achieve a production rate of 250,000 per year by 90 days into production. I mentioned this rate to one of the team members and they said the rate would start at 300 per day, increase eventually to 500 per day, and produce 60,000 the first year. This caused me worry. Had I severely misunderstood what Paul Elio said earlier? I asked another team member and he confirmed the 250,000 per year rate by 90 days.
I found the team to be very friendly and eager to help. It was a delight to talk to them. Obviously they did not think of it as “just a job”. It is something they believe it.
The model followed in training the tour personnel appears to be similar to the model followed in training show room personnel at dealerships: primarily knowledge of the model on display. But the people going to tour events are nothing like the people going to dealership show rooms. People visiting dealerships do not think of Chevy or Ford as movements that will change society. They do not ask about the company’s financial health, nor do they inquire how well engine development is progressing. Nor do they inquire about production rates, assembly lines, equipment sales on ebay, etc, etc, etc. The Elio tour personnel must deal with these subjects which no dealership person faces. If dealership show room personnel faced this, they would quit and very quickly. They could not handle it.
I believe it would be good if Elio Motors brought the tour personnel more into the loop of activities. They are the interface to the world, and their job is not simple.
