8/8/14 Em Blog - Is The Elio For You? Yes! 8/8/14

[zelio]

Is the Elio for you? YES! 8/8/14

Posted by cstempeck on August 8, 2014

Posted in: Blog. Tagged: #nomoreclunker, Commuting, Elio Blog, Elio Motors, environmentally friendly transportation,Free Gas, Free vehicle, no more clunker, Why Elio.

Happy Friday Elio’ers! Hope you are enjoying your summer and the dog days of August. Most of you are aware of our Preview Tour that goes around the country spreading the word about the Elio in different malls, trade shows and large events. The Tour Team occasionally allows some of us to come out and work with them at an event, and it is such a blast! Long days are the norm, but the opportunity to share and expose people to the “next big thing in transportation” is well worth it! This week’s blog is based on my experience on Tour and the types of discussions we have with the fans and soon-to-be” fans of Elio.

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As we stand by the Elio we get to interact with so many people and personalities. The people that come see the vehicle are usually one of a few different types (over-simplified, for sure, but call it artistic freedom!): Future Elio Owners, newbies who have never heard of Elio or seen anything as cool as our vehicle and the two groups that drive this week’s topic; fans that have yet to make a reservation, and the curious folks that are aware of us, but need more.

First, the Future Elio Owners. It is awesome to see the Limited Edition T-shirts walking up! This group is “All In” and always excited to see the Elio. They may come alone or in groups. Some bring their significant others who may or may not be as well versed – but most leave with the Elio fever! The future Elio Owners come with great questions, their cameras, and tons of excitement. These are the ones you see laying on the ground and taking pictures and measuring the vehicle to see “if it will fit.” Fun group to spend time with.

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The Newbies are also great to talk with. They know some to nothing about us and are attracted to Elio by the awesome styling and unique look… or because of the huge crowds that are always by the vehicle. This group gets to “drink out of the fire hose” of Elio information. They read the signs – $6800, 84 MPG, Made in America, Safety. Then they ask us if it is real (“really???!?? $6800??!! 84 MPG??!!”). Then, knowing that we are Elio people, they will reach out to someone in line: “does that say $6800″ “84 MPG?”. Finally, they ask us again and reality sinks in. At this juncture, they bridge into the fan group and start asking about how to make a reservation.

The two next groups are the “Fans” that have yet to commit to a reservation and the “Curious” that know who we are but need more information. These two groups are very similar to each other. The Fans come with cameras and tons of questions. The Curious come with more focused questions, and usually with someone else that helps in the decision making. Some are more skeptical when they walk up, apprehensive even, but definitely eager to see and experience the Elio. Some have even walked up shaking their head and saying “no” before they really get to know us. These are the ones that are fun to show the Elio vision with and help them to better understand how exactly Elio fits into their life. This is where the question of “is the Elio for you?” comes up.

Is the Elio for everyone? The logical answer is no, it is not for everyone, nothing is for “everybody.” But… why not? That is the question that will come up in one way, shape or form during our discussions with the folks that have yet to make a reservation.

How exactly does the Elio fit in your life? The obvious and most significant fit is commuting. The economics of the Elio have never been seen in the USA before. Incredibly low price, amazing mileage on the highway and the Elio lead to huge savings. The math even works out so that if you drive the Elio enough you will save money, actual dollars, in your monthly vehicle expense! Never before has this been possible. What about people that currently have an unreliable low mileage “clunker” that they are driving? They can walk away from the clunker, buy an Elio and drive a brand new, three year 36,000 mile warrantied vehicle that starts when you turn the key and spend less on a payment and gas than they did on just gas with the clunker! Win-Win.

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Other great fits for an Elio: high school and/or college student? Send your student into the world with a safe, reliable, inexpensive to operate vehicle that parents and young adults can afford. Fleet or small business?Picture how cool your logo look on the side of the Elio driving down the road! Compare it to what you do now: How much do you pay for mileage to employees? How much is that Ford Focus or Toyota Corolla cost to lease and operate every month? Need an inexpensive errand vehicle? Perfect for retirees and as a vehicle to run around town with. Environmentally conscious? How about getting 3x the gas mileage than the average vehicle at one-fourth the price of electric?

So, most people see how the Elio fits into their life after a few quick minutes interacting with the vehicle and the team and begin thinking about their life in a way that they never could before. So yes, Elio is for you!

Next Week on the Preview Tour:

Woodward Dream Cruise, Royal Oak, MI. We will be out in front of Village Automotive, 31200 Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak MI. P3 and P4


Thanks for you continued support!

 

[Bilbo B]

This sort of 'news' certainly isn't helping me feel like I want to increase my 'All In' commitment to $1000. I really need a stronger level of confidence they're going to pull this off. This didn't provide that.

 

[AriLea]

This sort of 'news' certainly isn't helping me feel like I want to increase my 'All In' commitment to $1000. I really need a stronger level of confidence they're going to pull this off. This didn't provide that.

Well, yes it is just the introductory sales pitch. We're all waiting for the better stuff. We have a year before we're close to production. We'll just have to distract ourselves with normal life until then.

 

[Bilbo B]

I realize the earliest delivery is over a year off. I can deal with that. But to convince myself, and my wife, that this is worth a Thousand Dollar gamble WITH delivery a year off, I'd really like to see something more concrete, something that shows progress. Give me one of the below items and I could probably convince myself. Give me two, I'm all in for a grand today. I really want them to build it, and I really want to own it. There are just so many unknowns.


1. Specifics on where the financing is coming from to get into production. I want to believe them when they say, don't worry, we have it covered, but I'm not sure I do. OK. I don't. Sorry. $150-200 million is a lot of money to me.

2. Video of the actual engine running and generating/verifying performance numbers. Or showing where refinement is needed to meet the performance goals. We've been getting some progress updates on it. It would be terrific to actually see it running.

3. Some indication that production tooling is in process. I've spent time in design and manufacturing. There's significant time involved in generating the tooling for something as complex as a motor vehicle. At least an indication that some of that is in process would be a good sign.

4. The next generation prototype, or pre-production models, or whatever the heck the next step is going to be. I've seen conflicting thoughts on what we'll see next. If something is going to be built in the next 1-2 months, it would seem we could learn exactly what.

5. Some details as to what specific options will be available (heck, I'd settle for 'are being planned'). We talk about pop out rear windows, sun/moon roofs, trailer hitches, but we don't have any official word on any of those that I'm aware of. OK, a trailer hitch is most likely an after market thing, but the provision for one would make that a lot easier. Something as simple as surveys to the 26,000+ who have made reservations as to what features/options we'd want, how much we'd pay, would show they're thinking of the end goal. We saw a few weeks ago that the wire harness was under development. That implies that many of the electrical options have been determined (things like power windows, power or manual rear windows, trailer light socket, anything electrical). If that's the case, it would be terrific if they could share that with us. I don't want it loaded up. I understand the Keep It Simple Stupid philosophy. But the implication is there will be lots of options. Details on those being considered would show progress.

It looks like of those 26,000 reservations, only about 6,000 of them are all in for $1000 (based on the highest reservation number I've seen you lucky ones post). That implies 20,000 of us are still wanting to see a bit more. September 1 is coming fast. Those of us who haven't gone all in for $1000 are being given one last change to reap the rewards of doing so early. All I'm saying is Elio could make that decision a lot easier. Certainly there's no requirement to go all in for $1000. Maybe that's what I need to convince myself.

 

[Dustman]

I realize the earliest delivery is over a year off. I can deal with that. But to convince myself, and my wife, that this is worth a Thousand Dollar gamble WITH delivery a year off, I'd really like to see something more concrete, something that shows progress. Give me one of the below items and I could probably convince myself. Give me two, I'm all in for a grand today. I really want them to build it, and I really want to own it. There are just so many unknowns.


1. Specifics on where the financing is coming from to get into production. I want to believe them when they say, don't worry, we have it covered, but I'm not sure I do. OK. I don't. Sorry. $150-200 million is a lot of money to me.

2. Video of the actual engine running and generating/verifying performance numbers. Or showing where refinement is needed to meet the performance goals. We've been getting some progress updates on it. It would be terrific to actually see it running.

3. Some indication that production tooling is in process. I've spent time in design and manufacturing. There's significant time involved in generating the tooling for something as complex as a motor vehicle. At least an indication that some of that is in process would be a good sign.

4. The next generation prototype, or pre-production models, or whatever the heck the next step is going to be. I've seen conflicting thoughts on what we'll see next. If something is going to be built in the next 1-2 months, it would seem we could learn exactly what.

5. Some details as to what specific options will be available (heck, I'd settle for 'are being planned'). We talk about pop out rear windows, sun/moon roofs, trailer hitches, but we don't have any official word on any of those that I'm aware of. OK, a trailer hitch is most likely an after market thing, but the provision for one would make that a lot easier. Something as simple as surveys to the 26,000+ who have made reservations as to what features/options we'd want, how much we'd pay, would show they're thinking of the end goal. We saw a few weeks ago that the wire harness was under development. That implies that many of the electrical options have been determined (things like power windows, power or manual rear windows, trailer light socket, anything electrical). If that's the case, it would be terrific if they could share that with us. I don't want it loaded up. I understand the Keep It Simple Stupid philosophy. But the implication is there will be lots of options. Details on those being considered would show progress.

It looks like of those 26,000 reservations, only about 6,000 of them are all in for $1000 (based on the highest reservation number I've seen you lucky ones post). That implies 20,000 of us are still wanting to see a bit more. September 1 is coming fast. Those of us who haven't gone all in for $1000 are being given one last change to reap the rewards of doing so early. All I'm saying is Elio could make that decision a lot easier. Certainly there's no requirement to go all in for $1000. Maybe that's what I need to convince myself.

While most of us on this forum are convinced that this wonderful concept vehicle will come to fruition, you are absolutely correct in defining the $1000 investment as a "gamble". No matter what anybody says, there is no guarantee it will happen. That being said, those of us that have researched all we can on the progress made over the last few years are convinced that this is something who's time has come and we think Elio Motors is going about it the right way. I knew it was a gamble when I placed my deposit - as a matter of fact my first post to introduce myself to the forum was titled "Gambling on a great concept". I am comfortable with that gamble.

While we all hunger for more validation of forward progress, perhaps waiting is the right move for you? It is about being able to accept our decisions no matter what happens. All of us are waiting on pins and needles for any of your 5 points above to be confirmed.

Whatever you decide, good luck to us all and be happy with your choices.

 

[RogWild]

Anyone else notice that there is no longer a place to COMMENT in the weekly BLOG? Guess they got tired of my 'Weekly COMMENT'......... "WHERE IS THE PROGRESS THAT YOU 'PROMISED' TO REPORT WEEKLY...... ON THE BUILDING OF OUR ELIOS?"