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Tough Sell?

BaldGuy

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Preaching to the Choir!

That is what I fear happens on this website. We all reinforce each other how great the Elio is and we believe all the rest of the world sees it the same way. I fear we may have made a mistake. Neither auto show (NY and LA) produced the large number of reservations we expected. It looks like the rest of the world may not be as enthused as we are about the Elio. It will be interesting if there is an upswing in reservations as a result of the TV advertising ad. I am worried.
Fully agree. When I was on the SMART board, everyone was convinced you would have to wait years to buy one. Nearly everyone would be driving one eventually. Well, they do exist, but I only see one once in a great while.

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2011/01/smart-fortwo-sales-figures.html
 

Coss

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Sooner see it go into the P5's gas tank and be driven to the shows instead of being taken there on a trailer. Be a good way to make some YouTube videos of the experience.
You want to take a one of a kind, very expensive vehicle, and blueprint for the others to be built, out on the roads and city streets just so you can get some video? Plus just park it out in a hotel parking lot when you're traveling long distance? Not really an ideal situation and not anything I would do.
Hauling it in a trailer to all of these different locations they don't have to spend hours cleaning and detailing it; not to mention if it gets any road hazard damage or being hit (or hitting something) what it would take to fix it is just the best way to do it.
 

BaldGuy

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You want to take a one of a kind, very expensive vehicle, and blueprint for the others to be built, out on the roads and city streets just so you can get some video? Plus just park it out in a hotel parking lot when you're traveling long distance? Not really an ideal situation and not anything I would do.
Hauling it in a trailer to all of these different locations they don't have to spend hours cleaning and detailing it; not to mention if it gets any road hazard damage or being hit (or hitting something) what it would take to fix it is just the best way to do it.
Yes. :) If its so valuable that it needs to be used as you said, then why tour it (it should be in a glass lab with armed guards protecting it), and build one like it can be driven around.
 

Rickb

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Yes, take it out on the city streets for people to see during the tour stops. Haul the P5 in an enclosed trailer from event to event for ride and drives and to the test track for performance testing and mpg verification. If something unlikely happens (unexpected crash testing) it's insured, fix it, or build one of the 25 E's to replace it. EM needs a proven Prototype not another prop prototype used for show and tell. It's a test vehicle from which to build E's................if it could be driven (and I don't think it can, only short controlled drives) drive it, use it for ride and drives, build some excitement. It's not a collector vehicle that should be used for still photo opportunities.

Arcimoto has over 1000 + and counting road tested daily use miles logged on the SRK Gen 8. As a result, they were able to find a couple of issues allowing for immediate engineering fixes that will also be incorporated into their 50 test pilot builds. The team enclose trailer it with tender love and care while on tour from City to City. They do ride and drives at the events, and then drive it around the City for all to see............the best ever FREE advertising.
 
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John Painter

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Preaching to the Choir!

That is what I fear happens on this website. We all reinforce each other how great the Elio is and we believe all the rest of the world sees it the same way. I fear we may have made a mistake. Neither auto show (NY and LA) produced the large number of reservations we expected. It looks like the rest of the world may not be as enthused as we are about the Elio. It will be interesting if there is an upswing in reservations as a result of the TV advertising ad. I am worried.
To an extent, this is what we know happens in social media, it tends to bring together like minded people. This is contrary to early hopes and assumptions that the internet would bring different people together, and to an extent it does, but the effect we see happening is it allows people with similar beliefs and ideas from around the world to find each other and connect, sometimes in genuinely meaningful ways. Though not always. That's from a research perspective.

The other way of looking at your concern is that many, if not most of us here, are early (very early) adopters and the reality is most people are just plain risk adverse. I think both auto shows and national TV commercials will help create awareness of the brand, I am dubious it will translate into huge upswings in reservations. I think we'll continue to see new reservations, but I also think it will remain a gentle curve. What I think likely would translate into robust upswings in sales, is for a would be Elio owner, to actually see an Elio with their states tag on it - and talking with an actual owner aka one of us. I think if EM can get to production they'll sell a shit-ton of these things, if they can't get to production, well the point is moot anyway. I still think the coming months will be very intense to have a front row seat to it all is, for me, priceless. :couch2:
 

Hotscoots

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I don't think if gas prices began to surge , that the Elio would glean mass appeal .Historically , the de facto reaction to high gasoline prices has simply been a drop in SUV sales . The public rarely researches and runs to buy the vehicle that provides the very lowest MPG .
As many have stated already , I don't care at all about gasoline prices or how many MPGs the Elio will deliver . I just want one in my driveway .
 

Rickb

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To an extent, this is what we know happens in social media, it tends to bring together like minded people. This is contrary to early hopes and assumptions that the internet would bring different people together, and to an extent it does, but the effect we see happening is it allows people with similar beliefs and ideas from around the world to find each other and connect, sometimes in genuinely meaningful ways. Though not always. That's from a research perspective.

The other way of looking at your concern is that many, if not most of us here, are early (very early) adopters and the reality is most people are just plain risk adverse. I think both auto shows and national TV commercials will help create awareness of the brand, I am dubious it will translate into huge upswings in reservations. I think we'll continue to see new reservations, but I also think it will remain a gentle curve. What I think likely would translate into robust upswings in sales, is for a would be Elio owner, to actually see an Elio with their states tag on it - and talking with an actual owner aka one of us. I think if EM can get to production they'll sell a shit-ton of these things, if they can't get to production, well the point is moot anyway. I still think the coming months will be very intense to have a front row seat to it all is, for me, priceless. :couch2:
Cool armchair smilie! Social media does bring together LIKE minded people that share interests but with DIFFERENT views, opinions, and perceptions:
A happy Elio Owner's Forum is one in which each member grants the possibility that others may be right, though none believes it.

What if EM is again testing the waters with a TV commercial advertising blitz expecting an upswing in reservations and there is no upswing and reservations continue to hover in the 50,000 range?
 
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