3rd Phone Call?

[Tommyboy1986]

I have seen many in this forum that placed their 1st deposits either over Goodwood or in the days following (so beginning of July 2021) have delivery dates between June-August 2022.

I placed mine on the 2nd of August 2021; what would be an educated estimate when I will be getting mine? I was hoping before the end of summer around August 2022 but this is looking more unlikely as the weeks progress...

My order was around the same time and I called yesterday and they said that I would be contacted again in the coming weeks but cannot promise 2022 delivery

 

[andrew6382]

My order was around the same time and I called yesterday and they said that I would be contacted again in the coming weeks but cannot promise 2022 delivery

Erm I placed my second payment 3r December 2021, and was told perhaps December 2022 delivery.... much past that.... I feel Iam going to ask for my money back. I know its hard for them to give exact dates, but projecting forward biulds is not hard.... there may be some issue with supply.... but sure they are planing forward are can share that with use ?

 

[TomE]

Until they achieve type approval on V6 and i4 they can't be more specific about timing. V6 is very close now, but the i4 programme is running about 3-4 months later (and was planned that way). So I'm not expecting i4 timing to become clearer until April. Reviews and updates on specs and pricing to come before that, then calls/emails to ask people about i4 FE versus Base V6/i4.

 

[Lankan]

If what i was told when I paid second sum..... first being 18th Oct....... Delivery Nov/Dec 2022 ? @TomE will have better idea I am betting

Per my guesstimate above I think it’ll be Oct or Nov.

Thank you both. If this works out per Tom's predicton, then that will be good, since I just may get to drive the Emira before winter hits.

Now I need to factor in the lead time required to PFF & ceramic coat the car, and then to 'dress' the steering wheel and replace/repaint the LOTUS badge and exhaust tips in black.

 

[Jimblob]

Had my call last week (I placed my deposit on launch day). I was going to get the car PPF’d and so I spoke to a friend who runs a PPF/ detailing company. He said Xpel don’t have a template yet and they asked him if they could go to his shop to use my car for the template! Sounds ok to me… I thought maybe they would/will 3D scan the car? Any thoughts as to whether I should do it?

 

[Den]

Deposit 31st July.
I initially went for the V6 and paid 2nd deposit.
I’m now thinking of switching to the i4 so contacted Customer Care to ask if I would lose my place in the queue, and this was the reply:

Thank you for your email.

Factory are in the process of planning cars into production and allocating build slots. Once they have done so, they will provide us with a delivery estimation and it is at this point that we will contact you to advise on the next stages of the order process.

I would say that you are likely to take delivery in the first half of 2023. Please do bear in mind that this estimation has not been confirmed by factory therefore there is space for this to change.

As you have not received a delivery estimation yet, your position in the queue would not be affected if you were to swap to the FE i4.

 

[virtualmacho]

Any thoughts as to whether I should do it?

By all means, go for it! You will be providing valuable data for all who follow. Thanks in advance!

 

[andrew6382]

Deposit 31st July.
I initially went for the V6 and paid 2nd deposit.
I’m now thinking of switching to the i4 so contacted Customer Care to ask if I would lose my place in the queue, and this was the reply:

Thank you for your email.

Factory are in the process of planning cars into production and allocating build slots. Once they have done so, they will provide us with a delivery estimation and it is at this point that we will contact you to advise on the next stages of the order process.

I would say that you are likely to take delivery in the first half of 2023. Please do bear in mind that this estimation has not been confirmed by factory therefore there is space for this to change.

As you have not received a delivery estimation yet, your position in the queue would not be affected if you were to swap to the FE i4.

@TomE ...... Hi tom, can you make cence of this..... are they now saying if you posted your deposit for FE V6 31st July onwards dont expect to get your car till 2023 fisrt half even. So October 2021 depositers FE V6 ? If this is in fact what they are saying..... well they need to make it clear to people..... I am getting so royaly **** off with lotus, interest rate up more, good luck getting 5.9% in three months time.....

 

[Mike-engel]

Depends on where you are.. UK cars are being delivered before US cars regardless of date money was down. Looks like you are stateside... I placed my deposit around mid-August and I'm #32 at my dealer. I'm expecting tail end of 2022 but likely very early 2023. Dealer says I'm a lock for FE and that build details start in November 2022. @ 45 days delivery after that..

So I’m a bit confused again about what’s going on regarding my place in line and how my build choice impacts delivery. You are saying that you placed your deposit in mid August and are in line for a V6 FE. I placed my deposit almost a month earlier and according to my last communication with my dealer I’m being shut out of a first edition. Am I to believe this is all due to where I placed my deposit, not when? Seems a bit incongruous, particularly when I was directed to my deposit dealer by Lotus cars USA. Knowing I can’t change that and maintain my values, I’m wondering if my path to a first edition is as an I4 DCT. Is that what is coming to the US next or will it be V6 BE? I was really wanting a FE car and had spec’s an automatic V6 so an I4 DCT would be comparable from not having to push a clutch (I have a peripheral neuropathy that makes it hard). But I also think a V6 is preferable and do worry about the availability of service for a DCT. So I’m really conflicted about what choice to make and what to tell my dealer. Do I go I4 DCT so I can get a FE.? And if I tell my dealer this what happens to my place in line? Or do I go with V6 BE? What will that do to my place in line? Will there be more colors in either case or will the I4 FE colors still be restricted? Will other features be available when the I4 FE begins production? How about the V6 BE? Then there’s the impact on price due to inflation brought on by our childish fears of fossil fuels. Put all this together with zero communication from lotus corporate or dealers and the whole experience has turned kind of sour for me. I was SO excited for this car, but all this uncertainty has made the process feel more like a burden these days. I’ve been away from the forum for a while because so much about the process in the us just feels unfair. I’m happy for all of you getting what you want, truly, but for me I’m just feeling deflated. Not the way one wants to feel when purchasing their dream car. Really not sure what to do. I will keep my deposit in place for now, but I may have to move on. Sorry to be such a downer. But it’s hard to feel otherwise after this experience. Uggghhh.

 

[Pugwash]

Had my call last week (I placed my deposit on launch day). I was going to get the car PPF’d and so I spoke to a friend who runs a PPF/ detailing company. He said Xpel don’t have a template yet and they asked him if they could go to his shop to use my car for the template! Sounds ok to me… I thought maybe they would/will 3D scan the car? Any thoughts as to whether I should do it?

I have June delivery and am after PPF. I have approached a local Xpel supplier and they also told me a template would be needed so someone is going to have to get their car measured. I have also asked Lotus Customer Care who told me

We are currently in the process of developing plans around this and there will be information available in due course.

And hopefully for June customers they said. So for me that would be the simplest, but until it’s confirmed in writing I am keeping both options in play.

 

[mr_joshua]

So I’m a bit confused again about what’s going on regarding my place in line and how my build choice impacts delivery. You are saying that you placed your deposit in mid August and are in line for a V6 FE. I placed my deposit almost a month earlier and according to my last communication with my dealer I’m being shut out of a first edition. Am I to believe this is all due to where I placed my deposit, not when? Seems a bit incongruous, particularly when I was directed to my deposit dealer by Lotus cars USA. Knowing I can’t change that and maintain my values, I’m wondering if my path to a first edition is as an I4 DCT. Is that what is coming to the US next or will it be V6 BE? I was really wanting a FE car and had spec’s an automatic V6 so an I4 DCT would be comparable from not having to push a clutch (I have a peripheral neuropathy that makes it hard). But I also think a V6 is preferable and do worry about the availability of service for a DCT. So I’m really conflicted about what choice to make and what to tell my dealer. Do I go I4 DCT so I can get a FE.? And if I tell my dealer this what happens to my place in line? Or do I go with V6 BE? What will that do to my place in line? Will there be more colors in either case or will the I4 FE colors still be restricted? Will other features be available when the I4 FE begins production? How about the V6 BE? Then there’s the impact on price due to inflation brought on by our childish fears of fossil fuels. Put all this together with zero communication from lotus corporate or dealers and the whole experience has turned kind of sour for me. I was SO excited for this car, but all this uncertainty has made the process feel more like a burden these days. I’ve been away from the forum for a while because so much about the process in the us just feels unfair. I’m happy for all of you getting what you want, truly, but for me I’m just feeling deflated. Not the way one wants to feel when purchasing their dream car. Really not sure what to do. I will keep my deposit in place for now, but I may have to move on. Sorry to be such a downer. But it’s hard to feel otherwise after this experience. Uggghhh.

Sorry @Mike-engel I doubled checked my emails to make sure my dates are straight and I was actually wrong.. I emailed back a signed "purchase agreement" (such as it was) from the first deposit on July 16th, 2021 (not mid-August as I wrote previously, apologies) to Summit NJ Lotus. And at that point I was already 33+ places deep. I was actually pretty nervous I was too late to the party, but that second phone call did confirm my place for a FE (salesman also mentioned there were 1-2 withdrawals ahead of me).

I think that makes a little more sense.. it's not like I deposited a whole month after. We both placed deposits around the same time, I happened to make the list (but I think just barely) and you may have missed (sorry to say).

If I were you, and just an opinion based on the latest information, I would try to line up for the i4 DCT FE. I think as far as automatic options go, the i4 is the no brainer. And it'll likely be sooner than a BE V6 (again, opinion, no real basis for that suggestion). Given your July deposit timeframe, I would assume you have some position/placement that could be leveraged to ensure an FE.. but of course you'd have to talk to your sales person to really see what's up.

Again, sorry for confusion. My recollection was off.

 

[mjw930]

So I’m a bit confused again about what’s going on regarding my place in line and how my build choice impacts delivery. You are saying that you placed your deposit in mid August and are in line for a V6 FE. I placed my deposit almost a month earlier and according to my last communication with my dealer I’m being shut out of a first edition. Am I to believe this is all due to where I placed my deposit, not when? Seems a bit incongruous, particularly when I was directed to my deposit dealer by Lotus cars USA. Knowing I can’t change that and maintain my values, I’m wondering if my path to a first edition is as an I4 DCT. Is that what is coming to the US next or will it be V6 BE? I was really wanting a FE car and had spec’s an automatic V6 so an I4 DCT would be comparable from not having to push a clutch (I have a peripheral neuropathy that makes it hard). But I also think a V6 is preferable and do worry about the availability of service for a DCT. So I’m really conflicted about what choice to make and what to tell my dealer. Do I go I4 DCT so I can get a FE.? And if I tell my dealer this what happens to my place in line? Or do I go with V6 BE? What will that do to my place in line? Will there be more colors in either case or will the I4 FE colors still be restricted? Will other features be available when the I4 FE begins production? How about the V6 BE? Then there’s the impact on price due to inflation brought on by our childish fears of fossil fuels. Put all this together with zero communication from lotus corporate or dealers and the whole experience has turned kind of sour for me. I was SO excited for this car, but all this uncertainty has made the process feel more like a burden these days. I’ve been away from the forum for a while because so much about the process in the us just feels unfair. I’m happy for all of you getting what you want, truly, but for me I’m just feeling deflated. Not the way one wants to feel when purchasing their dream car. Really not sure what to do. I will keep my deposit in place for now, but I may have to move on. Sorry to be such a downer. But it’s hard to feel otherwise after this experience. Uggghhh.

Mike, you are correct, it’s more about who you placed your deposit with than when. For example, I talked to 4 dealers within 500 miles, their wait lists ranged from 38 to 174 You may think, place the order with the dealer with 38 ahead of you but you would be wrong. That dealer only got 8 FE allocations, the dealer with 174 got 70 FE allocations. Yes, I came to the party late so no FE for me but I knew that going in. What I’m more interested in is getting a car in 2023. Well here’s where it gets interesting. If I went with the small dealer with 38 reservations you would think, no worries, you would be wrong again!

There are a couple numbers that you would need to know to make an informed decision, for the Americas (may only be North America), 700 FE cars, 2500 additional cars in 2023 (FE number well known, 2023 number is not as concrete). Based on an allocation model, if you know a dealers FE allocation you can make an educated guess on what they will get post FE cars. Here’s what happens when you apply this logic to the 2 dealers I reference here:

Dealer 1, 8 FE’s, 28 Additional, 36 total. Number 39 on list, No Car.
Dealer 2, 70 FE’s, 250 Additional, 320 total. Number 175 on list, Car.

My deposit is placed with dealer 2.

But it gets even muddier, those wait lists at the dealership or when you placed your reservation don’t really guarantee when you will be able to place an order. I asked Lotus if they could tell me where I was on the list with my dealer, making the bad assumption Lotus was managing the lists. Here is the response I got. “We do not have the dealer’s sequencing or queue information as they will determine where you stand in their lineup”.

So there you go, clear as mud…….

 

[Mike-engel]

Sorry @Mike-engel I doubled checked my emails to make sure my dates are straight and I was actually wrong.. I emailed back a signed "purchase agreement" (such as it was) from the first deposit on July 16th, 2021 (not mid-August as I wrote previously, apologies) to Summit NJ Lotus. And at that point I was already 33+ places deep. I was actually pretty nervous I was too late to the party, but that second phone call did confirm my place for a FE (salesman also mentioned there were 1-2 withdrawals ahead of me).

I think that makes a little more sense.. it's not like I deposited a whole month after. We both placed deposits around the same time, I happened to make the list (but I think just barely) and you may have missed (sorry to say).

If I were you, and just an opinion based on the latest information, I would try to line up for the i4 DCT FE. I think as far as automatic options go, the i4 is the no brainer. And it'll likely be sooner than a BE V6 (again, opinion, no real basis for that suggestion). Given your July deposit timeframe, I would assume you have some position/placement that could be leveraged to ensure an FE.. but of course you'd have to talk to your sales person to really see what's up.

Again, sorry for confusion. My recollection was off.

No worries whatsoever. I will reach out to my sales associate again. He’s a nice guy, and in a tough spot with not really being able to say anything concrete. But the obfuscation associated with those conversations just leaves me frustrated. Fingers crossed for a major dump of information soon. It’s near to impossible to make a thoughtful decision otherwise. Congratulations to you!!!