7/4/14 - Jo Borras Article: Elio Motors Q&a With Paul Elio... The A Part

[dgruis]

Get on the list or wait
Found on YouTube, interesting thoughts about Elio, as a commuter drives his Chevy Malibu...

 

[imageon]

Yep looks like he does drive 55.
Good thoughts
MK

 

[Ekh]

I liked the interview -- it was as blunt as could be, very little waffling on Elio's part. If they don't destroy all 25 pre-production cars (not prototypes; the language is hanging us up here), I'll buy one!

 

[Jim H]

Maybe they should start a waiting list for those of us willing to buy one of them. I'm certain they would have not problem selling them at top price

 

[Jeff Porter]

I liked the interview -- it was as blunt as could be, very little waffling on Elio's part. If they don't destroy all 25 pre-production cars (not prototypes; the language is hanging us up here), I'll buy one!

I'm with you Ekh, what's the difference between a P5 prototype and a pre-production vehicle?

 

[goofyone]

I'm with you Ekh, what's the difference between a P5 prototype and a pre-production vehicle?

To the casual observer there should not be much of an obvious difference however there is a difference in how they are assembled. The P5 prototype will be built just like the last prototypes where nearly everything is built from scratch using a set of plans. Using the P5 as a template they will then verify as built dimension, and create some preliminary tooling as needed, which will allow them to produce sub-assemblies just like they would have in the manufacturing plant. These sub-assemblies are then assembled into pre-production vehicles in a sequence similar to what they would be in the plant. This process ensures that the pre-production vehicles are actually very similar in construction to the eventual production vehicle.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Great info, g.o.! Prior experience in an assembly line?

 

[DBN477]

Hi DB, hoping we can have a light-hearted discusson on this. Agree with you on the dipstick being a bad choice of a part that needs replaced. An oil cap would have been a better example, I've lost one before. On the engine question, there may be engines out there existing that give power to similar-weighted vehicles. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know or say that you can take an existing engine from a similar weighted vehicle and make it work for a different vehicle, and also: understand the engine now inside and out, have the engine be a desired weight, give the miles-per-gallon that you want, and there may be other reasons too. And the funding: I dunno, I would bet that if Elio was completely transparent with all of their funding plans, the current and potential investors would find reasons to pull their investment funds. And if Elio was transparent with their funding plans, we'd find reasons to disagree with the how and when and where. Agreed that if funding and investing down the road is slower than what EM wants, the development timetable will give delays.

The latest Tech Talk has some detailed questions and answers from an IAV guy. I would bet that we can go through his answers and come up with answers we feel are inadequate or incomplete. Nothing wrong with that, we can discuss them too! Part of the fun of the journey.

Did I mention anything about transparency? I thought I was clear about funding answer, answer given was what I expected. Did I say I had a problem with it? I'm pretty sure I said, answer given was what I expected and left it at that. You are the one that brought up transparency..........You agree with what the man himself said (Paul Elio) about lack of funding delaying the vehicle? Was there any reason to disagree with Paul Elio ( I quoted his words)? I'm not sure where your going with this or why you brought it up. Like your saying we can discuss this but throw in a backhanded complement or a jab. Because your adding/implying things in my post you quoted, that I did not say or imply.

Now to the engine, they pay to have it developed to save money (from the article), but instead of building it themselves, are buying it from a supplier. At this point why not have IAV assemble the whole vehicle in that plant in Louisiana? They can still make the claim "made in the USA", by American workers, and think of all the money he can save by having German based IAV, US unit assemble the vehicle.

 

[goofyone]

Great info, g.o.! Prior experience in an assembly line?

Nope, as an engineer I have some experience in product development however this information came from putting together information I have learned from my discussions with Elio Motors and from thoroughly reading through all the Tech Talk emails which as a whole contain a lot of useful information.

Now to the engine, they pay to have it developed to save money (from the article), but instead of building it themselves, are buying it from a supplier. At this point why not have IAV assemble the whole vehicle in that plant in Louisiana? They can still make the claim "made in the USA", by American workers, and think of all the money he can save by having German based IAV, US unit assemble the vehicle.

IAV is solely the engine design and drivetrain integration company. The engine itself is being cast by the Grainger & Worral foundry and will be assembled by Elio Motors in the Shreveport plant. This information was published in various Tech Talk emails from Elio Motors.

 

[Kuda]

Nope, as an engineer I have some experience in product development however this information came from putting together information I have learned from my discussions with Elio Motors and from thoroughly reading through all the Tech Talk emails which as a whole contain a lot of useful information.



IAV is solely the engine design and drivetrain integration company. The engine itself is being cast by the Grainger & Worral foundry and will be assembled by Elio Motors in the Shreveport plant. This information was published in various Tech Talk emails from Elio Motors.

Thanks G1. I was too lazy to clear that up. Comau will do the plasma lining and the block machining
I believe, I expect they remember how to do the engine work since they did it for GM @ the Shreveport
plant..............BTW 'Elio' doesn't manufacture anything. The entire vehicle is an exercise in Legodom &
a good one @ that & the casting work of Grainger & Worral is terriffic!
http://www.gwcast.com/en/castings/prototype-foundry-aluminium-castings/