Elio

[ARtraveler]

 

[Rando]

Elio assures he'll make his 3-wheeler

http://www.businessreport.com/article/20141008/BUSINESSREPORT0112/141009831

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/money/business/2014/10/08/elio-assures-make-wheeler/16894951/

 

[Bob Denman]

I hope that you're right, and I wish him well! :2thumbs:

 

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

It's a great concept, we will see when it comes out. i think a major drawback is in general public needed a m/c license
in order to drive it

 

[ARtraveler]

Another delay until the end of 2015.

Some people have been waiting with their deposits for about four years plus now.

I think its time to quit reviving this thread. All we have done is point and counterpoint over all the issues.

How about reviving this when the Elios are actually being produced and customer orders are being filled. Till then--I see nothing new or worth talking about.

:bdh::bdh:

 

[Bob Denman]

 

[Joe T.]

I'm still waiting on the Dale!!!

Best car EVER!!!!!!

http://gas2.org/2013/08/21/the-elio-motors-saga-if-it-looks-like-a-dale-and-quacks-like-a-dale/


Ya' gotta love it!



Joe T.

 

[Rando]

I think its time to quit reviving this thread.

If I don't like a thread, I don't read it. Just saying.:joke:

 

[ARtraveler]

If I don't like a thread, I don't read it. Just saying.:joke:

Sorry on this one--but I am a "Consumer Advocate."

 

[Bob Denman]

Can we all agree, that it would be better for everyone involved; if he CAN bring it to market?
The odds of him doing so, are irrelevant for this part of the discussion.

 

[Dan_Ashley]

For Paul Elio to get the government loan he has to convince the lenders that Elio Motors is a viable business even if he did not get the loan. Can he do that? If not, he doesn't have enough cash to set up a vehicle manufacturing factory.

...he still doesn't have a final, or near final, prototype, and he is still not recruiting for engineers (or anybody else) on his web site...So, can he really show that his dream has business viability?

 

[Rando]

Oh boy!

 

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: Well that's not good... :shocked:
But it IS funny!

 

[ARtraveler]

:2thumbs::2thumbs:

A little humor can help here. Thanks Rando. :yes:

 

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

i'm still waiting for the silver surfer movie to come out that stanley leiber talked about at the phil sueling convention in 1976

 

[Rando]

One step closer ....

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/elio-motors-passes-first-review-141800569.html

 

[Bob Denman]

Interesting... Thanks! :thumbup:

 

[Dan_Ashley]

One step closer ....

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/elio-motors-passes-first-review-141800569.html

here are the loan requirements: http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/05/f16/ATVM-Program-Application-Overview.pdf

note: it differentiates types of capital invested. It specifically states that the loan provides only expansion capital, not working capital. As a result Paul Elio must come up with enough cash to run his factory until sales revenue come it.

For example, if you are running an ice cream shop, the acquisition of your store front, furniture, fixtures, and appliances is financed with "expansion capital". Of course if you rent the store front, the needed amount of expansion capital will be less than if you buy it. Working capital is the money needed to fund your ice cream inventory, pay for electricity, payroll and other things between the time of business formation and the time money is available from sales to pay for these items.

In the case of an ice cream shop, this would be only the money needed to pay for the ice cream the day you open, and a set aside for salaries and expenses until money from ice cream sales reached such a level that the shop had a positive cash flow.

In the case of a major fixed goods manufacturer, such as a vehicle manufacturer, the amount of money needed would be that required to buy the raw materials, hire staff, develop the machinery, train the staff, from opening day until the money from sales is available to fund operations.

Elio Motors does not have an engine designed yet, has no engineering staff, and very few employees. It's management team is inexperienced and untested in creating new business models. They have very little entrepreneural experience. This is a an important management skill. Not all experienced executives have that skill. Bill Gates has that skill, Lee Iacocca did not.

The DOE, by stating the loan application from Elio Motors has passed the first phase of review only means that the application materials are now complete, and only now will the DOE start a formal review process. This is similar to when a prospective student enrolling in college. First the student must fill out the application form, then he must take the SAT and send the results to the school, then he must submit his transcripts. After all of that, the student still has to get written references and write his own essay. Only after all of that is complete will the school "accept the application" and start reviewing the student's background to see if they think the student will be successful at that particular university.

So far, Elio Motors has completed phase one: the application has been accepted. Phase two where the student is assessed for chances of success is just now starting. Then phase three where the student is assessed for an overall fit with the school's desired outcome is studied. After passing all the phases, the student will get an admittance letter.

Elio Motors has had its loan application accepted. It has a loong way to go to get the cash needed to set up operations.

Will it be successful? I do not know. I flunked Clairvoyance 101. However, My opinion is that it will not be successful in achieving a DOE loan.

 

[ARtraveler]

here are the loan requirements: http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/05/f16/ATVM-Program-Application-Overview.pdf

note: it differentiates types of capital invested.

What do you think Dan? According to what I read this AM, they have passed the first hurdle of three to get their 185 million loan.

If they get the financing, then it will be interesting if they are able to do what they said they would.

I will remain a bit skeptical until I see the deliveries being made to the now 35,000 people that they say they have orders from. I also want to see how the product is holding up after 6 months or so of ownership and 10K plus miles on the units.

I still remember the Solarian (?) debacle where the company got almost a billion of the taxpayer money to produce solar panels and then promptly went bankrupt. No one even went to jail over that one.

:bbq::bbq::bbq:

 

[Dan_Ashley]

What do you think Dan? According to what I read this AM, they have passed the first hurdle of three to get their 185 million loan.

If they get the financing, then it will be interesting if they are able to do what they said they would.

I will remain a bit skeptical until I see the deliveries being made to the now 35,000 people that they say they have orders from. I also want to see how the product is holding up after 6 months or so of ownership and 10K plus miles on the units.

I still remember the Solarian (?) debacle where the company got almost a billion of the taxpayer money to produce solar panels and then promptly went bankrupt. No one even went to jail over that one.

:bbq::bbq::bbq:

i absolutely agree with your scepticism. As Tesla has shown, starting a new car company is not easy, it takes a lot of investment, and a lot of time. Remember Apterra? That was a much snazzier design. What about the Edsel, De Soto, Fleetwood motor homes, Cushman, Delorian? It takes a lot of money, time and management expertise to make a car company successful.

Also, if this were as simply doable, one of the majors would have done it. Toyota is coming out with a three wheeler, they call the i-Road, with an expected price point of about $10,000. But it is electric and goes only (I think) 30 MPH max--or so.

I reviewed the CV of the Elio Motors executives. They are not bad, but they are not "venture capitalist entrepreneurs." I akso do not see how it is remotely possible to create and market a car at the $7,000 price point. Perhaps at the $10,000 price point, but $7,000 seems too low--especially when there is no dealer network, no other flanking or guarding products, and no corporate expertise outside of a single man. Elio Motors cannot leverage their existing organizational structure, skills, or expertise. Therefore a single-product venture into the car market is highly uncertain and very risky.

so, even if he actually gets funding, I would be surprised if it were successful.

If I had $1,000 to "invest" in super risky schemes, I would probably visit Las Vegas slot machines before I would buy Elio Motors stock.