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Reservations: 65341 As Of 6/20/2017
- Thread starter goofyone
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- reservation
zelio
Elio Addict
It has been a while since I checked the maps closely, but when I was checking I never saw a refundable reservation over $100. Of course this was before the maps became so populated it is almost impossible to remember whether you have counted a person before or not. :-) Z
zelio
Elio Addict
Thanks for posting. :-) Z
Neal
Elio Addict
I can't see why anyone would put more that $100 refundable down. Since putting just $100 non-refundable down would move you ahead of $1000 refundable, it wouldn't make a lot of sense.It has been a while since I checked the maps closely, but when I was checking I never saw a refundable reservation over $100. Of course this was before the maps became so populated it is almost impossible to remember whether you have counted a person before or not.Z
Ty
Elio Addict
Not a bad idea, actually.
Ty
Elio Addict
At one point, it was figured that MOST of the reservations fit into 2 categories - $100 and $1,000 all in. It seems that most people feel that they would lose the money if they went "want-in" anyway so they may as well go "All-in". In addition, most reservationists fall into two categories either they are putting in the minimum because "$100 is not too much of a gamble" or they are going all the way to ensure they get one of the first ones. That's my take on it, anyway. I can't find the original distribution of deposits.
CompTrex
Elio Addict
My big incentive to go from $100 all-in to $1K all-in was because I read somewhere that only the $1k all-ins got to pick their car up at the factory. The factory tour and getting my car (and saving a delivery charge) was the push I needed.
Refundable or not, if the company went bankrupt, refundable reservation holders would be the last ones paid out of any funds left. Lawyers are first, Creditors are are second. Most bankruptcies pay Pennies on the dollar anyway. In for a penny, in for a pound, if your gonna lose, lose big!
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Ty
Elio Addict
They could offer the tour/pickup option to the deposit people only so the personnel increase could be with temporary employees. Also, they could easily limit how much of the factory the tour covers. There are probably many who would like to see the first process but in reality, no one will ever see their car go through all the processes... There IS paint drying time and welding operations and such. However, there is a point where the doors and hood were mated to the trucks and probably a bit before that where a tour would make sense. They could set up tours by the hour-group pretty much. They will never be ahead of production because the line speed will be capped but they could run behind if issues come up. I can really see the process being much like this:The plant pickup likely won't be that much of a hassle at all and the costs are actually more reasonable than you would think averaged per vehicle.
I would bet that we complete nearly all the paperwork and such ahead of time, mostly online, so that all we would need to do at the plant to pick up our vehicle is show some ID, inspect the vehicle to make sure it is as ordered and has no issues, and sign a form accepting delivery of the Elio. The way I see it is that this process would be exactly the same whether you picked it up at the plant or had it delivered anywhere else. The added advantage to doing things this way is that EM could give us our VIN #'s and full documentation ahead of time so we could arrange insurance and in many states even get our tags before we even leave to pick up our cool new rides.
Following your vehicle and/or participating in a plant tour actually makes the pick-up process I stated even easier. EM could give reservation holders a time when they need to check-in and show their ID. EM can then make sure to have the buyers information packet all set by the time they are finished with the tour and ready to inspect their new vehicle. A tour also controls the crowd as it limits the number of people going through the process at once to the number of people on the tour and/or following their vehicles.
By the way, the staffing costs needed for this kind of thing are not really that bad either. If EM has a tour leaving in 15 minute intervals this means 4 groups per hour so 40 owners per hour would only be 10 new owners per group and with a friend this is a reasonable 20 person group as I doubt many owners would have more than one person with them as they have to drive away in their new two seater.
Checking in 40 owners over an hour really does not take more than two people however lets say 3 to be safe.
If the tour takes 45 minutes they could be handled with 4 tour guides but say 5 once again to be safe and provide some extra break time between tours.
While the tour is happening a small staff is preparing new owners packets to be picked up at the end of the tour which also contains your inspection and pick-up form. Just to be safe we will say it takes 8 people to do all this however with only 40 owners per hour it will likely be less.
Then you have to inspect the vehicle and sign that you accept delivery. I would plan for each new owner to take about 30 minutes to inspect and go over the vehicle with an Elio employee before signing the acceptance form. With 40 owners per hour this would take 20 people however we will say 25 to account for some extra time and give them a short break between owners.
This adds up to 41 people however we will add a few more for extra assistance and security, such as keeping people from wandering, so just to be safe we will round up to 60. 60 people really is not that many considering that they are providing tours and delivering about 300 new Elios in an 8 hour work day. It is also not that expensive as if you paid 60 employees an average of $30 an hour, total including tax and benefits costs, this would be $1800 per hour however if you divide that by 40 deliveries per hour it is only $45 in personnel cost per vehicle delivered. Then add say $5 to cover misc costs and you get $50 in total cost to deliver each vehicle into the hands of a happy new Elio owner.
$50 sounds like a lot but consider how much it would cost to shuffle vehicles around and deliver them anywhere else, including the retail stores, this cost for delivery is actually quite good.
1. Bus picks up from the _____ hotel/casino - (whoever Elio uses as a partner for factory pick-up.) hourly
2. Arrive factory at 0700.
3. 0700 - 0800 breakfast, ID verification, initial paperwork signing (all except the final acceptance paperwork. Since Elio won't be in the finance business, they could require payment to be pre-done but I'm don't know how that process works)
4. 0800 - The group of 20 (I'm assuming that 20 out of the 67 cars built per hour (54 seconds each) people follow their 2 tour guides out to the line. I really think that number is high. Many people just won't have the time/ability to go pick up their Elio.
5. On the way to the official "here's your car" point, the tour guide talks a little about the processes you are seeing (They would most likely be on a golf cart train). When they get to the official rally location, everyone gets out and watches the last person from the previous group walk off following his Elio. The tour guide points out that each Elio has a placard above it if it is being picked up. Mine says "Hi! I'm Ty's Elio!". I watch as mine comes along, and I follow it along (they go at a very slow walking pace) while I stay between the ropes. I get to see the interior put in, I can watch the doors come down from the overhead line to meet my car, the windshield being put on, the hood, trunk, etc. Eventually, the Elio makes it to the QA station where I get to hear it fire up for the first time. Once QA blesses the car, puts on a temporary tag and it is driven a short distance to the "pick up/plant tour" lot. I walk over and look over my Elio (which I've been doing for the last hour anyway), sign the simple "I've picked up my Elio" paperwork while verifying the VIN. I notice the commemorative special edition doorjamb plaque identifying the build number and it's signed. Grinning like an idiot, I make for I-20 and point it towards Albuquerque. (Actually, probably to my Mother in law's house where I'd meet up with my wife for the drive home) I actually thought about taking my enclosed car hauler but I think I'd rather drive. It'd take more gas hauling the trailer than I'd save by not driving the Elio!
6. Send pictures to everyone on Elioowners.com and tell them about the experience!
Ty
Elio Addict
It was my understanding that the refundable deposits were held by a company other than Elio and that even if Elio wanted to, they couldn't touch those funds.