Elio Motors @ New York Auto Show 2015

[NSTG8R]

... I'm counting on our Government to... . .

The scariest 6 words I've heard today!
STOP! You'll give me nightmares!

 

[Ty]

Is it Network 1, or Network 1 Financial?

Paul only says "Network 1"

Yeah... I didn't know either and am hoping someone will see this and correct it. Actually, it doesn't matter that much to me. I won't be a certified investor or whatever it is.

 

[Elio Amazed]

Why do some choose to Detroit Bash? It's a large City like any other undergoing positive change. Good people there trying to make a living like everyone else. After viewing the NY Auto Show Conference video (twice) I don't think it matters much, because without a definite plan overflowing with confidence that the Elio will be produced, the few investors with deep pockets will likely not show them the money. A news conference as critical as the NY Auto Show needed to be more than just ok. PE needs to appoint a marketing spokesperson and stick with what he does best, imagineering. I'm counting on our Government to overlook EM's possibility of failure without funding and approve the ATVM Loan Application ASAP. If the ATVM Loan is approved private funding may follow. DOElio.

I agree with Jeff in that I thought Paul did very well.
He seemed to be close to his full potential as a spokesman in that media opportunity.
And therein lies the question.

Countless times after explaining something, I've realized that my explanation could have been a hundred times clearer.
My vote's still out on whether it's going to be more productive to continue with the "meet the man behind the movement" method.
Occasionally, IMO, Paul shoots himself in the foot. Just a little here and there.
However, he has stated that he's partnered up with some pros in the investor and marketing games.
If and when the time comes, they may convince him of the value of a paid spokesperson.
I do think that he's got to stop swearing.
The "So....'s" and the unfinished sentences? Yeah, that's just Paul and obviously won't change.
However, the word "Hell" certainly did not add any professionalism to that exchange.

DOElio.

 

[Ty]

However...
Jeff, to hurl us even deeper into this mystery...
Listen to the clip again.
Regarding marketing, PE says:

"I think we'll have like a two year window where we don't know what the hell to do.
I believe we will outsell the plant before we open up.
We're capacitizing for 250,000 units a year.
I believe we will take that many reservations.
So... you have the year sold, you have a marketing budget and you have nothing to sell because...
So what do you do with that time span?"

My intention is certainly not to cry havoc and loose the dogs of war, but...
You're right... two years from our current position in the time-space continuim is April 2017.
Hmmm.

While they are producing cars, they'll continue to take orders. Paul thinks the ongoing orders will be for all the cars they can produce. There won't need to be any sales from stores. That's what he was getting at.

 

[Ty]

After putting some thought into this, I've considered these possibilities.

I'm guessing that PE does believe that he will have taken 250,000 reservations before the start of production due to the domino effect of meaningful progress milestones begatting reservation spikes begatting more reservation spikes right up to opening day.

I'm also guessing that he anticipates a continuing flood of reservations after opening day.

Those, of course, would be caused by, as many of you have described, the units on the road selling themselves.

The two year thing may simply be the time period (before and after the start of production) in which he feels the reservation numbers will need no help from large marketing expenditures.

While I think 250,000 reservations prior to any given opening date and then continuing to stay a year ahead of production capacity for up to two years is a bit optimistic, this may simply be his way of saying, "No worries mate!"

The downside of this is that without clarification, his statements can seem to contradict a lot of important information he's given in the past.

While I'm imagining that the statements at issue were meant to reassure, they could very well have the exact opposite effect for the curious potential reservationist.

I think you have it wrong. I think (and therefor I'm right... I think that's how that goes) that Paul believes that once they start producing the Elio, for the first year or 250,000 as he said, they'll sell every car they can produce. That makes sense. It does NOT, however, make sense to think Paul would believe he'd suddenly get 210,000 NEW reservations before ever producing a car.

In another interview, he said "We won't need stores at first. There is no reason to put effort in that direction for at least the first year." No, I don't remember which interview. No, I'm not supplying the link. Someone here will back this up though.

 

[WilliamH]

Yeah... I didn't know either and am hoping someone will see this and correct it. Actually, it doesn't matter that much to me. I won't be a certified investor or whatever it is.

Based on the web site descriptions it look like it is Network 1 Financial.

 

[WilliamH]

While they are producing cars, they'll continue to take orders. Paul thinks the ongoing orders will be for all the cars they can produce. There won't need to be any sales from stores. That's what he was getting at.

That sounds like a fair guess for at least the first calendar year.

 

[Jeff Porter]

While they are producing cars, they'll continue to take orders. Paul thinks the ongoing orders will be for all the cars they can produce. There won't need to be any sales from stores. That's what he was getting at.

Ty, it's Friday and not enough oxygen is getting to my brain, I'm certain of it. Help me understand... you mentioned that EM will continue to take orders while they are producing cars. I thought we had mentioned in the past, that at some point reservations will be closed or shut down. Is Paul implying that they won't ever shut down reservations?

 

[WilliamH]

Among other things that I found interesting from the press conference...........

1. EM is considering the the current discounted reservations to be "crowd funding".
2. The big funding event / non-event thing was the silent announcement that Network 1 is working with them.
3. DoE ATVM is still up in the air.
4. They will still be selling on line after the stores open.
5. They really aren't sure how the transition from crowd funding to direct sales is going to work.

 

[goofyone]

Ty, it's Friday and not enough oxygen is getting to my brain, I'm certain of it. Help me understand... you mentioned that EM will continue to take orders while they are producing cars. I thought we had mentioned in the past, that at some point reservations will be closed or shut down. Is Paul implying that they won't ever shut down reservations?

What EM has said is that first year reservations will be cut off at some point. This does not necessarily mean that reservations will cease all together as if demand is there EM could simply proceed to accept reservation for the second year of production and so on. Riding reservations as long as possible would be a good thing as it would allow EM to generate more cash before having to invest heavily in marketing as well as the retail stores and associated distribution network.

This extra time period before EM needs retail sales also allows for more back end planning involved for the eventual retail sales network and mass marketing. There is no reason that EM would not be working on these behind the scenes in preparation for when they are needed and in fact some of the initial plans are likely being worked on even now.