Factory Pickup, Retail Store Pickup, Or Delivery

[Ekh]

I had a car shipped from Fl. for $450.00. Shipping usually runs 6 to 1200.00 by car carriers. Elio once up and running may cut a deal with one of the carriers to ship less and since they are so small anyway the carrier could haul more at a time.

There's been some discussion on this topic. Being 3-wheeled, the Elio will need a special dolly to ship each car on a standard car carrier -- or else use custom transport trailers. This definitely adds to the shipping cost; the dolly has to be attached at the factory and detached at the destination, then shipped back to Shreveport, probably not with the original carrier (unless he's doing a round-trip right back to Shreveport and is willing to wait while the 8 or 9 elios he hauled have their dollies removed). I wouldn't hold much hope that shipping Elios will be cheaper than shipping other manufacturers' cars.

 

[goofyone]

I had a car shipped from Fl. for $450.00. Shipping usually runs 6 to 1200.00 by car carriers. Elio once up and running may cut a deal with one of the carriers to ship less and since they are so small anyway the carrier could haul more at a time.

There's been some discussion on this topic. Being 3-wheeled, the Elio will need a special dolly to ship each car on a standard car carrier -- or else use custom transport trailers. This definitely adds to the shipping cost; the dolly has to be attached at the factory and detached at the destination, then shipped back to Shreveport, probably not with the original carrier (unless he's doing a round-trip right back to Shreveport and is willing to wait while the 8 or 9 elios he hauled have their dollies removed). I wouldn't hold much hope that shipping Elios will be cheaper than shipping other manufacturers' cars.

As mentioned the Elio would take up the same amount of space in transport as any other car as it is the same length and to make it shippable on a standard dual rail auto transport truck it will become a four wheel vehicle. We also have to calculate an equalized cost of shipping across the entire country to the distribution centers then stored for a short while and onwards to retail stores for delivery. This multi step delivery process is not something special just to the Elio but is standard across the entire auto industry as all mass produced cars are shipped across the country via rail or truck where they arrive at regional distribution points where they are arranged into groups headed to individual dealerships. Many people have likely seen the results of this, when they see a delivery truck dropping a load of vehicles at a dealership with a variety of vehicles on board made in several different factories, however we never stop to think about how this happens.

 

[goofyone]

Since Paul is has been quoted as saying "I don't think the marshaling points will be needed the first year," I wonder where the cars will be shipped TO? It's not like UPS can drop one off along with your box of fancy soap -- and Amazon's drones aren't yet up to the job. You think the company will be able to get 60-odd sales centers set up by the time manufacturing starts? (I don't). My guess that most of the first year's production (the all-inners) will HAVE to get their cars in Shreveport!

I have also thought about this issue and this is exactly why I believe reservation holders are likely to see the destination fee waived. With their distribution infrastructure not yet like to be in place it would be best for EM to minimize the amount of vehicle which need to be delivered elsewhere.

For reservation holders who need the car delivered closer to home my guess is that they will be offered a choice of delivery to designated locations in the first 60 sales cities, such as Pep Boys stores or Freight holding yards, for a standard fee or direct home delivery at whatever cost EM negotiates with a shipper for this service.

EM has told us that home delivery would be an available option even after retail sales commence as their goal is to enable buyers to be able to go online, complete a vehicle purchase, and have it delivered direct to their door anywhere in the USA and eventually Canada also.

 

[zelio]

Can't find the thread with the Google Earth view of the Elio plant, but when Chrysler had it's plant up here in Fenton, MO, they'd just drive them right onto train cars (automotive type). Chrysler had their own spur right off the main RR line. Might cut down a little on shipping if Shreveport has the same type of set up.

It does. :-) Z

 

[wayne kemp]

If the Elio takes off shippers will convert for three wheels fast.
With a flat bed you can drive on one and back on one beside it, using all the space available.

 

[goofyone]

If the Elio takes off shippers will convert for three wheels fast.
With a flat bed you can drive on one and back on one beside it, using all the space available.

We would all like to see this happen and I am sure it eventually will as denser shipping methods are definitely more efficient. However at first unless EM is willing to front the cost of upgrading the trailers they will have to use existing infrastructure which is where the rear wheel dollies come into play.

 

[Charlie G]

We would all like to see this happen and I am sure it eventually will as denser shipping methods are definitely more efficient. However at first unless EM is willing to front the cost of upgrading the trailers they will have to use existing infrastructure which is where the rear wheel dollies come into play.

Granted it won't be there initially, but at 500 cars/day upgrading trailers is going to make sense pretty fast.
Edit: at 500/day and 60 starting markets, that's 8 cars per day per market.

 

[Rickb]

Yet another opportunity for Elio to partner with an established low cost car shipping company for concierge to your front door home delivery service.

 

[tazairforce]

As mentioned the Elio would take up the same amount of space in transport as any other car as it is the same length and to make it shippable on a standard dual rail auto transport truck it will become a four wheel vehicle. We also have to calculate an equalized cost of shipping across the entire country to the distribution centers then stored for a short while and onwards to retail stores for delivery. This multi step delivery process is not something special just to the Elio but is standard across the entire auto industry as all mass produced cars are shipped across the country via rail or truck where they arrive at regional distribution points where they are arranged into groups headed to individual dealerships. Many people have likely seen the results of this, when they see a delivery truck dropping a load of vehicles at a dealership with a variety of vehicles on board made in several different factories, however we never stop to think about how this happens.

 

[tazairforce]

The idea of removing the rear wheel, at the factory, adding a WIDE wheeled dolly, then shipping the vehicle to a distribution center, remounting the tire, shipping the dollies back to the factory, just looks like a lot of costly/wasted motion and expense.


My thought is this, using conventional double deck car carriers, with NO modifications, build 14/18" long dollies with 4"(?) roller bearing type wheels for the rear wheel to follow the conventional tire rails, both left and right. I unit, built with the correct angle, would then be clamped to the rear tire, not the frame or any other attachment point.


Quote.by G1 'the Elio would take up the same amount of space in transport as any other car as it is the same length and to make it shippable on a standard dual rail auto transport truck it will become a four wheel vehicle'

Not Necessarily


Now, when loading a car carrier for a distributing point, the first E would be equipped with this light weight dolly to tract the left front wheel driven straight forward, the second would be backed on with the dolly set up to also track the left front wheel. I know it will drive Funny but we're not going very far, just on and off the trailer.

The Elio is about 13' long(?), or so, if they were to load two Elios on the carriers this way, tail to tail, they would not equate to 26/28/30', with a shipping separation, but maybe(?) 18 to 20' total. These little dollies would ship back to the factory a lot cheaper than a much bigger unit with out ever removing the rear tire....


As I am not a Rocket scientist nor an engineer, if I see a problem, I'll try to find a way to solve it.


Yep... been slow 'round here.