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Elio, Dept Of Energy Funding And Political Action

RSchneider

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Last month I was out in Nowheresville, Ohio working with a machine shop. The owner just got a new X5 and I asked him if they had opened up a pickup truck dealer because his lot is full of them. He has 60 employees and they did a survey on what people drove. It was 35 Ford Trucks, 20 Chevy Trucks, 2 Dodge Trucks, 1 Escape, 1 Explorer and 1 Toyota Truck. Many of his employees driver at least an hour each way for work and it's just through the flat farmland of Ohio. Not one drives something efficient unless you count the 4-5 Harleys that some ride in the summer.

I see this repeated all over the country in small and large businesses. It seems if you are in the country, it's a pickup. In the urban areas it's a crossover or SUV.

You'd think there would be a number of small efficient cars due to the money saved in gas/diesel but yet, rarely ever see one in situations where they would be perfect. When I show up with my i3, people ask about it and are amazed how cheap it is to run but don't seem that interested at all because it's not big enough for what they need. Honestly, the i3 holds 4 people and cargo, so I guess that's not big enough.

So, I think that Elio could do numbers of 20K per year but I just am not seeing the 125K to 250K per year. Maybe investors see the same thing.
 

AriLea

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So, I think that Elio could do numbers of 20K per year but I just am not seeing the 125K to 250K per year. Maybe investors see the same thing.
All these estimates are extremely elastic, and you can loose sight of what thresholds mater. Also the buyers are in segments that each change with the conditions of economic life.

A while ago now we had both high gas prices and a recession, a big advantage for the Elio, but a huge segment that wanted green ev's. But now, there has been a little reversals in there, yet attention to a low entry price to get a go-to-work car has gone way-way up. Green carbon motivation has gone up, but no longer is just EV considered the sole solution. The interest in a unique vehicle has not diminished at all. But that is forceful only while it is well ah, unique and new.

Each of the arguments in posts above address just one or two of the -many- buyer segments, but no single individual buyer segment addresses the most important threshold, "Will enough cars be sold to justify the low price and still make a profit that justifies the investment?"

SO really, what maters right now? Can you convince the big investor player.

I think a mix of all the customer segments justifies the 68k/per/year, even though the mix varies every few months. For at least the first few years (3-5yrs) anyway. And therefore they should show how this relates to recovery of the investment in that time-frame. (maybe show how they will expand products/profits before 5 years)

The biggest counter argument in the investors head really is two fold, does my money work elsewhere better, and how badly other similar cars have done over the years.

I've seen EM bounce about all the right details that make their case, but really, since this is dusty-back-room discussions, I can only guess they have put this together as a convincing presentation. Especially if they have included a concrete concept of why EM will do better than those other guys who failed.

I would not, just out of the box, present potential investors ALL the pitfalls from the past and challenges for the future, but I would want to convince them I'm on top of it. But 'Bigley' I'd be ready to answer specific questions with comprehensive facts and evidence and stern awareness that every issue was planned for and properly countered.

Now an angel investor like Bill Gates, this is a different cat. There is a case to be made how the Elio would be better for real people than anything done with taxes in decades. How the heck do you get that argument out in front of HIM? My brother worked for him for years and even had a few sentences talking face-to-face. I still don't know how you would do THAT.
 

Sega

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I still don't understand why someone with a bunch of money would spend so much on this company when they could just make their own? There is nothing special that Elio does that they can't replicate with their own team.

The elio is just a basic car. Nothing special. Anyone can replicate and with their own rules....
 

RSchneider

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I would not, just out of the box, present potential investors ALL the pitfalls from the past and challenges for the future, but I would want to convince them I'm on top of it. But 'Bigley' I'd be ready to answer specific questions with comprehensive facts and evidence and stern awareness that every issue was planned for and properly countered.
I don't know of anyone that does that. It's literally the opposite. It's all of the good points and what Elio has done, is hit on many of those for a long time. They have every reason why it's the car for everyone and why everyone needs to buy it.

The investors are the ones that open up the books, look at everything including what size underwear you have on. They hire people to come in and look at many details that the company will have to give an answer for and what will be done when things go wrong. In addition to that, they won't hand you money and just pray that you'll get it up and running while they make a good rate of return. They will want to be part of it and typically have a few people the company must hire. I've seen it played out before for and Elio is no different. At this point, it's just wait and see. It's been 9 years and the angel investor hasn't shown up, maybe this year will be the one. Elio sweetened the pot by ditching their engine trying to get the cost and risk lowered and that was a good move but I believe pat pulled that one off. There will need to be more Pats to get this straightened out and up and running.
 

Rickb

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RSchneider, The Angel investor hasn’t showed up? I think a number of angel investors got behind the Elio Dream Machine to the tune of $______________ Million spent to date. Angel investors provided a manufacturing plant valued at $7.5Million+, along with the $15 Million provided by the Reg A+ Angel investors.

Those angel investor rounds failed to produce a single driveable engineering prototype to scream around the test track, that would likely have encouraged other public or private angels to invest in the future rounds of funding needed to start retail production. Also, the 65,000 reservationist ‘ angelettes ‘ need to be recognized for their millions of financial support and proving there is interest in the Elio concept. The reality is investor support has been incredible. Funding may not be the issue and or the solution.
 

Sega

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RSchneider, The Angel investor hasn’t showed up? I think a number of angel investors got behind the Elio Dream Machine to the tune of $______________ Million spent to date. Angel investors provided a manufacturing plant valued at $7.5Million+, along with the $15 Million provided by the Reg A+ Angel investors.

Those angel investor rounds failed to produce a single driveable engineering prototype to scream around the test track, that would likely have encouraged other public or private angels to invest in the future rounds of funding needed to start retail production. Also, the 65,000 reservationist ‘ angelettes ‘ need to be recognized for their millions of financial support and proving there is interest in the Elio concept. The reality is investor support has been incredible. Funding may not be the issue and or the solution.

I think Rschneider meant that big investor that so many people think will just pop up and offer a few hundred million. Investor support has not been there. Gambler support has. Completely different. Also, funding IS the main issue.
 

Ty

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I still don't understand why someone with a bunch of money would spend so much on this company when they could just make their own? There is nothing special that Elio does that they can't replicate with their own team.

The elio is just a basic car. Nothing special. Anyone can replicate and with their own rules....
I have enough money to buy a toilet but that doesn't mean I want to build one myself. I'll buy one from someone else who wants to build them. I may want to invest in a new all-American company providing a vehicle that adds mobility to disadvantaged people but don't want the hassle of running another company.
 

RSchneider

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I have enough money to buy a toilet but that doesn't mean I want to build one myself. I'll buy one from someone else who wants to build them.
You are thinking like Elio Motors then. Aisin is the transmission supplier to Elio and for all we know, Aisin could be their supplier of toilet seats in the Elio plant. Why build a toilet seat when you supplier can do it for you?
http://www.aisin.com/product/life/home/

I've used these toilet seats and they are really nice.
 
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