Elio On Tv

[HonestTex]

According to billtracker neither house or senate bill has a very good chance of passing. Both bills have had no movement since being first read and sent to committee. Looks like they will both die in committee, and have to be reintroduced at a later date.

www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s685

 

[Rickb]

On your last point, SB 685 as currently drafted provides a 3-yr window for NHTSA to adopt autocycle-specific rules and regulations. The bill also requires those rules and regulations to provide an appropriate lead time for applying the requirements to autocycle manufactures. So it's entirely possible that the autocycle-specific safety regulations wouldn't kick in for EM until 5 or more years after SB 685 is signed into law (fingers crossed). In the meantime, the bill provides for motorcycle standards to apply to autocycles. I would also point out that SB 685 as currently drafted provides for the qualification of autocycles for CAFE credits immediately upon the bill's signing into law.

It seems clear to me that EM has put quite a bit of thought into the crafting of this bill.

Yes, EM has given this much thought and it's clear to me that it's all about the money. EM is gambling by inviting the government into their game plan specifically for the approval of CAFE credits. It's all about selling CAFE credits, not autocycles. Risky, in that the FINAL DRAFT Autocycle legislation, if approved, could include all the typical government auto/cycle manufacturing safety regulation TO EXCLUDE the CAFE credit qualification. It's possible that autocycle legislation could bite future enclosed trike startup's in the butt. Nobody knows how it's going to play out.

The only Autocycle CAFE I'm interested in is the one we drive our Elio's to for morning coffee while discussing politics and the importance of government 'deregulation'. lol

 

[floydv]

Yes, EM has given this much thought and it's clear to me that it's all about the money. EM is gambling by inviting the government into their game plan specifically for the approval of CAFE credits. It's all about selling CAFE credits, not autocycles. Risky, in that the FINAL DRAFT Autocycle legislation, if approved, could include all the typical government auto/cycle manufacturing safety regulation TO EXCLUDE the CAFE credit qualification. It's possible that autocycle legislation could bite future enclosed trike startup's in the butt. Nobody knows how it's going to play out.

The only Autocycle CAFE I'm interested in is the one we drive our Elio's to for morning coffee while discussing politics and the importance of government 'deregulation'. lol

Point taken, and if you're ever in the area with either your Elio or SRK, I would like to join you at the cafe for a medium roast and exchange war stories of the pre-autocycle days. But as we know, EM is not a non-profit, and like any business, it exists to make money. I have no issue with that. And beyond you and me, EM needs to consider what it needs to manufacture the large numbers of Elios that are the basis of its business model. That level of manufacturing requires large sources of working capital. In my mind, EM is doing the prudent thing by looking for a diversity of funding sources, not placing all its eggs into any single ATVM, angel investor or CAFE credits basket but into all of them and others.

 

[Rickb]

Point taken, and if you're ever in the area with either your Elio or SRK, I would like to join you at the cafe for a medium roast and exchange war stories of the pre-autocycle days. But as we know, EM is not a non-profit, and like any business, it exists to make money. I have no issue with that. And beyond you and me, EM needs to consider what it needs to manufacture the large numbers of Elios that are the basis of its business model. That level of manufacturing requires large sources of working capital. In my mind, EM is doing the prudent thing by looking for a diversity of funding sources, not placing all its eggs into any single ATVM, angel investor or CAFE credits basket but into all of them and others.

I'll be happy to buy that medium roast coffee at the autocyle cafe. EM has been a non-profit business since 2008. I hope they finally have a product to sell and sales revenue in Q4 2016 and beyond.

 

[Ron Downing]

First National Television Campaign - Elio

So if we don't have anything more to SHOW than the P5 .... what is Elio selling? Sure seems odd not to get farther down the road rather than say "Hey look we have a cool IDEA." Lots of companies build a prototype and never get any farther.

I'm ALL IN and patient ... but seems not the best NEXT THING to do.

 

[NSTG8R]

First off, welcome to the forum, Ron.
As for your question..."what is Elio selling?" I think (IMHO) it's just for exposure. Show an intriguingly sleek vehicle with crazy high mpg, and a sticker price that would make the average American yell, "BS!", all to get them to your website for more information, and possibly a reservation. Personally, I think getting them on the road will be their best advertising (at least from me ). But a TV ad could get the mouses clicking to find out what that crazy thing is.

 

[3wheelin]

A startup company should spend their Millions of available limited venture capital funding on PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. Build a completed working concept prototype and use "it" as 'advertising' to market other venture capitalist's (Private or ATVM) for the additional funding needed to actually start producing a product to sell.

EM has separated product development from marketing. It seems they have spent the lion's share of their available venture funding on marketing. Otherwise, we would see a completed, fully operational, tested P5. A Popeil quote, "The product that sells best is one that sells itself." The Elio dream has sold all of us, no actual Elio required.

If there is proven market demand for the Elio concept, build it, get it on the road, and it will sell itself. EM is having difficulty getting the production prototype built WTH. EM's new advertising campaign could generate a 100,000 + pre-orders and they would be no closer to production. Yes, I am being armchair critical, but seriously guys, the clock is ticking and the time has come to just do it.

100% agree!

 

[3wheelin]

Rickb, where are you getting that the P5 isn't complete? It was never intended to be a final design. Close to production, yes, but not final. The design tweaks on the P5 are expected as it's the first attempt at the production drivetrain. This is just what engineering looks like (even with CAD models, not everything fits as you'd expect).

And the point of starting ads now is to introduce the concept to the masses. You have to have a marketing plan that's in synch with your production schedule. Spending too early can be a waste, but too late is even worse. If there's not enough demand when the production line starts, they won't be able to sell enough vehicles to turn a profit and the company will go under. Word of mouth will not be enough to get such an insanely capital intensive business off the ground, let alone keep it going. Just because it works for a mom and pop bakery doesn't mean it will work for a car company.

I hope I'm on the same page w/ Rickb because I totally agree w/ him that it's not complete! And I'm not even talking about P5 being the FINAL DESIGN but rather P5 will be the BASIS FOR THE FINAL DESIGN! How are you going to sell a product if you can't even show a completed finished and down to the last detail? Don't get me wrong, we all know it's a prototype but it's a much easier SELL if you don't have to explain everything like " ohh that, yeah our final product won't show these SCREWS showing like a sore thumb", or " yeah that? we'll that Elgin dash MIGHT still be changed to the regular instrumentations that we're all familiar with", "that hood latch? yeah, we might change that or it could be an option...", and here's the most important of all- oh that base price? " it's a TARGET right now, we WON'T KNOW until we're ready to produce!", or "by the way, we are still waiting for this project to be funded so we're not sure when we can produce!!!!". I think you get the idea. Customer like to SEE what they're getting for a set price. I'm almost 100% that these EM employees including VASALLO does not tell these people at the shows these important details because if they do, people will walk away! Then again, what do I know?

 

[3wheelin]

Just my opinion, but I respectfully disagree.
Would you happen to have any reference for your estimate?

Another point...
Does EM really know how much finishing the P5 and the TOTAL completion of the e-series agenda is going to cost to the penny?
They haven't been very good at those estimates either and they've not erred on the conservative side yet.

I really like EM's emails even when there's no real substance to them.
Any guesses as to the cost of those bulk emails beyond the author's salary?

As I've said, it's courteous and it shows us that the lights are still on.
But if the lights are still on, there's also an ongoing electric bill to pay.
The substantial day to day expenses of the payroll and the tour go on.
Not to mention mounting additional costs for things like "A star is born".

"As I've said, it's courteous and it shows us that the lights are still on.
But if the lights are still on, there's also an ongoing electric bill to pay."
My favorite quote of the day! Well said Elio Amazed!

 

[RUCRAYZE]

Legislation ??, Government action?? FOTFLMFAO, gotta be kidding.they can't agree to disagree. They'll come up with a camel solution- a four wheel autocycle,