When Will Production Begin?

[Rickb]

You do understand there is no P5 there never was . Elio had already said the P4 was it. If they don't stick that engine in a P4 then why build it.
P4 ,p5 engine none of these are the issue anyway . The issue is one thing No where near the capital needed to even think about production.

Yes, I do know there is no P5. My reference to the EP5 is the 25 production build prototypes that will be used for factory tooling, testing, and ride and drive events. Why slap the new engine in the old prototype?

The 25 prototypes need to be built prior to production. Hoping funding becomes available for those soon.

 

[BearLakeSteve]

I would think the same . At this point ,engine is developed,frame and body, Elio has a plant and all or most suppliers. All that's left is whatever extra machinery,workers and the main thing ,funding. Elio main and only task now should be to obtaining funding, which I'm sure they are working on.

"Stay golden Ponyboy"
The Outsiders

 

[BearLakeSteve]

Same here, my Jeep is 19 yrs old, and even for a Jeep, it's pushing it's lifespan. I will be getting another car before Sept '15. but it will will really be a hit to my budget.

I can get along without the Elio for a while. I just don't want to. My Elio will be joining a 99 Suburban, '13 Journey, and '04 Grand Prix. I expect they will all still be running when and if the Elio arrives.

 

[BADBOY]

i am gonna have to buy a cheap bridge vehicle from Sept until delivery as my lease is up then.

 

[Elio Amazed]

C'mon people.
The last six months here were primarily dedicated to armchair QB'ing the final design and options of the Elio, and to beating the "Will it happen or won't it happen" question to death. Somewhere in that time period, the vast majority of us expressed justified doubts as to whether production could start in 3Q15 given everything that needed to be accomplished and everything that needed to fall into place by then. Well, ah... yeah, good call. I fully expected another delay from the beginning of my interest in this. Had things gone absolutely perfectly from the time the start date was announced, maybe.

I still popped for $100 A.I. on 07/02 and bumped another $900 in on 09/01.

I must be taking some things as indicators that others aren't because I'm more confident now than I was before the announcement.
Start worrying if and when any of the many companies that have "partnered" with EM announce that they are pulling out.
As soon as any of those "partners" decide that EM's failure is an eventual certainty, they'll most likely publicly distance themselves.
We know that the media loves those kinds of stories, so that media won't waste any time publicizing it.
As of yet, nothing of the sort.

I understand that some of us were going to try to run our junkers until late '15 or early '16.
When my '98 Cutlass Ciera's frame broke 3+ years ago, I spent $1000 on a Geo that already had one foot in the grave.
I ran it for two years relatively cost free and decided to unload it for $400 before it started to nickle and dime me.
Instead of getting the cheapest thing in the best shape that I could find (my usual M.O.) I wanted to treat myself to something sporty.
I used the internet to find out which "sports car" offered the most bang for the current local market price.
I casually looked for a month for the right one at the right price.
I've been driving my '04, $3400 anniversary model silver Mustang for a year and a half now and I'm loving it. Solid as a rock.
The only thing I've spent on the car is an investment of $125 for a (stored) extra set of tires and rims that I spotted on CL.
The market price on this was so low when I bought it that I'd be able to re-coup 100% if I were to sell it within the next few years.
I upgraded my worn-out Astro to a very solid $3750 AWD GMC van for the snow over three years ago.

EM mentioned that the money for building the 25 pre-production cars was already there and the article mentioned $63M already in the kitty.
I don't think they'll begin building them before every single aspect of their corresponding systems have been chosen, finalized, and tested.

Jeeese. Enough with the bitching and moaning.

I realize and understand that for a few this is up to the third delay. We're adults right?
I only take home a tenuous $17,000 a year, and I wouldn't have tossed the grand if I couldn't afford to loose it.

This is still every bit the long-awaited "revolutionary" concept coming true that it was a year ago. Even more so now.
These guys have big ones for developing their own engine no matter what it's "based on".

How many times before the delay announcement did you see a naysayer's drivel and just shake your head?

No problem EM, push that square peg right through that round hole. I'll be here.

 

[RMClubfitter]

Here is a little humor break about deer crossings.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/CI8UPHMzZm8?rel=0

Now that's funny. Thanks

 

[DigitalDan]

After a couple years of patiently (and passionately) waiting, my feelings have evolved from "I can't wait to have one" to "I'll be surprised if they're ever produced." Why would it be? It makes too much sense in a world where nothing makes sense...

Every morning for too long, I pat Ol' Betsy (my '01 Buick Regal, now with 216K miles) on her butt (rear quarter panel) and say a little prayer to the gods of transportation that my 100-mile daily commute doesn't kill Ol' Betsy before her relief arrives. It makes me sad thinking that her relief will most likely be another used GM product with a 3800 Series II engine...

 

[John Painter]

Actually, I think getting that engine into a true prototype might sway both investors and DOE. Get it done, Paul!

Didn't PE say in one of his blog posts the plan was, shortly after the new engine is built and tested a half dozen prototypes would be constructed for road testing, crash testing, etc? Shouldn't we expect after Feb 6 an announcement to those next steps?

 

[Johnapool]

1. IMHO, running around the country exhibiting one (1) little car for years is spending money far better spent on building more prototypes first.
2. For the cost of an email, EM could keep the all-in buyers in a constant informative loop. We ARE the Elio family. I read in this thread that EM has 25 employees. There are almost 40,000 of us, all still relatively enthusiastic about the Elio, who have invested in the concept. Paul Elio needs to think about how he could use this army to his advantage, not ignore it. We should be the first to hear about a delay.
3. Many of us are not kids. I would like to get behind the wheel of an Elio before they cancel my drivers license. Make that MY Elio.

 

[Catia]