Pop-up Event 5-16-2017

[Neal]

Sad to hear Jerome is on furlough. Next to Paul, Jerome has been the face of Elio in my opinion.

 

[Ekh]

Excellent report Ekh. I can't believe they did not start it and let you hear it rev.
I swear, if I ever get to see an Elio in person I will refuse to leave until I hear it rev.

Too many people. No key in the car -- I told Rudy Schloup (early Elio investor, who's a dedicated roadie) that that was a good thing, or I'd drive it away!

Ekh,

I'm assuming due to your round-trip commute, you weren't there very early or very late in the event's window of opportunity for static display of the E1c. But did you happen to observe or catch any commentary about the E1c in operation? I imagine the management team simply popped it in neutral and rolled it out of the enclosed trailer and there it sat for a few hours. But it'd be sweet if anyone had a chance to see the E1c shuffle around the parking lot under its own power.

You're convinced it's been logging some real-world outdoor driving? That's enlightening.

Was there any confirmation as to what role 'Creative Liquid Coatings, Inc.' will play in the project? I was personally convinced after perusing their website that they'd source injection molded plastics, but then unofficial minutes out of Monday's Annual Shareholders Meeting revealed Elio Motors is interested in updating the seven paint lines in Shreveport, which is also right up CLC's alley.

Did Joel Sheltrown appear confident that he'll have the same legislative success at the Federal level as he's had at the State level? Or was he tentative and standoff-ish about the likelihood of federal autocycle designation becoming a reality? After all, Congress takes one week each month off plus the entire month of August is written off: https://www.majorityleader.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2017-MONTHLY-CALENDAR.pdf



The fact that you were able to place your camera bag in the trunk is not a trivial observation. Since its debut at the LA Auto Show in November 2016, the Tour Team had always displayed the E1c with a golf club bag in the trunk and the rear seat folded down. Therefore, passersby could never take a seat in the rear of the E1c when on display. There were rumors and speculation as to why this was consistent throughout the LA and Detroit auto shows; was there a mechanical malfunction with a hinge, latch, seatbelt, plastic trim not mating correctly, driver seat not mounted on fore-aft adjustable rails, driver seat not able to tumble forward for rear passenger entrance/egress, etc.? Or was it simply a decision made by the Tour Team for not banging up their one-of-a-kind show pony, or enforcing crowd control at shows, or providing a more 1-on-1 experience for answering questions, or was that the only viable storage solution for Jerome's clubs?! I never did read or catch wind of why that was the case.

I arrived at 2:20, with the event officially starting at 2:30, and the place was mobbed. I left at 3:00, so have no way of knowing how many people showed up after that.

Regarding real-world driving, what does this look like to you? I've put some circle in to show some of the junked up spots that indicate use to me.

It's difficult to see in this dumbed-down jpeg, but there are bits of crud all over the fender, and likewise bits of stuff on the control arms, spring, and on the upper surface of the lower arm's bearing.

As it happens, I met the owner of Creative Liquid Coatings, who told me he has been working all-out on Elio stuff for at least 6 months. Currently, they're going to produce many of the plastics used in the car, especially the headlight fairings, and a long list of others I don't recall accurately. He's ambitious, and wants to do as much of Elio's work as possible. He was even hoping to persuade EM to let him pre-paint the steel body panels and ship them down to him ... don't hold your breath on that one, since Shreveport has a multi-bay paint setup already in place. Not much doubt in HIS mind that EM is going to make it!

The rear seat was accessible during thetime I was there, except for one guy who wanted to see if his dog could get in there by itself. No dogs allowed in the E1-C!

Regarding Joel, he's proud of the work he's done, and is doing. He is very effective, especially with state legislatures -- but he does get frustrated with double-dealing and promises he knows are empty. Who wouldn't be? But he's tenacious, and when things get derailed he's pretty good at finding allies to get them back on track. He, too, is convinced that EM is going to get the car built. Of course, he can't talk about funding. The SEC has put the fear of god into the EM folks -- they are terrified of saying anything that could even remotely give rise to charges of insider trading.

 

[Ekh]

Does the trunk open remotely with a fob?

I have read that it does, at least in the production car -- but didn't think to check it out on the E1-C. Sorry!

Flipping the filler hose from right to left, and redesigning the exhaust so that it exits out the rear of the car (without hanging down as a rock or manhole cover magnet) will necessitate other changes -- and routing cables for the trunk release is one of them. Also, they are still trying to get the weight out of the car, largely by punching holes in frame members without weakening them structurally. Design target weight is 1,250 pounds, if I recall the snippet of conversation I heard on this subject yesterday. They're currently 100 pounds over that. It's important, because weight is the key influence on city driving mpg.

 

[Trusting]

Excellent report Ekh. I can't believe they did not start it and let you hear it rev.
I swear, if I ever get to see an Elio in person I will refuse to leave until I hear it rev.

Ok,ok, I get it. And stop calling me rev!

 

[Elio Amazed]

Ok,ok, I get it. And stop calling me rev!

 

[imageon]

Ekh, Thanks.
MK

 

[KD]

I drove 240 miles from my home to Kendalville, IN to talk with a couple of Elio folks and check out the E1-C, which I did very briefly. Had my talks, plunked butt in car, shot some pix, and drove 240 miles back again. When I got there at 2:20, there were between 40 and 50 people admiring the car, most of them die-hard Elio fans like us.View attachment 21658View attachment 21659View attachment 21660View attachment 21661View attachment 21662View attachment 21663View attachment 21664View attachment 21665View attachment 21667View attachment 21658View attachment 21659View attachment 21660View attachment 21661View attachment 21662View attachment 21663View attachment 21664View attachment 21665View attachment 21667View attachment 21658View attachment 21659View attachment 21660View attachment 21661View attachment 21662View attachment 21663View attachment 21664View attachment 21665View attachment 21667

About the car: the E1C really is a vast improvement over the P5. The fit and finish on the interior are remarkably better. The trunk seems to have a bit narrower opening, but is properly weatherproofed with a better latch. The attached pictures show the trunk empty (rear seat is up) and with my camera bag. With the seat down there's still room for a good size duffel and a tripod (maybe on the tripod, definitely on a monopod).

The seat is nicer (and softer) than the earlier seat. The cabin feels more roomy; things like armrests, cupholder, and so forth are all present. The A-pillars seem even thicker than before, enough to change the feel to a bit less open and definitely to make corner visibility a little worse.

The instruments, as we all know, are not the Elgin dash.

The front suspension looks substantially different, and will look more different still since the Contnental tweaks.

Interestingly, there are lots of signs of wear and dirt -- they've obviously been driving this car somewhere.

About the company:

The mood is very upbeat. Of course no one would be specific, but they seem to be on the cusp of some very important funding. It will be sooner rather than later, IMO, if it happens at all. As Paul said in Shreveport, they are still projecting 2018 for the start of production.

Sadly, Jerome is on furlough. I do know he's actively doing other things in Las Vegas. I did see Chip Stempeck, head of marketing and communications, and Joel Sheltrown, the gov't relations guy. He's optimistic about a new bill in Senate, with bipartisan sponsorship, that clarifies the autocycle stuff but doesn't go for CAFE certification at this time.

Thank you for taking the trip for the rest of us! Your reporting is starting to restore some confidence that this will get pulled off yet. I like that they have done these pop-ups in vendor neighborhoods, this is reassuring that it is indeed still moving forward.

I agree about missing Jerome, he was always front row and surely Elio is missing him and his wife. Was he not Vice President of Marketing? Seems like he had a title, and was more than just part of the traveling road show.

Thanks again EKH!

 

[LillyMayPatterson #1685 & #5648]

My guess is Yes, he is the VP of marketing. The whole marketing staff is laid off, including him.

 

[Ekh]

My guess is Yes, he is the VP of marketing. The whole marketing staff is laid off, including him.

Chip Stempeck remains as VP Marketing. Jerome was VP Sales. Not the same thing.

 

[Ekh]

I'm glad you all appreciate my efforts to get (and share) accurate information along with reading the tea leaves. I don't know if EM is going to make it, but I do know they are upbeat and far from crawling away to hide. I also like the design tweaks they've been doing -- though they raise the question about the rest of the E series, which were SUPPOSED to be basically final design -- and, as of right now, are not.

In a way it's good they get the time to do things like swap the exhaust to eliminate the bulge, (and how they've managed that I do not know -- they had to move and redesign a bunch of other components to make that happen) and swap the gas filler to the door side (left side). Moving the battery wasn't trivial, either -- though again, it makes sense. At least it's not hidden in the rear fender, as it was in some old GM cars (Cadillac, I think). The filler pipe and exhaust re-route aren't trivial, and have not been implemented in the E1-C. I don't know if they've been put into the "model" car (the benchmark vehicle, which reflects all changes up to manufacturing). My guess is not, because they're structural changes and the money isn't there. These design changes mean the entire E car program is going to get revised, probably as soon as they get the money to resume testing.