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When Will Production Begin?

Ty

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This is encouraging news at least from the assembly process, is this news about the proposed process verifiable? To determine if they are production vs. coachbuilt, would need to find out what % of the BOM is from production tooled equipment vs short life soft tooling. Coachbuilts can still be line built, or KANBAN built, so much depends on the both the integrity of the supply chain, true production tools, and automation, not hands.

That said, I like the initial sound of that plan, would just like to know what is backing up that plan? Any links or docs out there?
No links or docs-just first hand knowledge of the facility and experience making changes to the production line and material line balance system and work stations during production of trucks there. Think of Elio as an assembly company vs. production company and you'll see why they won't be "coach building" any vehicles. Most, if not all, parts will be delivered to Elio in ready to install configuration. I see frame welding, coating, and painting operations as the only real manufacturing being done there aside from assembly and those proceessing areas are already in place. Again, this is just from my memory of working there. I'd love to be involved in setting the place up again. Those were fun times.
 

Jeff Porter

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I think ty is exactly correct, but considering the every elio that comes off the line will have no options but either a automatic or a 5 speed*, it will be easy to build...all the other options will be added on after market.

*Mr. Elios presentation on January 30, 2014..in phoenix..I also was told that in OKC.

PJ, sounds like you were able to attend the viewing in OKC recently? I have a high school buddy that lives in Edmond, I asked him to go but he was unable. When did you go and let me live vicariously through you... give some details of how it went for you, the tour stop and your comments on the car and the team. Thanks in advance!
 

pj rogers

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Hey Jeff, the elio is very nice. Plenty of room in the front seat, comfortable, the back is pretty roomy, rear windows make it ok to see out of..A little bigger than the pictures show, and I thought a little lower also. It looks like nothing else out there, and I kinda like the fenders, but the two tone has to go away. I am going to wrap mine with alsa chrome film maybe in blue.
I am handicapped now with an new hip and will ask for a/c (std) auto, cruise, tinted glass, and no paint. I estimate my elio will sell for about $9000 plus our states fees.
I will CAUTION you about this, my girl friend who was there said this I hope you enjoy sitting in the back seat cause I will be driving when we go "ANYWHERE". Bring a book on long trips.
My only negative is the fact it can only carry two people and has a smaller trunk than I wish it had..We have no room for the dog.
or taking her mom out for ice cream...That said, I may be interested more on a future 3 person elio than the current one.
If OK says it is a motorcycle, fees will be cheap, if they call it an auto cycle, the cost may go up, Oklahoma likes to collect money any time it has a chance to. I went all in for a little, not in any hurry at all, when it is built they will call us. My estimate in the first quarter of January, 2016...
Please remember this is a prototype and there will probably 3 more before production., it may change a little of a lot..
 

Jeff Porter

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Hey Jeff, the elio is very nice. Plenty of room in the front seat, comfortable, the back is pretty roomy, rear windows make it ok to see out of..A little bigger than the pictures show, and I thought a little lower also. It looks like nothing else out there, and I kinda like the fenders, but the two tone has to go away. I am going to wrap mine with alsa chrome film maybe in blue.
I am handicapped now with an new hip and will ask for a/c (std) auto, cruise, tinted glass, and no paint. I estimate my elio will sell for about $9000 plus our states fees.
I will CAUTION you about this, my girl friend who was there said this I hope you enjoy sitting in the back seat cause I will be driving when we go "ANYWHERE". Bring a book on long trips.
My only negative is the fact it can only carry two people and has a smaller trunk than I wish it had..We have no room for the dog.
or taking her mom out for ice cream...That said, I may be interested more on a future 3 person elio than the current one.
If OK says it is a motorcycle, fees will be cheap, if they call it an auto cycle, the cost may go up, Oklahoma likes to collect money any time it has a chance to. I went all in for a little, not in any hurry at all, when it is built they will call us. My estimate in the first quarter of January, 2016...
Please remember this is a prototype and there will probably 3 more before production., it may change a little of a lot..

Thanks much PJ! Just a hunch, your g/f "may" change her mind and let you drive, every ONCE in a while. :-) Yeah, two people and a dog over 20 lbs won't work, I hadn't thought of that. When going to pick up her mom for ice cream, will just have to be in a bigger vehicle.

I am guessing the state and even federal govts will eventually adopt the autocycle classification and then tax the @#$! out of it. Excellent attitude of yours: "when it is built they will call us".

Here's a good segui to talk about your estimate, it may be right on target. I just read where Jerome Vassallo told cartalk.com that the early minimum daily production goal is 250. So just pulling a date out of the air, say Nov. 1, 2015 the plant is cranking out 250 a day for let's say 4 days a week. Nice round figure of 1000 per week. Four weeks in a month, but technically there's about 22 M-F work days in a month, so I'll go with 1000 * 4 + 500 per month, so that gets us to 4500 cars per month. For the current 18,000 reservations, that would take 4 months to fill.

250 per day, 18 days per month = 4500 cars per month
250 per day, 22 days per month = 5500 cars per month
300 per day, 18 days per month = 5400 " " "
300 per day, 22 days per month = 6600 " " "

Would love to get Ty's feedback on these numbers!

I've heard talk of the next prototype being available in June 2014 ... they really might have two more prototypes after that? I guess that makes sense, maybe another in Nov and another in March 2015. But I would think suppliers would need Elio's final design before March 2015, if plant is to start cranking out cars in Sept 2015. Dang, a startup car company has a million details to address :-)
 
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