1/15/2014 - Ksla - Elio Motors Announces Delay, Production Expected To Start In 2016

[Smitty901]

The comparison is that even a huge powerhouse producer sees production delays and spends a lot on development. When Elio faces the exact same issues, some people say "squandering money" and "lies". The truth is that any manufacturer out there can face issues... the beloved Chevrolet and Chrysler both screwed up so bad the government had to bail them out. Cut the little startup a little slack. Jeez.

After 44 years of owning GM cars mostly Chevrolet after the bankruptcy scam , I swore I would never buy another. The rest of our family was the same way. We no longer own any GM products and are driving some nice Fords now. I was sure hoping to put a couple ELIO's right along side them.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

Once the illusion of U.S. shale-aplenty ends (especially the confusion between fracked oil-bearing shale and kerogen) we may see the biggest Peak Oil price fears realized. I personally think it's crazy to not buy a vehicle for high MPG, but many people remain shortsighted gluttons who don't bother to study where our most important energy source comes from, or buy into abiotic fantasies.

I hope Mr. Elio's theme of energy efficiency doesn't get compromised by engine modders and power-hungry Amurricans who BIRG over a vehicle's speed above all else. There will surely be a crowd who sees this as a motorcycle replacement, but the core production should focus on good gas mileage if they tweak the engine later on.

I already drive a Mustang, so I have my need for speed (well, it can always be faster), but in my drive, it is all up hill to work and (obviously), downhill on the way home. However, if I drive 70, I see a 4-5mpg drop compared to driving 60 (as you can probably tell, I'm going nuts driving so slow). I definitely need and want an Elio so I can maintain speed with traffic and not go broke doing it.

 

[Juney]

Dear Paul,
I had a dream last night. I was cruising down a wooded two lane highway in my new Elio listening to soft music coming from the speakers. The deep bass setting up good vibrations in my bones. Elizabeth Hurley was snuggled against the back of my seat where I could feel her warm breath on my neck, her hand danced playfully in the unbuttoned opening of my shirt and.....Oh, My God, Paul!!! Open up that factory 'cause I'm commin' down to Shreveport and build my own damn Elio if I have to!! GET THOSE DOORS OPEN!!

 

[Johnapool]

kiss of death

party is over…

next step BANKRUPTCY ….

"Bankrupt" means a company owes more than it can pay back. Is EM in debt?

 

[Jayne Shelby]

I don't believe anyone has been conned. Having working in acquisition for over 40 years for the government I know that no matter how good a company is there are always delays in a project. Getting upset over those types of delays does accomplish anything. We have all been watching the progress and I can see light at the end of the tunnel even though it's a ways off. Who knows, maybe this delay will allow Paul to incorporate some new technology that that recently became available that will blow your socks off. It's going to happen folks, it just takes time.

 

[John Painter]

So you think they're going to skip the rob-it-of-oil-til-it-breaks test? They don't have a spare block sitting around for when the cylinders get all scored and burned out. What they obviously need is two or three more engines, ASAP .... which is about 6 months if they're hand-made like the first one.

I'm not sure what you're saying that the engine blocks are "hand made". They obviously have progressed to the point that they've incorporated the Elio logo into castings. There's good evidence they pretty much figured out what they need to this past May and that's why they're already using the European numbering, I wouldn't be shocked if the original castings are coming from Berlin where I think IAV is headquartered. Times like this I wish I was an engineer (any out there following Elio?) but I believe they're at the point of moving beyond full mold casting of pre-production blocks and on to the setup they'll need for production, that's why production capital is so critical at this point - they have an engine and chasis but no capital to put them together in the volume Elio's business model requires to turn a profit.

 

[John Painter]

Dear Paul,
I had a dream last night. I was cruising down a wooded two lane highway in my new Elio listening to soft music coming from the speakers. The deep bass setting up good vibrations in my bones. Elizabeth Hurley was snuggled against the back of my seat where I could feel her warm breath on my neck, her hand danced playfully in the unbuttoned opening of my shirt and.....Oh, My God, Paul!!! Open up that factory 'cause I'm commin' down to Shreveport and build my own damn Elio if I have to!! GET THOSE DOORS OPEN!!

Yup. Elizabeth Hurley would look even better in the back of an Elio...

 

[EZ]

Business Plan

the thing I do NOT understand

when this started 8 years ago someone must have sat down and created a BUSINESS PLAN ???
they MUST have realized they needed over $200 MILLION to get into production, ??
here we are 38,000 eager enthusiastic buyers waiting for their vehicle, yet there is no factory ! The "non-refundable" deposits should have been put right into an escrow to purchase the parts to build those 38,000 vehicles, ???
the BUSINESS PLAN should have been specific where the monies to start the factory and production, yet here we are …

i do NOT think it is legitimate to use those 38,000 monies to purchase and equip the factory, where will the monies come from to build those 38,000 if it is already used ?? that is a shell game moving monies around.
if they are "giving away" the profits with these bonuses, then how WILL they build these 38,000 unless they borrow the money to manufacture ??

 

[John Painter]

Business Plan

the thing I do NOT understand

when this started 8 years ago someone must have sat down and created a BUSINESS PLAN ???
they MUST have realized they needed over $200 MILLION to get into production, ??
here we are 38,000 eager enthusiastic buyers waiting for their vehicle, yet there is no factory ! The "non-refundable" deposits should have been put right into an escrow to purchase the parts to build those 38,000 vehicles, ???
the BUSINESS PLAN should have been specific where the monies to start the factory and production, yet here we are …

i do NOT think it is legitimate to use those 38,000 monies to purchase and equip the factory, where will the monies come from to build those 38,000 if it is already used ?? that is a shell game moving monies around.
if they are "giving away" the profits with these bonuses, then how WILL they build these 38,000 unless they borrow the money to manufacture ??

When it comes to product development, the closer you can bring that new product to production without actually diving into a full-scale production, the more time and money you will save. If it were me and I was at an R&D stage, a particular level of investor risk, I would not seek production funding when I was not actually prepared to build something other than pre-production prototypes. What I hear Paul Elio saying is, he is ready to enter the production phase and what it will cost to begin the first production run and he is now seeking further capitalization. What I think he is not saying, is that figure is based on the number of reservations/known sales he has. That in itself is not unusual.

I think the "issue" for Elio Motors, was and still is, most of the states really don't know what autocyles are or exactly how to regulate them. I think it will be the second wave of production after everyone figures out what, if any safety and regulatory issues autocycles on US roads will pose, as we're all driving them around, is where the big $ $ $ raising risk is and determine if Elio will have a production run over 40,000 or end up like Delorian. My best friend's dad had a Delorian when I was a kid, it was very cool and a very over priced and underpowered vehicle (unlike Elio) though the R&D and production challenges were, I think, comparable though it was manufactured in Ireland if I remember. I can only hope Paul Elio doesn't do something stupid like Delorian did.

 

[EastCoastCentralFla]

Yup. Elizabeth Hurley would look even better in the back of an Elio...

OMG, The beginnings of a Novella Erotica and with pictures!