How long ago was your test drive in Portland? Because chances are you've test driven the one made in Canada. The ones assembled at their China assembly plant is the most updated version but EMV has not announced even a single unit sold out of their China plant. Thanks for posting your review of the SOLO test drive. MotorTrend did a review of the SOLO back in Feb. 2019 and it wasn't good at all so I know Electra Meccanica was aware of this that might be causing delays on their delivery date. It only take a few customers complaining about the SOLO handling and this single seater, single model's future in the 3wheeler market is over. JMHO.
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Solo
- Thread starter aknaten
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Thanks for the review. I was impressed by the FUV’s performance and handling on the early Beta test drive and improvements were made in the production model. It’s quick, stable (passed the moose test), similar driver comfort of my SUV, and just plain fun to drive. If or when it’s enclosed I’ll take delivery if I’m not too old and beat up to drive.
Looking forward to a review on the Aptera test drive. It simply looks to wide, awkward, and low to the ground. I do plan to test drive the SOLO at the first given opportunity, but no interest in the Aptera based on styling alone.Straight from their website. Very interesting that they're actually delivering SOLOs made from their partner in China (for now until their Arizona plant is operational). How many units will be handed to the early reservation holders and how much they've paid out the door is what I can't wait to see.
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OK, I am a tiny little bit shocked that this is happening in my back yard. I have not been keeping very close tabs on them because.. well..
it doesn't sound too good for the freeway here where the posted limit is 65mph, but everyone goes 80+ when no cops are around.
At least that's how the Highway60 (and the 202) runs during rush hour.
But I will keep an open mind, maybe do a test drive if I can.
In the map part of the image below I work just under 20miles as the crow flies from home, at the 'b' in Gilbert and live at the red +.
(all said and done, I drive just under 30)
So I have no excuse to go try and check it out. I pass at odd-times that construction area shown below where it says the Arizona 'factory' is, and from the 202 the buildings and parking looks done to me, not like this unfinished façade that you find on Street-View of Google maps.
But I will drive closer on Ray Road and see for sure.
If they can sell the Solo for $18k-USD each, the Bex (ICE) can certainly be sold for under $15k-USD. It will be 3-5 years until any big maker will sell at high volume and a lower price. They will not even think about it until the Solo or Bex is bean-counter-rubber-stamped as successful. Which requires a full year of success. And the Bex has even longer window time to operate, until the Bex EV exists.
I do not think the Vanderhall, or Ampere Roadster (trike-concept only) affects any thinking of major manufacturers, just as the Side-Kick has not.
Tesla has their CGI artwork, but frankly they have no business case that supports it until their other models are being challenged.
Below is a shot of some Ampere's reaching a final stage of assembly.
From the Vanderhall factory
it doesn't sound too good for the freeway here where the posted limit is 65mph, but everyone goes 80+ when no cops are around.
At least that's how the Highway60 (and the 202) runs during rush hour.
But I will keep an open mind, maybe do a test drive if I can.
In the map part of the image below I work just under 20miles as the crow flies from home, at the 'b' in Gilbert and live at the red +.
(all said and done, I drive just under 30)
So I have no excuse to go try and check it out. I pass at odd-times that construction area shown below where it says the Arizona 'factory' is, and from the 202 the buildings and parking looks done to me, not like this unfinished façade that you find on Street-View of Google maps.
But I will drive closer on Ray Road and see for sure.
If they can sell the Solo for $18k-USD each, the Bex (ICE) can certainly be sold for under $15k-USD. It will be 3-5 years until any big maker will sell at high volume and a lower price. They will not even think about it until the Solo or Bex is bean-counter-rubber-stamped as successful. Which requires a full year of success. And the Bex has even longer window time to operate, until the Bex EV exists.
I do not think the Vanderhall, or Ampere Roadster (trike-concept only) affects any thinking of major manufacturers, just as the Side-Kick has not.
Tesla has their CGI artwork, but frankly they have no business case that supports it until their other models are being challenged.
Below is a shot of some Ampere's reaching a final stage of assembly.
From the Vanderhall factory
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Well, the way they worded it was "they're handing the "KEYS"....not the SOLO.
Yes, well, that building is labeled 7645. A couple spaces are not yet occupied. The biggest that could be is 100ft squared. So if anything, they could only hold a few Solo's at a time. Looking at the sales spots, just enough for one or two at a time. Oddly close to garage parking, so possibly a future test drive is supported. Hopefully, you at least get to see one. In a weekend sometime this month I'll will get a closer look at those spaces.
Not that I'm OCD on this subject or anything ...
Not that I'm OCD on this subject or anything ...
If they've been shipping SOLOs from China to US, they sure kept it quiet where ever they're holding it at the moment. Again how many units will be delivered is a big mystery but we'll all know about it in a few days. They mentioned some SOLOs are fleet units too. If you have to guess Arelia, how many units you think will go to early reservation holders? I'm guessing this is just a big promo with no more than 5 SOLOs being released.Yes, well, that building is labeled 7645. A couple spaces are not yet occupied. The biggest that could be is 100ft squared. So if anything, they could only hold a few Solo's at a time. Looking at the sales spots, just enough for one or two at a time. Oddly close to garage parking, so possibly a future test drive is supported. Hopefully, you at least get to see one. In a weekend sometime this month I'll will get a closer look at those spaces.
Not that I'm OCD on this subject or anything ...
Impossible to know how many given the information available now. The hard facts are, there is some commercial space targeted and an effort to list them on google. And that this space is to be a focal for west coast distribution and Arizona local sales.
A similar space was used by SmartCar in the early days here in Mesa AZ (whom I interviewed informally, i.e. I hung out.), and they sold about 45-80 smarts each month at $30k each at that one location for all of Arizona, local sales. US sales were larger, up to 10k units each year (more like 6k average), more or less. But that guy owned the distribution rights for the west. I don't think all of that was shipped to AZ however.
So for the Solo, just by the space involved, I would expect they anticipate between 10 each month and 250 or so, being least 10 are needed to pay for all that space and that upper limit is maybe the most that could be delivered directly to 4 locations on the map, and put inside before retailing them within a few days.
If, on the other hand they deliver any direct to customers, all that changes. In that case, at the 4 locations, the test drives probably show the volume. Only 3 -5 cars could be on hand, so a max of 2 to 40 test drives daily at each location, or 8 to 160 for all. If that relates to sales, we are maybe seeing anywhere between 10 to 200 vehicle sales in a week. Considering this expanded to full west coast distribution, well, I have no way to estimate that. Maybe 10 to 1000 vehicles a month supported by direct vehicle deliveries from China to Customer doors. i.e they only handle the keys. (and test drives?)
That is all the activity those locations could possibly support. Otherwise why spend the money for the rent? So how many locations in the US can you test drive a Solo? What I don't know,... how many test drives happen to sell one vehicle?
I should say, even though Smart sold 45-80 cars a months for 4 years at that Mesa location, I only saw maybe 4 smarts in all that time during my daily 30mile commute. When it later dropped in price, and volumes were a little higher, we have all seen more Smarts by now, after years of build-up.
Now you have a hint as to why UFO's may not be seen every day.
I assume these first batch of SOLOs are already spoken for- the early reservation holders alloted for have received an e-mail/call from EMV to confirm their intention to buy or pass to the next in line. In your scenario if it hold true, It'll be in the next month or so before they call me provided their China partner have enough inventory and continue to build and ship to US destinations.
Sooooo,
I tried again today, and stopped by the building that is on google maps as the manufacturing location.
It is a new building in a neighborhood of new and unfinished buildings with very easy access to the Williams Field Airport between Gilbert AZ and Queen Creek. I wouldn't be surprised if 100,000sq yards of floor space is being completed in all those buildings. There was a lot of them. And many of them are very big.
Now the particular building is labeled 7943, and it has an office fully signed as ElectraMeccanica Factory. There was a full front office and phones etc, and a sign to say deliveries in back at the loading dock. Nobody was there today.
Most all the 'store hours' seem set for 11am-7pm every day, 3 of those locations around Phoenix. But obviously is not operable for the Factory.
Maybe I will try and make an appointment for a test drive and report what I find here. Next Saturday if not sooner.
I tried again today, and stopped by the building that is on google maps as the manufacturing location.
It is a new building in a neighborhood of new and unfinished buildings with very easy access to the Williams Field Airport between Gilbert AZ and Queen Creek. I wouldn't be surprised if 100,000sq yards of floor space is being completed in all those buildings. There was a lot of them. And many of them are very big.
Now the particular building is labeled 7943, and it has an office fully signed as ElectraMeccanica Factory. There was a full front office and phones etc, and a sign to say deliveries in back at the loading dock. Nobody was there today.
Most all the 'store hours' seem set for 11am-7pm every day, 3 of those locations around Phoenix. But obviously is not operable for the Factory.
Maybe I will try and make an appointment for a test drive and report what I find here. Next Saturday if not sooner.
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