Friday Blog Is Out

Watashiwah said:

Response from Elio Motors question, posted above:


The Elio Customer Experience Team (Elio Motors)
May 20, 10:42 EDT

He does, what exactly are you looking for from Paul, Rick?

Make sure to check out our blog at www.eliomotors.com/blog

Thank you,
The Elio Team

————————

At least there is someone alive there!

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That was a bit of a passive aggressive response, but if they really want to know what we'd like for him to say, personally I'd like for him to elaborate on the last press release they issued way back in September of '18.

1. "Elio announced that they had entered into a memorandum of understanding with a Fortune 500 OEM, to provide the engine foundation as part of a new powertrain for the Elio vehicle."
Who is the engine supplier and which specific engine?

2. "Roush will integrate the new powertrain into Elio’s prototype in order to begin preliminary testing procedures."
Has any of this been done? If not, why not? If so, what were the results of the preliminary testing?

The last time I heard Paul speak was May 11, 2018. The last press release (as mentioned in the post above) September 27, 2018. That’s 7 months 23 days or 44% into a 76 week timeline.

Yeah, someone is alive, but now that you have them talking, what are you going to ask of Paul?
Keep the dialog rolling.

Don't be a dweeb and leave it there, ask him something.

Coss said:

Yeah, someone is alive, but now that you have them talking, what are you going to ask of Paul?
Keep the dialog rolling.

Don't be a dweeb and leave it there, ask him something.

Click to expand...

I would put it this way.

I was looking for some engineering, R&D and testing updates. The information in the blogs are dated and have been repeated, so something more recent (i.e. 2018 to today) would be appreciated but not something that is in the existing blogs or press releases.

A few questions that I have are:

1. Has Roush installed the new Fortune 500 powertrain? If so, has it been driven and what are your impressions of the performance?
2. Have you stamped out steel body panels yet? If so, does it include the new gas filler location and rerouted exhaust?
3. Have you physically moved the battery to the rear?
4. How’s the progress on the cold weather, hot weather and durability testing going?
5. What solution have you come up with when manufacturing the Elio as it only has one door and that only allows for a single access point for the interior and right side equipment (window regulator, shifter, window etc)?
6. Can you show a video of the windscreen wiper in operation?


There, those questions do not violate the SEC gag order. These are simple questions that are similar in nature as to what Elio produced in the blog AFTER they went public. Nothing to do with money or fundraising. Paul has a BSME and runs an engineering firm. So these are super simple questions that would take the same amount of time to answer as to down a Venti Pike Place Coffee from Starbucks. As an incentive, tell him you’ll send him a $20 Starbucks gift card in exchange for a few minutes out of his busy schedule.

Ok Coss, I accept your challenge!! I just emailed Elio Motors this:



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Well, for starters..... setting aside all the obvious questions investors and buyers might have, there are two overriding questions:

1. How can one ‘secure a place in line’ when there either is no ‘line,’ the ‘line’ may change with future ‘buyers’ and / or there is no product to ‘line’ up for?

2. Considering that Hari Iyer (a principal of ESG Engineering) was involved in numerous other projects that relied on obtaining the DoE ATVM loan, but was never successful, was it an early part of the ‘business plan’ to again pursue this elusive loan, didn’t it seem unlikely that essentially a smaller conventional engine would satisfy ‘advanced technology’ requirements, and most importantly, was the loan denial a part of the ‘exit strategy?’

Thanks!!

Rick
—————-
Added in edit, but not submitted to Elio Motors:

I should have posed a third question, will try later:

Did Paul (and ESG Engineering) think their new internal combustion engine’s performance would be compelling enough to receive the Department of Energy Advanced Technology loan? And why would he / they think that an ‘upstart’ could ‘out engineer’ the already huge, viable, successful, and proven engine manufacturers?

Just for the record, I refuse to ask them insulting questions, such as:

Where did the money go, and what did Elio Motors get from ESG Engineering for all that money?

Watashiwah said:

Ok Coss, I accept your challenge!! I just emailed Elio Motors this:



———————————
Well, for starters..... setting aside all the obvious questions investors and buyers might have, there are two overriding questions:

1. How can one ‘secure a place in line’ when there either is no ‘line,’ the ‘line’ may change with future ‘buyers’ and / or there is no product to ‘line’ up for?

2. Considering that Hari Iyer (a principal of ESG Engineering) was involved in numerous other projects that relied on obtaining the DoE ATVM loan, but was never successful, was it an early part of the ‘business plan’ to again pursue this elusive loan, didn’t it seem unlikely that essentially a smaller conventional engine would satisfy ‘advanced technology’ requirements, and most importantly, was the loan denial a part of the ‘exit strategy?’

Thanks!!

Rick

Click to expand...

The questions you asked are a bit combative and I doubt you will get an answer

Watashiwah said:

Ok Coss, I accept your challenge!! I just emailed Elio Motors this:



———————————
Well, for starters..... setting aside all the obvious questions investors and buyers might have, there are two overriding questions:

1. How can one ‘secure a place in line’ when there either is no ‘line,’ the ‘line’ may change with future ‘buyers’ and / or there is no product to ‘line’ up for?

2. Considering that Hari Iyer (a principal of ESG Engineering) was involved in numerous other projects that relied on obtaining the DoE ATVM loan, but was never successful, was it an early part of the ‘business plan’ to again pursue this elusive loan, didn’t it seem unlikely that essentially a smaller conventional engine would satisfy ‘advanced technology’ requirements, and most importantly, was the loan denial a part of the ‘exit strategy?’

Thanks!!

Rick
—————-
Added in edit, but not submitted to Elio Motors:

I should have posed a third question, will try later:

Did Paul (and ESG Engineering) think their new internal combustion engine’s performance would be compelling enough to receive the Department of Energy Advanced Technology loan? And why would he / they think that an ‘upstart’ could ‘out engineer’ the already huge, viable, successful, and proven engine manufacturers?

Just for the record, I refuse to ask them insulting questions, such as:

Where did the money go, and what did Elio Motors get from ESG Engineering for all that money?

Click to expand...

Why bother if all you were going to do is insult their intelligence or question their integrity?

Watashiwah said:

Ok Coss, I accept your challenge!! I just emailed Elio Motors this:



———————————
Well, for starters..... setting aside all the obvious questions investors and buyers might have, there are two overriding questions:

1. How can one ‘secure a place in line’ when there either is no ‘line,’ the ‘line’ may change with future ‘buyers’ and / or there is no product to ‘line’ up for?

2. Considering that Hari Iyer (a principal of ESG Engineering) was involved in numerous other projects that relied on obtaining the DoE ATVM loan, but was never successful, was it an early part of the ‘business plan’ to again pursue this elusive loan, didn’t it seem unlikely that essentially a smaller conventional engine would satisfy ‘advanced technology’ requirements, and most importantly, was the loan denial a part of the ‘exit strategy?’

Thanks!!

Rick
—————-
Added in edit, but not submitted to Elio Motors:

I should have posed a third question, will try later:

Did Paul (and ESG Engineering) think their new internal combustion engine’s performance would be compelling enough to receive the Department of Energy Advanced Technology loan? And why would he / they think that an ‘upstart’ could ‘out engineer’ the already huge, viable, successful, and proven engine manufacturers?

Just for the record, I refuse to ask them insulting questions, such as:

Where did the money go, and what did Elio Motors get from ESG Engineering for all that money?

Click to expand...

Remember though; they were never trying to out engineer anyone. They were trying to make a simple, low HP engine that was efficient. No manufacturer is producing 50 HP engines currently that are inexpensive and efficient. Efficiency isn't difficult if you don't need a lot of power and you have enough space. Ask anyone who has ever had a gas powered scooter what kind of mileage they get.

Interesting, in retrospect, that Paul and Co. put that much effort into that engine: it would have had to be extraordinary (to the point of impossible) to be still Internal combustion and ‘Advanced Technology.’

You mention scooters, I have three and have had quite a few motorcycles. My experience has always been sacrificing mind puzzling inefficiency for basic fun: they all seat one, two pillion, light etc. my 150 cc Vespa s150 gets about 64 mpg, my gt200 gets about 54 mpg, have no idea what my 49cc gets and most my old bigger bikes never got more than 50 mpg and with all they are still mostly ‘all engine’ weight.

By any standard, designing and producing a new powerplant unless with some great new patentable technology was a poor decision considering there are alternatives. One of the basic ‘must haves’ was ‘off the shelf’ if I’m not mistaken.

The engine, like the Elgin dash, were all ego driven with no business acumen.

Regarding Patents: there is nothing keeping anyone else from re-engineering the entire vehicle, and avoiding millions of dollars of debt and numerous other liabilities. ELio Motors can fit in a ‘thumbdrive,’ except for a handful of obsolete prototypes, a trailer, and some banner signage. Not a single ‘investor’ will overlook this fact. Every single one of us would happily drive any other comparable vehicle, if we could get it. Continuing to profess that a high demand for this type of vehicle is fruitless if the original business plan was so poor to incur such huge losses that make future investment impossible. Would we not be happy with any comparable trike? Isn’t it really now all about the deposits and dashed hopes?


It’s all old news now...

It’ll have to be a new startup to build an Elio-like vehicle. The big guys will never build one. They would have already built it, if they were going to.

Years of development of the Lean Machine by GM tossed into the can for example....

Existing manufacturers see a smaller, efficient Elio-like vehicle cutting into their existing product sales. They’re not going to build it. That’s why i’ve been pulling for Elio - and still do.