Pop-up Event 5-16-2017

[Frim]

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.

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.

The steering wheel doesn't have enough buttons: cruise, phone, and radio. I want to see the real wheel.

 

[KD]

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.

When we went to see P5 in Dallas (same 240 mile 1 way trip I might add!), I recall Jerome saying it was 400 lbs over the target weight. So they have managed to lose 300 lbs already. As in most things in life, the last 10% are the hardest.

 

[KD]

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

I stand corrected, thanks for the clarification.

 

[Ty]

I may be off base here but that's the first time I recall seeing the MTX regular radio installed. Thanks for the pics, Ekh!

 

[raptor213]

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.

The earliest SEC reports back when they first went public with Regulation A+ had mentioned the 23 E-Series vehicles being built in two independent 'batches', the first five as Batch 1, and the latter 18 as Batch 2. I'll try to find that source on EDGAR...

 

[raptor213]

"Our current plan is to build 23 E-Series vehicles overall. This will be done in two waves of five and 18 vehicles respectively."

I stand corrected; it wasn't an SEC filing, it was the Momentum Blog v65: https://www.eliomotors.com/meet-the-23-e-series-vehicles-elio-momentum-v65/

Interestingly, if you visit http://ir.eliomotors.com/all-sec-filings?page=4# and click on "Regulation A Offering Statement" dated 08/28/2015, in the early pages of that PDF document, you'll see how Elio Motors initially envisioned their Engineering Vehicle gauntlet, then involving 25 vehicles, before they publicly unveiled their partnership with Roush Engineering in March 2016, revising and changing nearly all of the engineering drawings and plans to what we're familiar with today.

 

[Samalross]

"Our current plan is to build 23 E-Series vehicles overall. This will be done in two waves of five and 18 vehicles respectively."

I stand corrected; it wasn't an SEC filing, it was the Momentum Blog v65: https://www.eliomotors.com/meet-the-23-e-series-vehicles-elio-momentum-v65/

Interestingly, if you visit http://ir.eliomotors.com/all-sec-filings?page=4# and click on "Regulation A Offering Statement" dated 08/28/2015, in the early pages of that PDF document, you'll see how Elio Motors initially envisioned their Engineering Vehicle gauntlet, then involving 25 vehicles, before they publicly unveiled their partnership with Roush Engineering in March 2016, revising and changing nearly all of the engineering drawings and plans to what we're familiar with today.

So does that mean that the 16 million paid to Elio Engineering, was a waste of money?

 

[JEBar]

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

I couldn't agree more

 

[Coss]

So does that mean that the 16 million paid to Elio Engineering, was a waste of money?

How do you see that? What do you think paid for the tour group for the last couple of years? And the other meetings and vendors that they have been working with? Plus the legal group. And all of the other tours and functions they have had going on for the last 3 years?
There are projects they have worked on, different build groups, advertising, functions and a whole lot of things going on that we have seen, and had built and rebuilt, and functions that have had to be paid for. Your being new here has limited your exposure time you have had with them, so it does make sense that you don't know what they have had to pay for and expenses that they have incurred since the inception of the Elio Motors.
So there a lot that they have gone through since it's inception.

 

[pistonboy]

Sadly, Jerome is on furlough. I do know he's actively doing other things in Las Vegas.

This is sad. Jerome has been with them so many years.

I assumed EM would get rid of the tour members since touring has stopped, but I thought they would keep Jerome, finding something else for him to do.
If EM has gotten rid of Jerome who has been with them so many years, this does worry me about their financial situation.