250,000 Units Per Year ?

[NSTG8R]

Japan...after paying billions in corporate taxes to the US Gov't. Not sure what the rate is right now, but I remember hearing it's the highest on the planet.

Correction, US is third out of 163 nations with 39.1%. The winners of corporate tax gouging game are UAE with 55% and Chad with 40%.

 

[JEBar]

The "automatic" and the manual transmission will be the same. The manual transmission will be fitted with servos and controls to make it an automatic manual transmission. The overall unit and internals will be the same.

speaking as one who has no knowledge of what's involved in parts and labor, it doesn't seem like the difference in cost should be $1,000

Jim

 

[Ty]

speaking as one who has no knowledge of what's involved in parts and labor, it doesn't seem like the difference in cost should be $1,000

Jim

Same here but $1,000 seems like a steep cost. Besides, they will save some money removing the clutch pedal, clutch linkage (though there will be something activating the clutch), and a simplified gear selector vs. gear shift. It almost seems that it would be a wash except for some servos, bits and pieces, and programing. At least, that is what I think. In fact, if I were guessing, I'd say the upgrade will cost Elio less than $300... maybe even $200. That doesn't mean they won't charge $1,000 for it though...

 

[ross]

So we are kind of comparing this to a Beetle. Inexpensive. Easy to work on. How many miles did they last?

With proper maintainence ie regular oil changes and valve adjustment, 100,000 miles easy, but rebuilds were relatively simple and inexpensive, if you're at all mechanically inclined. Keep in mind they were air cooled. I was friends with the parts man at the local VW dealership and got parts at his price and could rebuild an engine for between 3 and 4 hundred dollars. That they could do what they did at all, always amazed me, pull a hill in 100 degree heat, and in winter, put a set of studded snow tires on one and embarrass 4 wheel drive vehicles, put a set of tire chains on and go anywhere.
At one time my wife drove a '67 beetle that my grandfather bought new, I drove a '69 Baja and I had my buggy. I kept a fresh motor in the wife's '67, when it got a few miles on it and started to leak a little oil, I swapped it into the Baja and when it got a little weaker it went into the buggy. So the buggy always had a well used engine I could beat on, and when it was time to rebuild, it went into the '67, engine swaps are super easy but that's because you have to do it all the time

 

[wayne kemp]

All motor companies make their extra money on accessories. Elio is doing the same.
Cheap coming in the door but not going out.

 

[JEBar]

All motor companies make their extra money on accessories. Elio is doing the same.
Cheap coming in the door but not going out.

hey, from EM's stand point, making extra profit off of a very popular option makes sense .... as you say, in this area they aren't a different kind of car company

Jim

 

[Rickb]

Yes. Toyota might build trucks in Tennessee but where do the profits go? Japan!

Yes, only after paying USA employees to build, sell, and service them and after income and local property taxes are paid in full! Give these companies some credit for boosting our economy. They weren't entitled to and or needed any bridge loans, resulting from poor business practices, the USA's big 2 needed to stay in business 8 short years ago.

Frankly, profits from USA owned auto Companies generally find their way to the wealthiest 1% of Americans.........who then invest abroad or hoard cash in their mattresses sleeping on it while waiting for more.

With that said buy and drive what you like, but don't be critical of folks who prefer to own and drive 'foreign cars'. It's all good and I hope to be driving my 'and car' the assembled in America Elio soon............along with my assembled in the USA Japanese Brand.......or perhaps an assembled in the USA German Brand by the time Elio's roll off the line.

 

[Rickb]

hey, from EM's stand point, making extra profit off of a very popular option makes sense .... as you say, in this area they aren't a different kind of car company

Jim

I agree, but hope the retail price of the options are as reasonably priced as the parts on the base Elio.

 

[JEBar]

I agree, but hope the retail price of the options are as reasonably priced as the parts on the base Elio.

agree

Jim

 

[Jim H]

Correction, US is third out of 163 nations with 39.1%. The winners of corporate tax gouging game are UAE with 55% and Chad with 40%.

Not real economic powerhouses.