100 Preproduction Elio's To Be Built In December!!

[stevecaz]

Great exposure and advertising to the public for the Elio. I know several people that have not heard of the Elio.

 

[outsydthebox]

The google alert that I got said that Elio was producing the 100 Elios for the funding they'll provide. Paul said they were calculating a profit per production vehicle of $1,000. IF they can make the first limited production run at the same cost, they'll make $100,000 from building 100 Elios... hardly a funding bonanza!

I see your point. "But", we also need to remember the rest of the money involved in producing 100 vehicles. Let's see now...(cost to produce)$5,800each x100 =$580,000. So, selling these first 100 will mean, over half-a-million dollars that will go back into their "available funds".

 

[pistonboy]

Who is buying these 100 Elios?

This is great for EM. These will be built on the Shreveport assembly line but probably by a few employees doing many jobs as the vehicles pass by at a slow rate. I suspect this is when the assembly robots will be programmed and the entire assembly line will be checked and verified. Robots have to be programmed on how to weld, how to squirt adhesive onto the frame, how to grab body panels and hold them in place while the adhesive dries. EM may be getting the purchaser to help pay for setting up the plant. (I always said Paul Elio was smart.)

These vehicles will be semi handmade and will be expensive. No one will be purchasing them for practical nor economical reasons.

When people purchase vehicles, they are not interested in their vehicle being used for testing. Would they send their vehicles to Roush to be put on a track and abused? This is unlikely.

Who is buying these 100 Elios?

A company providing these vehicles for employees would be opening themselves up to lawsuit if and employee had an accident. Also, these are expensive semi handmade vehicles. Most companies want economical vehicles. A company making the purchase does not make sense.

Elio Motors would also be opening themselves up to lawsuit if someone was hurt because the vehicles is not really a production vehicle yet and thus not completely developed.(as would be argued by a lawyer).

Lawsuits would be a big problem for EM and any purchaser……IN THIS COUNTRY!

I am speculating these vehicles may be going overseas. It was posted once on this forum about an Arab country being interested in the elio. While I dismissed it at the time as wild gossip, I do not dismiss it now. Perhaps some wealthy oil Arab wants to purchase these as gifts to give to friends. The elio certainly would make a distinctive gift. There is no other vehicle like it and it looks impressive to give a vehicle that is not even in production yet and no one else has yet.

Perhaps these vehicles will be used in racing. That would probably protect from lawsuits too. If some or all vehicles are used for racing, they may be shipped incomplete. Often vehicles are stripped for racing. Think what great publicity this would be. A vehicle is being raced before it is even produced. This would probably get the attention of the car magazines which would get the attention of car enthusiasts and segments of the general public. Of course, the cars would have to be modified and prepped for racing. This would best be done by a company famous for preparing racing cars. It would best be done by a company famous for preparing racing cars that was already experienced with the elio and intimately familiar with the elio’s suspension and dynamics. Does anyone know a company like this? Seems like there is one but their name escapes me. Seems their name starts with the letter “R”. Can anyone remember their name?

On the other hand, maybe these vehicles are going to a foreign country where they will be raced.

Perhaps none of the above.

All this is speculation, but speculation is fun.

This concludes another episode in our daily saga: “As the Elio Turns”

 

[John Painter]

Great exposure and advertising to the public for the Elio. I know several people that have not heard of the Elio.

I know of about 1.3 million or so in Maine who haven't heard of Elio Motors.... yet.

 

[Cache Man]

The first 100 vehicles will go to fleet orders: "We now intend to sell the first 100 pre-production vehicles built to one or more fleet customers, rather than use them for internal purposes as previously disclosed in our offering statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission...."

What I don't like is how they announce the delay in production. It sounds like the fleet orders will take precedence over the consumer. I feel as customers they should come to us with an email rather than reading it in the news. To me this is disrespectful towards the Elio followers.

"Although the fleet vehicle build is a step in the right direction for the end consumer driving experience, the bulk of the consumer launch will have to be moved into 2017 at a date to be determined..."

 

[Rickb]

It seems EM has switched over to the real world tracks to production. I was having difficulty with the notion of moving directly to production after the E builds/testing without a follow up fleet of pilot vehicles. Good news even though it pushes the production schedule out to "a date to be determined, which apparently means that the SEC filed March 2017 production is even off the table for the Elio consumer base supporters. Is or was there ever a group of fleet customer supporters to justify that market segment cutting in line?

Better to focus on the production process rather than delivery dates from an early reservationist perspective. Hopefully, the future all-in reservationists will get the luxury of a production guarantee to show EM's boost of confidence that planned production is moving forward and will eventually happen.

 

[HonestTex]

If the 100 are to be sold instead of being used for internal use, then the "delay" should only be 100 vehicles for internal use. That's only a 1 day delay according to their schedule, right?

 

[Cache Man]

If the 100 are to be sold instead of being used for internal use, then the "delay" should only be 100 vehicles for internal use. That's only a 1 day delay according to their schedule, right?

They are basically test vehicles in the "real world". I am guessing it will take a little time to build and it will end the production for 2016. Then there will be additional engineering based on the new firm hired.

 

[outsydthebox]

Who is buying these 100 Elios?

This is great for EM. These will be built on the Shreveport assembly line but probably by a few employees doing many jobs as the vehicles pass by at a slow rate. I suspect this is when the assembly robots will be programmed and the entire assembly line will be checked and verified. Robots have to be programmed on how to weld, how to squirt adhesive onto the frame, how to grab body panels and hold them in place while the adhesive dries. EM may be getting the purchaser to help pay for setting up the plant. (I always said Paul Elio was smart.)

These vehicles will be semi handmade and will be expensive. No one will be purchasing them for practical nor economical reasons.

When people purchase vehicles, they are not interested in their vehicle being used for testing. Would they send their vehicles to Roush to be put on a track and abused? This is unlikely.

Who is buying these 100 Elios?

A company providing these vehicles for employees would be opening themselves up to lawsuit if and employee had an accident. Also, these are expensive semi handmade vehicles. Most companies want economical vehicles. A company making the purchase does not make sense.

Elio Motors would also be opening themselves up to lawsuit if someone was hurt because the vehicles is not really a production vehicle yet and thus not completely developed.(as would be argued by a lawyer).

Lawsuits would be a big problem for EM and any purchaser……IN THIS COUNTRY!

I am speculating these vehicles may be going overseas. It was posted once on this forum about an Arab country being interested in the elio. While I dismissed it at the time as wild gossip, I do not dismiss it now. Perhaps some wealthy oil Arab wants to purchase these as gifts to give to friends. The elio certainly would make a distinctive gift. There is no other vehicle like it and it looks impressive to give a vehicle that is not even in production yet and no one else has yet.

Perhaps these vehicles will be used in racing. That would probably protect from lawsuits too. If some or all vehicles are used for racing, they may be shipped incomplete. Often vehicles are stripped for racing. Think what great publicity this would be. A vehicle is being raced before it is even produced. This would probably get the attention of the car magazines which would get the attention of car enthusiasts and segments of the general public. Of course, the cars would have to be modified and prepped for racing. This would best be done by a company famous for preparing racing cars. It would best be done by a company famous for preparing racing cars that was already experienced with the elio and intimately familiar with the elio’s suspension and dynamics. Does anyone know a company like this? Seems like there is one but their name escapes me. Seems their name starts with the letter “R”. Can anyone remember their name?

On the other hand, maybe these vehicles are going to a foreign country where they will be raced.

Perhaps none of the above.

All this is speculation, but speculation is fun.

This concludes another episode in our daily saga: “As the Elio Turns”

Yes, litigation is truly a concern in this country. But I still feel it will be vital to have them "in use" here in the US. I do agree with you about the potential issues that could arise when a large corporation forces (or pressures) an employee to drive, what (might be considered) an "experimental vehicle."
One possible solution might be to make them available to rent thru a company like AVIS or Hertz. I think there will be many adventurous people willing to "waive their rights" for the thrill of being among the first to drive an Elio. It could also be an opportunity for many of the future owners, to actually (and willingly) pay for that long awaited test drive! For some of us there may even be a "second" lease, so we can decide between the Manual or MMT transmission.
Another "WIN-WIN" for EM, the Rental company (publicity & "exclusive rights) & us!
just another 2 cent opinion.

 

[Rickb]

If the 100 are to be sold instead of being used for internal use, then the "delay" should only be 100 vehicles for internal use. That's only a 1 day delay according to their schedule, right?

The delay time frame will be determined by the designated period of time/mileage required for testing followed by the time required to build the final production model Elio..........several months. A company like Rousch could expedite the process.