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Why Is Elio Already Offering Rebates?
- Thread starter TexasElio
- Start date
CherylM
Elio Fan
The purpose of the rebate is so that I feel like there's free money associated with my $1000 t-shirt. 
In all seriousness though, it makes good business sense for a startup. Their $500 bonus buys them cars on the road advertising before the retail showrooms are built, and I'm probably going to end up spending over $500 in upgrades that I don't actually need and wouldn't necessarily have gotten at full price. And they have my $1000 now to spend on marketing so that the big boy investors can focus on getting my car built quicker. As EZ has so eloquently pointed out, the vehicle doesn't even exist yet. I needed some sort of incentive to get off the fence and fork over my cash not knowing when I'll actually get my car.
What makes it even more brilliant is that the promise of a free $500 and a spot in line is all it took to get me to wait instead of buying something else to meet my needs now. I don't plan to lose my $1000, so that's a guaranteed sale to them instead of someone else. And I won't whine too much about delays because I got a discount.
In all seriousness though, it makes good business sense for a startup. Their $500 bonus buys them cars on the road advertising before the retail showrooms are built, and I'm probably going to end up spending over $500 in upgrades that I don't actually need and wouldn't necessarily have gotten at full price. And they have my $1000 now to spend on marketing so that the big boy investors can focus on getting my car built quicker. As EZ has so eloquently pointed out, the vehicle doesn't even exist yet. I needed some sort of incentive to get off the fence and fork over my cash not knowing when I'll actually get my car.
What makes it even more brilliant is that the promise of a free $500 and a spot in line is all it took to get me to wait instead of buying something else to meet my needs now. I don't plan to lose my $1000, so that's a guaranteed sale to them instead of someone else. And I won't whine too much about delays because I got a discount.
Interesting observation...but MSRP without a discount is common for Tesla...BMW i8...Z06...etc...
Tesla is the closest to Elio's business model...they're currently in their 2 year of production for the sedan...and no rebates or incentives yet...vehicle pricing is all about consumer demand...
It's surprising that Elio has resorted to incentives to secure orders for a $6,800 vehicle...
A $6,800 well equipped vehicle is already a bargain without a rebate attached!
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What you are missing is that Elio Motors is not providing incentives to secure orders for an existing vehicle but instead providing an incentive for people to put money down in advance instead of simply waiting on the sidelines and watching such as you have told us you have chosen to do.
Smitty901
Elio Addict
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2014
- Messages
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Come on the Tesla is a rich mans play thing. people that buy them are not worried about a pesky rebate. You can not even place the Tesla and cars like that on the same page as an ELIO.
Elio's business model is to deliver low cost transportation that meets the basic day to day needs and provide the highest MPG it can. Something the Smart car tried to do but failed at.
Ekh
Elio Addict
Tesla has buckets of money thanks to Elon Musk. They are also pricing for a market which does not worry about $500 here or there. Not so for Elio. Building interest and reservations and chatter through the 50% rebate program makes excellent sense -- if you're Elio, and not if you're Elon.
jetpack54
Elio Addict
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2014
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- 440
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- 956
Funny how you guys always comes up with crazy comparisons that makes you less credible. I mean even my very old mother in law knows how expensive those cars are compared to ELIO! Nothing's wrong with your original post, just stop the comparison and we'll try to provide the answers you seek!
nthawk68
Elio Addict
You know it is posts like this that dont deserve an answer
No brainier for us, $500 bonus-rebate means less money out of my pocket on the final cost of my Elio. Why then only $500? The projected profit is only $1000 per base model vehicle, so I'm getting half of EMs profit on my base model vehicle. Please name another auto manufacturer who will bonus-rebate you 1/2 of their profit on a base model vehicle. Oh wait, they don't make enough base model vehicles to rebate- bonus anyone anything!