Silent Majority...

[4matic]

I'm one of the "silent majority"...by that I mean...one of the 60K plus reservation holders that have never been a member of this forum...

FYI...I'm one of the earliest $1,000 non-returnable deposits (#127)...I actually spoke with Paul Elio directly before placing my order...yes...he was actually accessible to the public back in 2013...

My motivation for reserving an Elio is different than most...I own a secondary home located in a tiny beach community...and my Elio was intended for fun transport in & around this beach community...

A little about me...I have an extensive background within the automobile industry...with previous ties to five major vehicle manufacturers...I've attended many high level meetings with major vehicle manufacturers...I also have extensive banking & finance background...

I'm currently retired...and was lucky enough to retire before age 50...

I'm a "car nut"...I've owned everything from Smart Cars to Italian Exotic's...

I've shadowed this forum for years...and thought it was finally time to post a few comments...

The Elio story is fascinating...a great idea that has been plagued with poor execution...

Bluntly stated...Paul has an imaginative vision of low cost transportation...but a decade latter there is still no clear path to production...basically it's been a never ending disappointment to those hopefully to take delivery of a Elio vehicle...

After years of missed & promised deadlines...I would assume the majority of the reservation holder have lost interest...and moved on to purchased other forms of available transportation...

2009 to 2017...almost a lost decade of Elio production timelines...now I read 2019 is the latest estimate...assuming that Elio can secure almost 400 million of total financing...basically the same financing obstacles since 2013...just a larger sum of needed capital...

I've studied their SEC filling's extensively...so much money squandered...with so little to show for 140 million spent on marketing & development...

Thus my comments..."the silent majority" of reservation holders have likely lost total interest in the Elio story...and probably don't even follow the Elio story anymore...

Like I already stated...such a fascinating saga...

I've been away from this forum for approximately 6 months...it appears Elio Motors (especially Paul himself) has been basically dormant for this whole period...except for a few rehashed "Elio Blog" communications...I've never received any useful recent email information from Elio Motors...

In my own mind...I now tend to think of Elio Motors as a scam...they have a CEO in hiding to protect his own personal interests...with no apparent regard or respect for his reservation holders...

 

[BaldGuy]

I've been away from this forum for approximately 6 months...it appears Elio Motors (especially Paul himself) has been basically dormant for this whole period...except for a few rehashed "Elio Blog" communications...I've never received any useful recent email information from Elio Motors...

In my own mind...I now tend to think of Elio Motors as a scam...they have a CEO in hiding to protect his own personal interests...with no apparent regard or respect for his reservation holders...

Supposedly there is a SEC report coming out soon. But will believe it when i see it. (last time didn't happen)

 

[bowers baldwin]

I've been away from this forum for approximately 6 months...it appears Elio Motors (especially Paul himself) has been basically dormant for this whole period...except for a few rehashed "Elio Blog" communications...I've never received any useful recent email information from Elio Motors...

In my own mind...I now tend to think of Elio Motors as a scam...they have a CEO in hiding to protect his own personal interests...with no apparent regard or respect for his reservation holders...

I think of it as an unintentional scam, I do believe Paul wants this to happen, I don't think the intent was to NOT build a car, but I know we are being fed pie-in-the-sky propaganda. That being said I knew what I was getting into, I consider myself to be a well informed fool, and not a victim. Heck, I still think there is a *chance this will still happen, so I haven't totally given up yet, look anyone reading this still has hope right?


(*small chance)

 

[Samalross]

Supposedly there is a SEC report coming out soon. But will believe it when i see it. (last time didn't happen)

There will be a SEC report by the end of April or else the SEC will freeze assets and stock trades. Charges could be laid against directors and senior management. Elio does not want to release SEC reports but on this one they have no choice.

 

[Watashiwah]

I do not believe that Paul started this as a scam, the main reason is that he’d never put his last name on the badge. With that said, I also believe that Paul is likely an average to below average Engineer who has somehow created ‘bad luck,’ Paul has big aspirations and with that came an unrealistic goal to put an entirely new vehicle on the road, including an unnecessary engine and clunky instrument cluster, as a cloying homage to his dad. Paul had proved himself a below average businessman but quickly learned from another key player that regardless of success there are opportunities for the creation of personal wealth. It will remain to be seen how much of this shakes out in the end; time is on Paul’s side and he is definitely good (or just effective) at running out the clock.

 

[Travelbuzz1]

I've been away from this forum for approximately 6 months...it appears Elio Motors (especially Paul himself) has been basically dormant for this whole period...except for a few rehashed "Elio Blog" communications...I've never received any useful recent email information from Elio Motors...

In my own mind...I now tend to think of Elio Motors as a scam...they have a CEO in hiding to protect his own personal interests...with no apparent regard or respect for his reservation holders...

It's about as much of a scam as never walking on the moon and the earth is flat.

 

[Samalross]

I do not believe that Paul started this as a scam, the main reason is that he’d never put his last name on the badge. With that said, I also believe that Paul is likely an average to below average Engineer who has somehow created ‘bad luck,’ Paul has big aspirations and with that came an unrealistic goal to put an entirely new vehicle on the road, including an unnecessary engine and clunky instrument cluster, as a cloying homage to his dad. Paul had proved himself a below average businessman but quickly learned from another key player that regardless of success there are opportunities for the creation of personal wealth. It will remain to be seen how much of this shakes out in the end; time is on Paul’s side and he is definitely good (or just effective) at running out the clock.

It was strange that Hari Iyer described Paul Elio as a serial entrepreneur, not as a business man. Does this mean that he has no long term interest in the car?

 

[4matic]

I agree that Paul Elio started with the best of intentions...at least on paper...the Elio vehicle design had enormous potential...

But...after a decade of trying to bring this project to fruition...Elio’s current lack of transparency is troubling ...

Has this project morphed into a scam...maybe...maybe not...the verdict is still out!

What I do know...Elio has spent approximately 150 million with very little tangible results... and stockholders that have supported the Elio project have lost most of their investment...

I expect the fate of Elio Motor will be apparent in the next 60 days...

 

[Watashiwah]

It was strange that Hari Iyer described Paul Elio as a serial entrepreneur, not as a business man. Does this mean that he has no long term interest in the car?

Paul did say once that he had to work as a roofer, that’s survival and adaptability alright: I read ‘serial entrepreneur’ more as politely euphemistic, really meaning ‘not too successful at anything just yet.’ Kinda like being unemployed is ‘consulting.’

Paul did make some money on this gig, if that’s what it was. It will be interesting to see an accounting of where all the money did go.

 

[Samalross]

I agree that Paul Elio started with the best of intentions...at least on paper...the Elio vehicle design had enormous potential...

But...after a decade of trying to bring this project to fruition...Elio’s current lack of transparency is troubling ...

Has this project morphed into a scam...maybe...maybe not...the verdict is still out!

What I do know...Elio has spent approximately 150 million with very little tangible results... and stockholders that have supported the Elio project have lost most of their investment...

I expect the fate of Elio Motor will be apparent in the next 60 days...

Paul did say once that he had to work as a roofer, that’s survival and adaptability alright: I read ‘serial entrepreneur’ more as politely euphemistic, really meaning ‘not too successful at anything just yet.’ Kinda like being unemployed is ‘consulting.’

His only apparent skill is getting investors money.