P30 ?

[pistonboy]

They should paint the prototypes every color they offer the Elio vehicle in. Then take quality pictures from every angle and present these pictures to us when it comes time to choose our options (which will include color). The computer generated color pictures are not all that great.

 

[John Painter]

And I was wondering, will each P# be a new unit? You know, the P3 is reworked P2
So, they build the P5, do some testing, and make some changes, or modify the P5. Is it now a P6?

Elio Motors has said P5-30 will be the same, that's the point of their internal validation. Mind you none of these vehicles are being tested by NHTSA yet, if they ever do, since the Elio is not a "car" and they do not crash test motorcycles which is what the Elio is unless and until Congress changes that.

 

[John Painter]

Yes, that's what I was getting at. Are these all hand-tooled prototypes, or does this take us into "first off the line" cars produced in LA (not that L.A., the other one)?

They are being hand produced (that's why they're costly and take the time PE mentioned), they are also being produced by Technosports Creative still, not in Shreveport.

 

[John Painter]

If remember from over a year ago something about the first 25 cars (or some other such number) off the assembly line would be reserved for such purpose.
I think this is just shifting to a not yet fully automated manufacturing process before finalizing the assembling line.

Elio Motors has had plans to build these vehicles for testing purposes for several years now. Independent safety testing is done on random production line vehicles, that is not what this is. It is questionable if, for example, NHTSA would open the can of apples and oranges worms that a motorcycle like the Elio represents, they don't do crash safety testing on motorcycles.

 

[Thomas Maule]

It is my understanding that the P5 is the first reality check of the finished product. They put one complete production unit together (prototype 5), and make sure that no huge glaring mistakes have been created, that everything does in fact work... Once that's done I think they will shift straight to getting these test articles rolling off the assembly lines, staffed by comau, and some of the "trainers/managers" that will eventually lead the manufacturing crews... It does not need to be fast, just a validation and test run with people that will be around for the next phase... To do 25 more hand built prototypes seems to be unnecessarily expensive, slow, and a waste of a good opportunity, in my humble opinion. I think we are about to see the first real signs of life out of the Louisiana manufacturing plant. I know i have gotten used to thinking of it as that dead thing we all hope gets used again, one distant day... Well that day may be nigh...

 

[JEBar]

per EM's website : "We’re planning a network of stand-alone Retail Centers in the top 60 markets across the country. Larger markets will have more than one location." .... I was told by Jerome last December that each Retail Center will have at least two test drive vehicles (one AMT & one manual) .... I do know that they hope to be able to provide such vehicles as quickly as is possible so (just guessing) I wouldn't be surprised if some of the 25 would be designated for that use .... I can see how having a test vehicle available in heavy traffic areas could really boost orders

 

[Thomas Maule]

per EM's website : "We’re planning a network of stand-alone Retail Centers in the top 60 markets across the country. Larger markets will have more than one location." .... I was told by Jerome last December that each Retail Center will have at least two test drive vehicles (one AMT & one manual) .... I do know that they hope to be able to provide such vehicles as quickly as is possible so (just guessing) I wouldn't be surprised if some of the 25 would be designated for that use .... I can see how having a test vehicle available in heavy traffic areas could really boost orders

You could get a really effective first round of 10 vehicles, 5x2... to go on tour to the major population centers of the country, ASAP... while the others continue to complete testing efforts...

lets see... 26 new cars total:

1 P5, hand built prototype ( for sure )

25 Test Cars P6-30:

10 for crash testing

10 for tours/media/marketing

5 for various durability/range/mpg tests, ect...




Thats how I would do it anyways

 

[JEBar]

You could get a really effective first round of 10 vehicles, 5x2... to go on tour to the major population centers of the country, ASAP... while the others continue to complete testing efforts...

lets see... 26 new cars total:

1 P5, hand built prototype ( for sure )

25 Test Cars P6-30:

10 for crash testing

10 for tours

5 for various durability/range/mpg tests, ect...




Thats how I would do it anyways

reasonable estimate ..... one thing that was noted a while back, even with government crash test with automobiles, very few are actually crash tested .... it appears that software has advanced to the point where computer simulations have been substituted .... EM has long stated that they will use independent testing .... I tend to suspect that if the first one that they actually crash test performs as anticipated, I doubt they will actually crash many (if any) more .... if the first one fails, that would be a very different story

 

[BlioKart]

So when production time comes around will pre production Elios be made? Or will the P5-30 count as preproduction?

 

[karl]

The first vehicles off the line will also be preproduction. Once they are happy with how the line works the crash test vehicles will get randomly picked by the testing agency. The prototypes are to validate the design prior to manufacture.