Something’s Gotta Give.....

[Tre']

Well, this is depressing...

 

[Ty]

Well true, gift cards are a joke. But I'd rather have $500 cash than $500 in Elio stock since we know Elio stock will keep going down.

Man, with your clairvoyance, I'll bet you are pretty wealthy!

 

[AriLea]

Older people.... If you identify 3 areas of buyer motivation, utility, fun and ego. And then you can look at age groups in 3 segments.
Younger, mostly urban, Middle mostly sub urban, Older from sub to rural. Add also, looking at what age would fall into utility, fun and ego...
Then consider that 'Why' drives the question of 'when' each is willing to shell out a deposit rather than 'if'. 'When' meaning in relationship to the 'expectation' of product availability. Which groups can predict their wants and needs into the future? Which are impulse driven?
Most of the younger and middle aged, or ones motivated by immediate need, were not willing to risk a dime into it until the car was actually on the market, you can derive why older people more easily risk their money now.

 

[johnsnownw]

Any thoughts??? We sure like it, why don’t so many others?

I'll take a crack at it:

1. (20's) are either uninterested in owning vehicles in general, or seem more interested in EVs.
2. (30's) are in the midst of raising kids and a lack of disposable income, making purchase decisions based on utility.
3. (40's) are more focused on their career and raising teenagers, college funds, so more concerned with what's available, not what might be.
4. (50's) kids out of the house, starting to focus on retirement savings, or they go the opposite way with a mid-life crisis moment and spend money on a boat, sports car, motorcycle, vacation home.

Also, if my FB feed is anything to go by, people in their 20's and 30's are straight off their first marriage, and pretty heavily invested in the dating scene, piecing their lives back together.

 

[Rickb]

The startup three wheeler commuter market, regardless of the startups concept target demographic remains unproven. The older demographic has the time to read this and will either agree or disagree. The high % of reservations are based on styling, target specs, and ass.u.med performance and handling, build qulaity, and reliability factors with no test drive validation.

Elio Motors Elio 65,000 Dreamer reservations........no test driveable validated prototype
ElectraMeccanica SOLO 740 +- of the 1000 Signature Series reservations locked in.......handful of reservationist vehicles delivered
Arcimoto FUV 1700 + reservations.......2 of 6 Signature Series delivered

My guess is the Elio appeals to an old school base that prefers I.C.E. vehicles and the FUV & SOLO appeals to a younger base with an interest in ATVMs, the environment, advanced technology, and NMG. The one that is most functional and meets the needs of the urban commuter masses has the best shot to prove the market.

 

[Samalross]

My son is 19. He is perfectly content to wait for a driverless electric vehicle. He grew up in a city and his university has a bus going straight up from the train station. Don't think that he was ever the Elio target demographic.

 

[Rickb]

My son is 19. He is perfectly content to wait for a driverless electric vehicle. He grew up in a city and his university has a bus going straight up from the train station. Don't think that he was ever the Elio target demographic.

Yes, that's a typical attitude of the young generations. Many kids aren't compelled to own a car and or look at a vehicle for transport from point A to B and could care about styling or drive train.............autonomous EVs will likely meet that future demand.

 

[DalElio]

The target demographic was an old sucker like me.

 

[Samalross]

Yes, that's a typical attitude of the young generations. Many kids aren't compelled to own a car and or look at a vehicle for transport from point A to B and could care about styling or drive train.............autonomous EVs will likely meet that future demand.

So different from my generation. Most kids went to get their learners permit on their 16th birthday. My wife cannot understand him, she gave him a nice BMW and he still does not to want his licence.

 

[Elio Amazed]

Naw. It's real simple.
After 50, 60 or 70+ years, we're all just tired of the same ol'