Elio Distribution And Direct Sales

[Rickb]

To sum up, there are three types of support facilities for the plant in Shreveport:

- Anticipated are about a dozen facilities that receive the 14 base car types from the plant. Their responsibility is to add options on the car to your specifications, after having received an order. The timetable for the building of these has not been announced.

- Anticipated are Retail Centers in the 60 major U.S. markets. Their sole function is to answer questions, be a showroom for vehicles and options, place orders, and receive completed vehicles for delivery. No technicians doing installations or warranty claims. The timetable for the building of these has not been announced.

- 800 Pep Boys facilities to perform warranty claims. To date, no information that factory options can be ordered or installed here.

There seems to be confusion regarding the defined roles for each of these.

The level of support for direct pickup in Shreveport has yet to be announced.

I think EM will partner with an established major auto sales/rental company like Enterprise........lease showroom space, staffed by Elio employees to provide sales and customer service assist. This would save millions on building and future building maintenance costs. It would also provide for a fast role out and every City has an Enterprise or two. Also, it would position the Elio for worldwide distribution via Enterprise Worldwide. EM/Enterprise fleet sales Elio's would be used for both rentals and test drives at the EME Locations.

 

[HHH]

I think EM will partner with an established major auto sales/rental company like Enterprise........lease showroom space, staffed by Elio employees to provide sales and customer service assist. This would save millions on building and future building maintenance costs. It would also provide for a fast role out and every City has an Enterprise or two. Also, it would position the Elio for worldwide distribution via Enterprise Worldwide. EM/Enterprise fleet sales Elio's would be used for both rentals and test drives at the EME Locations.

It's an interesting concept, but I outlined things as they currently have been stated, to minimize some confusion.

Intriguing as following the Pep Boys concept is for sales, I don't see it with the example presented. The one benefit I see is using the existing Enterprise facilities, rather than building new. The Enterprise facilities I've used were either tiny offices surrounded by parking lots filled with cars, or leased spaces within an airport. Both would need expansion, leaving you back to doing construction.

 

[goofyone]

I think EM will partner with an established major auto sales/rental company like Enterprise........lease showroom space, staffed by Elio employees to provide sales and customer service assist. This would save millions on building and future building maintenance costs. It would also provide for a fast role out and every City has an Enterprise or two. Also, it would position the Elio for worldwide distribution via Enterprise Worldwide. EM/Enterprise fleet sales Elio's would be used for both rentals and test drives at the EME Locations.

Everything I have seen from Elio Motors has them leasing retail space in strip mall type venues. This plan already avoids the added costs and issues versus having to build and maintain their own standalone retail showroom facilities as they will only be leasing and outfitting a relatively small sales space.

 

[Rickb]

It's an interesting concept, but I outlined things as they currently have been stated, to minimize some confusion.

Intriguing as following the Pep Boys concept is for sales, I don't see it with the example presented. The one benefit I see is using the existing Enterprise facilities, rather than building new. The Enterprise facilities I've used were either tiny offices surrounded by parking lots filled with cars, or leased spaces within an airport. Both would need expansion, leaving you back to doing construction.

But, hey, anything is possible.

Elio Stores won't need any more space than Tesla's direct sales centers in shopping malls. Only minimal square footage for an Elio Virtual on line sales desk, wall space to display Elio options, and the advantage of using the fleet Elio's for ouside sales and demos.

 

[Dusty921]

You would think that if the conservatives and the Conservative Republican Governernor of Michigan believed all their rhetoric about the value of unfettered free markets he would be advocating for Tesla's side of the contorversy and campaigning to break up the anti-free-enterprise car dealer monopolies. But since liberals like electric cars conservatives feel obligated to hate electric cars, and his support for free enterprise won't happen. Yes that is political and although it may not currently affect EM's plan for direct to consumer sales............because of it's motorcycle classification........that could change with the new autocycle classification. I like the idea of an electric Elio, but politically speaking may not be a good idea.

Rick, Rick, Rick,
You failed to realize that it's Michigan after all, and that explains the aversion to Tesla. There's no free market in Michigan. The Union Liberals in Michigan own the auto Industry and the Governor is only a ruse. After 61 continuous years of Liberal Democratic Mayors Detroit has all but stopped breathing. While lurking next door is an evil Republican Governor who has in four short years turned 9 Billion of debt into Millions of reserve. And, had the audacity to provide jobs and services to another dying Blue State. Unemployment from 9.1% to 6.7%, # 2 in Job Growth, and 17th in best states for business, up 26 spots from their Blue past.

Boy am I in trouble for this one!!! Politically speaking.
That's ok I like you anyway Rick

 

[Rickb]

Everything I have seen from Elio Motors has them leasing retail space in strip mall type venues. This plan already avoids the added costs and issues versus having to build and maintain their own standalone retail showroom facilities as they will only be leasing and outfitting a relatively small sales space.

I posted the idea of a sales partner on Elio FaceBook and the response was, "good idea, but we can't discuss it right now."

Strip Mall leased space would provide for fast roll out and be reasonably cost efficient as well.

 

[Rickb]

Rick, Rick, Rick,
You failed to realize that it's Michigan after all, and that explains the aversion to Tesla. There's no free market in Michigan. The Union Liberals in Michigan own the auto Industry and the Governor is only a ruse. After 61 continuous years of Liberal Democratic Mayors Detroit has all but stopped breathing. While lurking next door is an evil Republican Governor who has in four short years turned 9 Billion of debt into Millions of reserve. And, had the audacity to provide jobs and services to another dying Blue State. Unemployment from 9.1% to 6.7%, # 2 in Job Growth, and 17th in best states for business, up 26 spots from their Blue past.

Boy am I in trouble for this one!!! Politically speaking.
That's ok I like you anyway Rick

Dusty, Dusty, Dusty, We are fine politically speaking as I am an independent thinker and loathe politics, but do appreciate the role good government plays in our daily lives. Also, the role they are playing in support of EM. I hope politics doesn't screw it up. Did I mention that I loathe politics?

Tesla is building cars so they are part of the auto industry. Tesla Motors provides over 3000 jobs. The aversion to Tesla isn't the Auto Worker's Unions, but rather the Car Dealer's Association of America trying to pass legislation in both red and blue states because they don't like the Tesla's direct to consumer sales model.

Auto union workers are no more anti Tesla than they are anti Elio.

 

[LillyMayPatterson #1685 & #5648]

Dusty, Dusty, Dusty, We are fine politically speaking as I am an independent thinker and loathe politics, but do appreciate the role good government plays in our daily lives. Also, the role they are playing in support of EM. I hope politics doesn't screw it up. Did I mention that I loathe politics?

Tesla is building cars so they are part of the auto industry. Tesla Motors provides over 3000 jobs. The aversion to Tesla isn't the Auto Worker's Unions, but rather the Car Dealer's Association of America trying to pass legislation in both red and blue states because they don't like the Tesla's direct to consumer sales model.

Auto union workers are no more anti Tesla than they are anti Elio.

Union money and the kick back from the American Auto Dealers all go into supporting the reelection campaigns of the the protection promising government officials. We got them here too in OHIO. But, we've managed to get a few good apples in. Pray we get a few more and able to keep the few we have Tuesday.

 

[Craig]

Union money and the kick back from the American Auto Dealers all go into supporting the reelection campaigns of the the protection promising government officials. We got them here too in OHIO. But, we've managed to get a few good apples in. Pray we get a few more and able to keep the few we have Tuesday.

 

[Rickb]

Union money and the kick back from the American Auto Dealers all go into supporting the reelection campaigns of the the protection promising government officials. We got them here too in OHIO. But, we've managed to get a few good apples in. Pray we get a few more and able to keep the few we have Tuesday.

They are however very separate and the NADA is very worried about the Tesla customer and hopefully Elio customers having such a pleasant sales experience that the consumer will demand the same from Toyota, GM, and Ford eliminating the need for dealerships that provide a crappy sales experience.