Elio Kit, Would You Still Buy?

[msmith5150]

So you mean like a glider kit? I've been a diesel technician for just shy of 20 years, currently with a Freightliner dealer. People can buy a new truck sans engine, trans, and rearends/housings,wheels,etc. Then buy an older/rebuilt pre-EPA'07 engine and the rest of the drivetrain.

That said, I would personally not be interested in such a thing for my Elio or any daily driver vehicle purchase. Just doesn't seem practical to me. For one, I don't have a shop with the required equipment to pull the job off myself. So then I'd have to pay a professional shop to do the work for me and that would be far more expense than I'd be willing to take on.

That's my 2¢

 

[BlioKart]

It would have to be very cheap like 3K$. I don't see it as viable solution. Plus the fact most people don't have the time, space, tools, knowledge, or simply the desire to build it themselves. I think most people would rather pay more than the 6800$ estimated base price.

 

[jtmarten]

For What It's Worth: this is probably highly valuable data for EM--don't be surprised if they are secretly trying to gather this data...current business model is overly dependent on inexperienced parts suppliers that know NOTHING of manufacturing vehicles. No shop, no money, no distribution centers, broken supply chain, no hiring, no execution plan beyond R&D means EM has about a 0.3% chance of successful launch with current business plan.

At least if they offer a kit version, they could sell tens or hundreds of thousands of them!

Which parts suppliers are inexperienced?? Why do you assume a parts supplier should have extensive knowledge of the vehicle manufacturing process, and why should they?
Assuming the U.S. market - what makes you think they'd sell many kits? The general public thinks cooking a hotdog in a microwave for 30sec is too much time, and you think they'd buy a kit car they have to assemble???? Not likely. A tiny niche market is all it would be.

 

[Dustoff]

For What It's Worth: this is probably highly valuable data for EM--don't be surprised if they are secretly trying to gather this data...current business model is overly dependent on inexperienced parts suppliers that know NOTHING of manufacturing vehicles. No shop, no money, no distribution centers, broken supply chain, no hiring, no execution plan beyond R&D means EM has about a 0.3% chance of successful launch with current business plan.

At least if they offer a kit version, they could sell tens or hundreds of thousands of them!

Suppliers
Elio Motors is proud to be working with the top Automotive Suppliers in the industry. In our mission to provide a vehicle that is made from proven technology from well known suppliers, Elio Motors has forged solid relationships that accomplish just that. These relationships allow Elio to produce a product that just makes sense.

 

[Hog]

Yes - I would install a small reliable auto engine, like the one I had in my old AM General mail jeep, a corporate 4 cylinder that was absolutely indestructible. Not sure about what I would pay though, the items listed above seem to include too much I wouldn't really need. I suppose a "staged" kit would be a better option, that way you pay for what you actually use.

 

[creekstone]

Seeing that Elio Motors is not likely to raise its 200M by next year

Hmmmmmo_O

 

[creekstone]

...current business model is overly dependent on inexperienced parts suppliers that know NOTHING of manufacturing vehicles. No shop, no money, no distribution centers, broken supply chain, no hiring, no execution plan beyond R&D means EM has about a 0.3% chance of successful launch with current business plan.

Something tells me this thread isn't really about kits.

 

[Jim H]

Don't believe I have the technical expertise, tools, skills, or desire to put this together from a kit. I also feel this would negate any warranty and it would be difficult to find a maintenance provider like Pep Boys.

 

[Rickb]

It really doesn't matter because in Elioville there is no plan to change the business model. Stay positive.

 

[karl]

Lots of folks think that a kit is an inexpensive way of getting into a vehicle. http://www.kitcarlist.com/ Not so. The only way that Elio would be able to produce the vehicle we are waiting for at the price point we are hoping to pay is by mass production. As soon as you add custom Bespoke Hand labor call it what you will the price rockets up. The smaller the run the more it costs.

What a kit will do is get you something different. Not so much cheap, quality will vary in both the kit and the work done...