Dealer Prep.......2 hrs max. on a full sized car..........remove any protective plastic, vacuum, top fluid levels........done. Typically adds $600 to the cost of a car................that's $300.00/hr..............gas for 6 months or more. Maybe only 1 hour or less on the Elio.
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Factory Pickup, Retail Store Pickup, Or Delivery
- Thread starter silverfox
- Start date
As with most three wheel vehicles which are delivered, private carrier companies are the most economical and most used means of delivery by dealers across the country! Panther Motors and Thoroughbred Motorsports offer three wheel vehicles, use this method for about $600 on average across the U.S. delivered directly to your door! This will most likely be what Elio will use for their method also! Again, as with everything on this forum, this is all speculation!
Sidecar Bob
Elio Addict
There was talk about having a 2 wheel attachment, making the Elio a 4 wheel vehicle for shipping.
Then regular car carriers can be used.
The attachment would be removed at the service center and returned to EM for re-use.
Then regular car carriers can be used.
The attachment would be removed at the service center and returned to EM for re-use.
CompTrex
Elio Addict
Lots of discussion about shipment under
Factory Pickup, Retail Store Pickup, Or Delivery thread.
Somewhere there is a photo of them being put onto a rail car vertically! Wish I had the time to find it for you.
Factory Pickup, Retail Store Pickup, Or Delivery thread.
Somewhere there is a photo of them being put onto a rail car vertically! Wish I had the time to find it for you.
You can read through this thread for plenty of information and speculation and I can sum it up quickly.
I had a chance to discuss this with Elio VP Jerome Vassallo in Birmingham just a few weeks ago. He said that EM has several ideas they were studying for transporting these vehicles however at this point using the current infrastructure available from conventional road and rail vehicle transporters was likely the most economical way to do it as more 'creative' solutions would take more time and investment to fully develop, test, and implement.
In the past EM has discussed the use of a wide dolly for the rear end of the vehicle which would allow the vehicle to be transported on standard dual rail vehicle transporters. I don't know if this is still the plan but it definitely would allow EM to simply contract with existing commercial vehicle carriers.
The Shreveport plant has a rail spur which GM used to transport vehicles produced there and EM will likely end up using this to transport vehicles from the factory to their distribution hubs around the country. From what we have been able to find vehicle rail carriers have flat floors so no modification should be needed to use this method.
I have not heard anything about using ships for transportation however it would not surprise me if EM studies all available shipping methods to see what would work best for their needs.
For reservation holders receiving their vehicles in the first year before the retail stores and distribution network is running we know it is likely that the vehicle ordering process will be handled nearly completely online to streamline the process which would also make picking up the vehicle go much faster as well as all the paperwork would be completed in advance. The Shreveport plant assembly line will produce 14 base models, with the only difference between vehicles being the seven colors and two transmission options, then the vehicles will proceed to a post-production finishing area where they will be outfitted with options as ordered before being prepped for delivery to the customer and shipping as required. At this point if you are doing factory pickup you would simply check-in and show your ID, inspect your new vehicle, sign a few papers accepting delivery, and drive away with a big smile on your face.
If as a reservation holder you choose not to receive your vehicle in Shreveport we really do not have a clear idea of what exactly will happen. What we have heard from EM is that the standard destination charge will likely include delivery to the 60 initial markets where EM eventually plans to have retail stores and also that direct delivery to any location would be an option, likely at an extra charge. How exactly the vehicles will be moved to the 60 markets and where Elio holders would have to go to pick them up is something we just don't have good answers for as of yet. I am sure all of this will be finalized and the information provided to us in the months before production in advance of reservation holders actually completing their orders.
We have a very good idea of how delivery is supposed to work after the first year reservations holders already have their vehicles and the retail stores and distribution network is running. The plant will produce the same 14 base models then the majority of the vehicles will likely be loaded onto rail cars for delivery to around a dozen remote distribution and finishing centers throughout the country. Vehicles intended for factory pickup or retail stores within driving distance of the Shreveport plant will be completed by the finishing center which will be part of the Shreveport plant complex.
When a buyer places an order for a new Elio at an Elio Motors retail store, or online, this order is routed to the nearest distribution/finishing center where the base vehicle selected is then outfitted with options by technicians and prepared for delivery. The vehicle will then be loaded onto a truck for delivery to the retail store, or direct to your home depending on what level of service you selected. Elio's stated goal is to try and have vehicles prepared and ready for pickup at retail stores the very next day. I am sure there will be a lot of asterisks by this next day goal and it will likely not be guaranteed as this will depend on many factors such as time of day, sales volume, vehicle availability. and parts availability.
Critter
Elio Addict
CompTrex
Elio Addict
ks6c
Elio Addict
YES!!!!...if you are doing factory pickup you would simply check-in and show your ID, inspect your new vehicle, sign a few papers accepting delivery, and drive away with a big smile on your face.