This Is Not What I Expected My First Post To Be...

[Sailor Dog]

Honestly folks. Zero money = No building space. Pretty simple.
Also simple... Zero money = No way to access new building space somewhere else...
And... Zero money = No way to gear Shreveport up to even have the capacity to build a few more prototypes

And no way or labor to even continue to physically refine the existing prototypes.

It's not the new math. It's the simple laws of economics and nature.
They've ceased to be gods and now have to deal with the same world we do.

Paul's garage at his home? Now there's a possibility.
That and borrowed hand tools at this point.

Not new math...new funds! I hope...and believe when SEC filings, EM Momentums, forum, media...in that order...are considered

 

[raptor213]

I believe we are still a far cry from Shreveport-assembled pre-production vehicles. Ty or someone with industrial/manufacturing engineering experience could back me up or correct me, but the modified plan for 18 more E-Series vehicles -- not to mention the now outdated E1b that likely needs to be rebuilt from the ground up since the significant frame, chassis, roll cage, and body panel redesign decisions have been committed to -- is more crucial now than initially envisioned.

Why? Because the E2x vehicles (nomenclature?) are constructed and assembled so much different from the E1x vehicles. The first grouping of hand-made one-off prototypes are so different from the current design moving forward that they're all but irrelevant in crafting the layout, organization, order of operations, tooling and parts placement, automation programming, and human factors design considerations incorporated into the Shreveport assembly line process. To think that after taking detailed notes whilst constructing the E1c vehicle - which is all but outdated now - that the stations along the assembly line in Shreveport could be properly configured to build the remaining 18-20 E-Series vehicles correctly on the first try seems insane.

On the flip side, if this is the avenue that they pursue -- to use the actual assembly line as an extravagant machine shop until they iron out the finer details for production -- it's an asset they already have access and rights to without needing to pay a monthly lease or utilities, and activity in Shreveport, however minimal or vain, provides good optics for the local workforce and politicians.

 

[Elio Amazed]

I believe we are still a far cry from Shreveport-assembled pre-production vehicles. Ty or someone with industrial/manufacturing engineering experience could back me up or correct me, but the modified plan for 18 more E-Series vehicles -- not to mention the now outdated E1b that likely needs to be rebuilt from the ground up since the significant frame, chassis, roll cage, and body panel redesign decisions have been committed to -- is more crucial now than initially envisioned.

Why? Because the E2x vehicles (nomenclature?) are constructed and assembled so much different from the E1x vehicles. The first grouping of hand-made one-off prototypes are so different from the current design moving forward that they're all but irrelevant in crafting the layout, organization, order of operations, tooling and parts placement, automation programming, and human factors design considerations incorporated into the Shreveport assembly line process. To think that after taking detailed notes whilst constructing the E1c vehicle - which is all but outdated now - that the stations along the assembly line in Shreveport could be properly configured to build the remaining 18-20 E-Series vehicles correctly on the first try seems insane.

On the flip side, if this is the avenue that they pursue -- to use the actual assembly line as an extravagant machine shop until they iron out the finer details for production -- it's an asset they already have access and rights to without needing to pay a monthly lease or utilities, and activity in Shreveport, however minimal or vain, provides good optics for the local workforce and politicians.

The publicized new plan wasn't 18 more E-Series vehicles.
The new plan now is no more E-Series and 180 P-series vehicles instead.
Unless something changed again that I'm not aware of.

 

[Elio Amazed]

Awaiting the ''final step" in about 5 hours.

???

 

[booboo]

The new plan wasn't 18 more E-Series vehicles.
The new plan now is no more E-Series and 180 P-series vehicles instead.
Unless something changed again that I'm not aware of.

I thought we were done with the P-series ? Prototype.
Maybe a few more E-series ? Engineering.
Maybe a few production Fleet series ? F-series?
Maybe a new Shreveport series ? S-series?
Last step, Shreveport Stamped Steel series. SSS-series?

 

[Sailor Dog]

???

Today's Momentum

 

[raptor213]

The publicized new plan wasn't 18 more E-Series vehicles.
The new plan now is no more E-Series and 180 P-series vehicles instead.
Unless something changed again that I'm not aware of.

Copied from page 6 of the SEC Form 1-U, 'Current Report Pursuant to Regulation A', submitted 5/12/17 for the period ending 3/31/17:

There is still a plan for 18 remaining E1/E2 vehicle builds to finish out the testing regimen of 23 total E-Series vehicles. IIRC each vehicle had a designated purpose to fulfill in terms of testing, calibration, destruction, etc.

After consulting this flowchart, I would be remiss if I did not shine light on my own revelations (or ignorant reminders, given that I've seen this chart before). Once a minimum of $33 million is attained, supposedly this process can be kick-started from Week 0. Of note is the timing and anticipated duration of the E-series builds -- 20 weeks after sufficient funding is attained, and subsequent to and simultaneously aligned with manufacturing setup of the various divisions at ECO Shreveport. Their estimate is for 18 vehicles to be completed in a 9-week period, an average of 2/week. I *assume* that minimal new hires would be brought on at this point on Elio's payroll, while employees of supplier partners like Linamar, Comau, Roush, and others would aid in supplying sufficient manpower to pump these vehicles off the line.

This validates the suspicions of many on this particular thread that have alluded to the apparent shuttering of the Pilot Operations Center in Livonia, MI as a positive rather than a negative. In order to assemble two E-series vehicles per week, it seems the only feasible way to reach that goal would be to do in a production facility such as ECO Shreveport.

44 weeks after sufficient funding is attained, or 24 weeks after E1/E2 vehicle production is started, or 15 weeks after anticipated completion of the 18 remaining E1/E2 vehicle builds -- and once long-lead manufacturing and assembly equipment on order is finally delivered to and installed on the assembly line -- then a series of 158 S1 vehicle builds is anticipated to be completed in a matter of 18 weeks, which necessitates an increased pace of 8-9 vehicles per week. It seems that this would be the point wherein line supervisors and managers have been hired on and are taking part in the build process at respective stations so that they can fine-tune their training doctrines once line workers are brought into the plant.

Once testing results and final calibrations and whatnot are received from the E1/E2 vehicles, and after sufficient real-world user feedback has been received from the illusive fleet partner(s) regarding the 158 roadworthy S1 test vehicles, then a brief 8-week S2 build process of an undisclosed quantity would be completed, potentially developing hundreds of complete vehicles whose ultimate purpose or demise is unknown, as the line is fully staffed with one shift and attempting to ramp up production rates.

 

[Watashiwah]

Today's Momentum

eMulletWrapper

 

[Elio Amazed]

Today's Momentum

Oh. Okay.

 

[Burg]

Is the door 90% closed or 10% open.... Hmmmmm