Test Drive / Ride And Drive Events

[Jeff Porter]

A question: I know the P3 is the silver one and the P4 is the orange one. Will there be a P5 before actual production begins? Seems I recall the P5 would have the real engine and drive train, but I would expect them to be tinkering with that right up to production. So a P5 might not be out there for any length of time before production begins.

William, based on my memory, someone has said that the plans are to skip a P5 and go for some number (around 20) of a pre-production model.

 

[UCF'73]

William, based on my memory, someone has said that the plans are to skip a P5 and go for some number (around 20) of a pre-production model.

Thanks Jeff. I wonder if they'll need volunteer drivers for those 20. I suppose they'll have the near-final drive train, which suggests they won't be on the roads for quite some time. Bill

 

[zelio]

I hope I get the chance to at least see it in person before I take delivery, driving one would be a huge plus. But I have enough faith that I'm sure I won't be disappointed if I do have to wait for mine to show up at my door.

For Zelio, I am keeping optimistic!

You need to keep optimistic for yourself also. BTW, did you read this weeks tour blog? They have asked for ideas for events. Check out the parameters (specific things they are looking for) and see if you and some of your fellow Iowa Elioites (that is a real mouthful) can come up with some suggestions of location and why other than the fact they haven't been there. You might talk to some of the people in nearby states that are having the same issues. Good luck with coming up with some terrific ideas. :-) Z

 

[goofyone]

A question: I know the P3 is the silver one and the P4 is the orange one. Will there be a P5 before actual production begins? Seems I recall the P5 would have the real engine and drive train, but I would expect them to be tinkering with that right up to production. So a P5 might not be out there for any length of time before production begins.

William, based on my memory, someone has said that the plans are to skip a P5 and go for some number (around 20) of a pre-production model.

There will be a hand-build P5. Hopefully this will happen soon as the last we heard it was supposed to begin building before the end of September. The confusion about no P5 comes from the fact that EM does not plan to have the P5 go on tour right away like the other prototypes. Instead the P5 will stay behind the scenes and will be put into testing right away to verify all the design criteria have been met and it will be used as a template to develop the tooling which will be used to build the roughly two dozen pre-production vehicles.

These pre-production vehicles will be used for further development and crash testing. As these are development vehicles, other than the chassis and body panels, I expect these vehicles will change a good bit over the course of the next year leading to production. The vehicles will be used to select and test final components as well as fine tune the programing of the various on board computer controlled systems.

 

[imageon]

Wow!
I hope they can jam all this in with in a year.
MK

 

[goofyone]

Wow!
I hope they can jam all this in with in a year.
MK

It is definitely a tight development schedule however barring any major issues it should be doable. Once the hand built P5 is finished and the tooling for the pre-production models is completed EM will be able to produce the sub-assemblies which will fit together to make complete vehicles. EM's vehicle build contractor, Technosports, will assemble the pre-production vehicles following the assembly process which will eventually be done on the assembly line. By doing things this way the pre-production vehicles will be very similar to the production vehicles which will eventually roll off the assembly line in Shreveport. This method should also allow for the pre-production vehicles to be produced relatively quickly.

 

[Rickb]

It is definitely a tight development schedule however barring any major issues it should be doable. Once the hand built P5 is finished and the tooling for the pre-production models is completed EM will be able to produce the sub-assemblies which will fit together to make complete vehicles. EM's vehicle build contractor, Technosports, will assemble the pre-production vehicles following the assembly process which will eventually be done on the assembly line. By doing things this way the pre-production vehicles will be very similar to the production vehicles which will eventually roll off the assembly line in Shreveport. This method should also allow for the pre-production vehicles to be produced relatively quickly.

It's the P5 that needs to be finished on schedule to stay on track to production followed by the Technosport's 20 pre-production models needed for testing. If I recall that was slated for the end of September.......and that's 30 short days.

 

[goofyone]

It's the P5 that needs to be finished on schedule to stay on track to production followed by the Technosport's 20 pre-production models needed for testing. If I recall that was slated for the end of September.......and that's 30 short days.

There will be a hand-build P5. Hopefully this will happen soon as the last we heard it was supposed to begin building before the end of September. The confusion about no P5 comes from the fact that EM does not plan to have the P5 go on tour right away like the other prototypes. Instead the P5 will stay behind the scenes and will be put into testing right away to verify all the design criteria have been met and it will be used as a template to develop the tooling which will be used to build the roughly two dozen pre-production vehicles.

These pre-production vehicles will be used for further development and crash testing. As these are development vehicles, other than the chassis and body panels, I expect these vehicles will change a good bit over the course of the next year leading to production. The vehicles will be used to select and test final components as well as fine tune the programing of the various on board computer controlled systems.

 

[UCF'73]

It is definitely a tight development schedule however barring any major issues it should be doable. Once the hand built P5 is finished and the tooling for the pre-production models is completed EM will be able to produce the sub-assemblies which will fit together to make complete vehicles. EM's vehicle build contractor, Technosports, will assemble the pre-production vehicles following the assembly process which will eventually be done on the assembly line. By doing things this way the pre-production vehicles will be very similar to the production vehicles which will eventually roll off the assembly line in Shreveport. This method should also allow for the pre-production vehicles to be produced relatively quickly.

Good info. You write well for a young guy. What engine and transmission will be in the P5 and the pre-production vehicles?

 

[Jeff Porter]

There will be a hand-build P5. Hopefully this will happen soon as the last we heard it was supposed to begin building before the end of September. The confusion about no P5 comes from the fact that EM does not plan to have the P5 go on tour right away like the other prototypes. Instead the P5 will stay behind the scenes and will be put into testing right away to verify all the design criteria have been met and it will be used as a template to develop the tooling which will be used to build the roughly two dozen pre-production vehicles.

These pre-production vehicles will be used for further development and crash testing. As these are development vehicles, other than the chassis and body panels, I expect these vehicles will change a good bit over the course of the next year leading to production. The vehicles will be used to select and test final components as well as fine tune the programing of the various on board computer controlled systems.

Thanks G.O., I stand corrected. :-) It sounds like the P5 will be done at some point, and we may not know when it's done, and perhaps when the tooling is set up and the 24 pre-production vehicles are close to completion, the P5 "might" go on tour?