250,000 Units Per Year ?

[JEBar]

Plus it looks like a kick in the pants to drive.

.... ain't that the truth ...

Jim

 

[Ty]

Time will tell.

 

[SandyCWV]

Good evening to everyone!

I've been reviewing the different topics posted on this forum for the last several days...lots of usefully information...

My thoughts for today...Mr Elio's goal of 250,000 annual units to make his project financially viable appears to an extremely optimistic sales goal at the least...for reference...Mazda only sold a total of 283,947 total units in the US in 2013...

Wow...250,000 unit is a huge number by any automotive standards...especially for a new manufacturer trying to introduce a untested product segment...

So...let's examine current Elio reservation data...

Here's interesting way to analyze the current Elio reservation statistics...

Elio Motors has been aggressively soliciting vehicle pre-orders for the last 24 months...

They currently have appropriately 37,500 (give or take) advance orders...

So...that averages out to approximately 18,750 pre-orders a year...

Mr. Elio has publicly indicated they need to ramp up to a production number of 250,000 units a year to make this project viable...

250,000 annual units...and subtracting 37,500 total of 2 years of pre-order units...and assuming every reservation holder takes delivery...(and you know that will never occur)...that still leaves at least 212,500 available units on a yearly basis...

Bottom line...there seems to be questionable consumer demand for 250,000 Elio Vehicles...

Any thoughts?

My thought, before reading anyone else's reply... 100 percent of the people I have told about the Elio in the past year have never heard of it. West Virginia is not one of the marketing/visitation areas so that makes sense. Neither are the plains states where most of my out of state FB friends live. I also know that most of those people thought the whole idea is crazy, which makes me sure they never bothered to follow up on the subject and thus didn't get a reservation.
If most of us 37k people have had the same experience - at least the part where they think we are crazy for following this car around - then I would say that just because there aren't 200k people willing to put $100 or more down on a "vision" doesn't mean they aren't interested and willing to buy. It just means they might be a bit more sane than the rest of us.
Bottom line: The Elio will sell. I believe.

 

[Rickb]

My thought, before reading anyone else's reply... 100 percent of the people I have told about the Elio in the past year have never heard of it. West Virginia is not one of the marketing/visitation areas so that makes sense. Neither are the plains states where most of my out of state FB friends live. I also know that most of those people thought the whole idea is crazy, which makes me sure they never bothered to follow up on the subject and thus didn't get a reservation.
If most of us 37k people have had the same experience - at least the part where they think we are crazy for following this car around - then I would say that just because there aren't 200k people willing to put $100 or more down on a "vision" doesn't mean they aren't interested and willing to buy. It just means they might be a bit more sane than the rest of us.
Bottom line: The Elio will sell. I believe.

...............yep, that's it........we are crazy! I was Idaho's one and only reservation for quite sometime. The Elio Team drives by our state too on the way to their marketing Events. I believe that when I start driving the Elio around town interest will peak and sales will boom. When people see it in person they will like it. Most are unaware of it at this point in time or like you say are interested but are complelled to wait until after production begins to make their purchase.

 

[Darrellh]

I agree that most people aren't going to put down a deposit on something they can't buy right away, let alone a year off and can't even test drive. I put down a deposit when I saw the pictures and stats on the P-3. The P-4 is a big improvement but doesn't compare to the style of the Aptera.

 

[ross]

I have a lot of people waiting for me to get mine. I am asked all the time. "When are you getting your three wheeler?" and I know when I do get it, they are going to want to sit in it, ride in it, and drive it. They are going to ask a lot of questions, first of which will be "What king of gas mileage are you getting" and then guess what? They are going to buy an E-car, because it is cool and what is there not to like? Keep in mind, these are just the people I know that I've talked to about it, this doesn't take into account the strangers we are all going to encounter who have no idea what's coming down the road at them both literally and figuratively. I'm seriously thinking of having a removable sign put on the rear panel where a window would normally be that says "84 mpg, 5 star safety rating, American made, $6,800", just so I don't have to answer the same questions over and over again.

 

[Ty]

I may have to charge for rides. Wait... Suddenly, I feel so cheap...

 

[outsydthebox]

I agree that most people aren't going to put down a deposit on something they can't buy right away, let alone a year off and can't even test drive. I put down a deposit when I saw the pictures and stats on the P-3. The P-4 is a big improvement but doesn't compare to the style of the Aptera.

Hey Darrellh, Welcome to the addiction.

 

[CheeseheadEarl]

I may have to charge for rides. Wait... Suddenly, I feel so cheap...

Cheap ain't necessarily bad...

 

[ross]

I may have to charge for rides. Wait... Suddenly, I feel so cheap...

Ass gas or grass. Nobody rides for free.