Elio Needs A Tie In With Amazon

[dbatch1715]

Has Elio ever pursued a team effort with another company like Amazon? If they could get someone like Jeff Bezos interested, he could fund start up with his pocket change. Amazon has the clout to make it a world wide success.

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

I deleted my Amazon account a couple of months ago after getting fed up with poor customer service, pricing shenanigans, and the constant pushing to force me into "Prime". (It took five tries before they would comply with my request to delete it!)

I personally do not want Elio to be beholden to Amazon or Bezos under any circumstances.

 

[dbatch1715]

I deleted my Amazon account a couple of months ago after getting fed up with poor customer service, pricing shenanigans, and the constant pushing to force me into "Prime". (It took five tries before they would comply with my request to delete it!)

I personally do not want Elio to be beholden to Amazon or Bezos under any circumstances.

I'm sorry about your experience with Amazon. I have had quite the opposite experience and do a great deal of business with them. In my humble opinion with their World Wide Footprint and financial power, the Elio could take off and sell millions.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Has Elio ever pursued a team effort with another company like Amazon? If they could get someone like Jeff Bezos interested, he could fund start up with his pocket change. Amazon has the clout to make it a world wide success.

Hey dbatch, welcome to the forum!

I haven't heard if Elio has pursued a team effort with Amazon. But as you can imagine, it would quickly become the Amazon Elio, Paul would have his investment diluted, he would probably have less decision-making and power, etc.

From our point-of-view, it would help get the Elio to production, and makes sense! But from the current Elio powers that be, a team effort with Amazon is probably a 4th or 5th option.

Elio certainly may have reached out to Amazon, but I haven't seen any publicity about it. Great idea though, dbatch.

 

[Sethodine]

I'm not sure if anybody has tried selling a car on Amazon before.

Elio doesn't have a problem with getting funding. Elio has a problem with getting funding that isn't tied to loss-of-control. What killed Aptera was not the idea or the funding, it was a change of control that muddied the waters with changing goals. Paul is laser-focused on a very specific outcome that doesn't necessarily jive with the typical way of making money, and deviating from that goal could destroy the project altogether.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Seth, good to see your interest and mention of Aptera. Don't want to derail this thread, but a quick discussion seems appropriate.

More than 1 1/2 yrs ago I did a comparison of Aptera and Elio, I wanted to learn about Aptera and see if there were any similarities (at that time) of the two. Mainly because so many people were saying Elio was just like Aptera and was a scam, Elio would not make it to production, etc. I'll see if I can copy/paste it below in a format that's readable!

Aptera vs. Elio
Engine Type
A: all-electric models and hybrid models
E: Always been gas / ICE
Body Type
A: Changed from 3-wheel two-door to 4-wheel four-door
E: 3-wheels 2 seats and 1 door has been consistent
Base Price
$20k - $45k
$6800 - $7600
Colors and Seating
White, two seats plus room for an infant seat
Seven colors, two seats in tandem (now many colors avail with the wraps)
Motorcycle? License? Helmets?
Addressed only for CA, 3-wheeler is a motorcycle but no mc license and no helmet needed
Is a motorcycle; extensive effort and focus on changing many state laws for helmet, and for motorcycle license endorsement not being needed
Designed to drive on snowy roads?
No
Not replacing a snow mobile, but yes can drive on snow
Financing? Warranty?
Never defined
Normal financing and the gas credit card; warranty is 3 yr - 36,000 miles
Initial money raised
$24 million
At least $47 million; (now is a lot more... somebody help... $76 million?)
Funding
A: Chased for years the ATVM loan; totally dependent on it; loan application denied first time because 3-wheelers not defined as cars; 10 months later, they were able to get the definition to include 3-wheelers; "we should have raised the money ourselves and not relied on the ATVM loan";
E: Has other funding alternatives going but not publicized; ATVM loan application submitted
ATVM Loan events
Dec 2008 - ATVM loan rejected for not being a car; Jan 2010 loan submitted again; Late 2010 Dept of Energy says Aptera won't be able to pay back loan based on business plan; Jan 2011 Aptera shifts to 4-door EV hoping they can get the ATVM loan; Sept 2011 DoE says Aptera can get $150 million loan if they raise $80 million privately;
E: Loan application submitted in Aug 2014; we have our fingers crossed
Mission Focus
Leadership changed after a few years, thus their focus and mission changed; the car designed by the company founders was not the car Aptera ended up developing;
Leadership is steady (8 years and counting); mission and vision has not changed
Reservations
Was only from California; only amount available was $500; total reservations was 5000+, but cancellations dropped the number to about 3100;
$1000, $500, $250, $100; anyone in the U.S.
Refundable reservations?
They were refundable at first, then when a production date was missed, folks with reservations were asked to consider making it non-refundable and get additional $250 towards purchase
Yes, both refundable and non-refundable available
Have a grasp of consumer needs?
No; in a letter from Jan 2009, stated "we have come to realize there were flaws in our initial product assumptions -- specifically as it pertains to satisfying the needs of real-world consumers."
Yes; vehicle is low cost, high safety, high mpg
Examples of connectedness to consumers and economy
Felt it was important to listen to requests such as a driver be able to grab a burger at a drive-thru; as economy tanked in 2008, unrealistically decided to "push through" instead of pushing date out to a realistic time;
Delivering a base vehicle that has A/C, air bags, ABS, traction control, manual transmission, and engine designed specifically for the vehicle
Why did company fold?
Greed outweighed common sense; they gave excuses that "vehicle development is outpacing fundraising";
N/A
When company folded, did folks get money back?
Some did, some didn't
N/A

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

I'm not sure if anybody has tried selling a car on Amazon before.

Been done: Nissan Is Selling Cars Through Amazon (Gift Cards Included)

RE Aptera: Great looking design. Great promise. Deeply-flawed: Way overpriced. Wrong-wheel drive. One-wheel drive.

 

[Rob Croson]

Maybe some day we can order an Elio on Amazon, and have it delivered within the hour by an Amazon delivery drone...

 

[Sethodine]

Maybe some day we can order an Elio on Amazon, and have it delivered within the hour by an Amazon delivery drone...

Well, I for one am not ready to trust a drone capable of hauling a car, but the idea is fascinating.