Would You Pay Full Price To Boot Up Production?

[Thomas Malkin]

Would you, and especially those 50,000+ who dropped cash to reserve an Elio, pay full price up front, pre-production, if the DOE torpedoed the loan entirely? 50,000 X $6,800 = more than enough to start production. Even a fraction of full price would do.

 

[champsman]

Would you, and especially those 50,000+ who dropped cash to reserve an Elio, pay full price up front, pre-production, if the DOE torpedoed the loan entirely? 50,000 X $6,800 = more than enough to start production. Even a fraction of full price would do.

If that meant production would start next month . why not. But we all know that won't happen. Maybe by July or August why not.

 

[Thomas Malkin]

If that meant production would start next month . why not. But we all know that won't happen. Maybe by July or August why not.

We know that can't happen. The DOE will string them out for a good long time; originally they were expecting the loan by last September 2015, but the DOE (by quiet side channels) added the requirement for full engineering testing, so they have to build those first, then the DOE will make the decision.
So, assuming the bad happens - new administration in the White House, alternative energy funds cancelled, for instance, and the loan is kaput - the only option left would be to get the money from us. In that case, it may be a year of waiting for a denial, then appeal for full funding from us, then production starts in, oh 6 months and deliveries start 12 or 18 months.
I'd hand the cash over. The thing to avoid is starving them to death by inches. Either whole hog, or none.

 

[WilliamH]

We know that can't happen. The DOE will string them out for a good long time; originally they were expecting the loan by last September 2015, but the DOE (by quiet side channels) added the requirement for full engineering testing, so they have to build those first, then the DOE will make the decision.
So, assuming the bad happens - new administration in the White House, alternative energy funds cancelled, for instance, and the loan is kaput - the only option left would be to get the money from us. In that case, it may be a year of waiting for a denial, then appeal for full funding from us, then production starts in, oh 6 months and deliveries start 12 or 18 months.
I'd hand the cash over. The thing to avoid is starving them to death by inches. Either whole hog, or none.

Please keep your political opinions to yourself.

 

[floydv]

I'd start a letter campaign and petition to the Zuckberg's for-profit "charity." The Elio is just the sort of transformative product they're looking to promote.

 

[Sethodine]

Please keep your political opinions to yourself.

I'm not sure what you mean by this, he didn't give any particular political opinion. It's a fact that new administrations, regardless of party, always make changes. That's why the stock market is always bonkers during election years--uncertainty and money don't mix well. He gave an example of a policy shift that could possibly adversely effect Elio Motors, but he wasn't saying any particular party or candidate was "bad".

 

[Rickb]

We know that can't happen. The DOE will string them out for a good long time; originally they were expecting the loan by last September 2015, but the DOE (by quiet side channels) added the requirement for full engineering testing, so they have to build those first, then the DOE will make the decision.
So, assuming the bad happens - new administration in the White House, alternative energy funds cancelled, for instance, and the loan is kaput - the only option left would be to get the money from us. In that case, it may be a year of waiting for a denial, then appeal for full funding from us, then production starts in, oh 6 months and deliveries start 12 or 18 months.
I'd hand the cash over. The thing to avoid is starving them to death by inches. Either whole hog, or none.

Nothing political about your statement in using the words administration, White House, and alternative energy funds. Your post only stated good will generosity towards EM by wanting to gamble even more of your money on the dream. Most would not feel that same generosity without guarantees. EM isn't starving to death, just not burning it's calories very efficiently.

 

[WilliamH]

Nothing political about your statement in using the words administration, White House, and alternative energy funds. Your post is only stated good will generosity towards EM by wanting to gamble even more of your money on the dream. Most would not feel that same generosity without guarantees. EM isn't starving to death, just not burning calories very efficiently.

The same administration and DOE that wants to give $4 Billion to Silicon Valley for self driving cars.
Incidentally, the administration is the Executive Branch which just happens to directly control the DOE.
Sounds pretty incestuous to me.

 

[Thomas Malkin]

The same administration and DOE that wants to give $4 Billion to Silicon Valley for self driving cars.
Incidentally, the administration is the Executive Branch which just happens to directly control the DOE.
Sounds pretty incestuous to me.

Everyone is convinced SDCs will work. It's like watching Web 2.0 all over again. None yet exist - those are mules driving 20 in a 45 - , yet people extend their trust of their beloved phones and video games to robots driving cars, refusing to notice that their presnent gear crashes all the time. It's mass hysteria/enthusiam coupled with a law enforcement dream of full-time monitoring and control of all movement in the country. And car companies dream of forcing people to buy new smart cars every five years - it'd kill the used car market, and keep people financially shacked to new car loans for all time. They're gonna make bank on smart car obsolescence.

 

[Sethodine]

Everyone is convinced SDCs will work. It's like watching Web 2.0 all over again. None yet exist - those are mules driving 20 in a 45 - , yet people extend their trust of their beloved phones and video games to robots driving cars, refusing to notice that their presnent gear crashes all the time. It's mass hysteria/enthusiam coupled with a law enforcement dream of full-time monitoring and control of all movement in the country. And car companies dream of forcing people to buy new smart cars every five years - it'd kill the used car market, and keep people financially shacked to new car loans for all time. They're gonna make bank on smart car obsolescence.

[deep, gravely voice]
In A World...where the cars drive themselves, and their owners become slaves to the banks...One Man will rise up to fight the system. Armed with the knowledge of a forgotten age, and equipped with the tools of his grandfather, He Alone can free car owners from their oppression. They call him....THE MECHANIC.