Emira production is underway

[TomE]

When four of us visited the factory back in January there were countdown clocks everywhere, counting down to 7 March. Today there are production V6 First Edition cars being built at Hethel.

As previously posted, the necessary approvals haven't been obtained yet, so first customer deliveries won't be until June. Dealer demos shortly before that. And press reviews this week will be of final stage validation cars not production cars.

But given all the issues with supply chains and everything else needed to get a new car into production, achieving production start pretty much on time is a big achievement and a major milestone for the Lotus team.

 

[xen]

Hi @TomE ,

Just to check, is this based just on the countdown or do we know through the grape vine that production has actually started? Thanks.

 

[TomE]

It’s actually started

 

[xen]

It’s actually started

Awesome, thanks. Hopefully the first of a few positive bits of news this week.

 

[Tonyshepp]

Awesome, thanks. Hopefully the first of a few positive bits of news this week.

Wonder what colour is being built first?

 

[eclat2emira]

When four of us visited the factory back in January there were countdown clocks everywhere, counting down to 7 March. Today there are production V6 First Edition cars being built at Hethel.

As previously posted, the necessary approvals haven't been obtained yet, so first customer deliveries won't be until June. Dealer demos shortly before that. And press reviews this week will be of final stage validation cars not production cars.

But given all the issues with supply chains and everything else needed to get a new car into production, achieving production start pretty much on time is a big achievement and a major milestone for the Lotus team.

No-one should under-estimate what a massive milestone this is - with the unprecedented demand, resources that would have been going into getting production going as planned have been diverted to working out logistics for 2 or 3 shifts, looking at staff numbers needed for that, increased material and component supply rates, the commercials of all of that (how it affects turnover and margin), training, recruitment, HR and how all of that impacts their business plan and launch plans for the models to follow.

We all know Lotus have been poor in areas such as Customer Comms but at least they have devoted resources to doing what it takes to get the actual cars built - and at a massively greater scale & pace.

 

[Exige2000]

When four of us visited the factory back in January there were countdown clocks everywhere, counting down to 7 March. Today there are production V6 First Edition cars being built at Hethel.

As previously posted, the necessary approvals haven't been obtained yet, so first customer deliveries won't be until June. Dealer demos shortly before that. And press reviews this week will be of final stage validation cars not production cars.

But given all the issues with supply chains and everything else needed to get a new car into production, achieving production start pretty much on time is a big achievement and a major milestone for the Lotus team.

This is great news , i hope to pick my car up from the factory some time in July
I have been told that this will be a option that will be made available 30 days before collection and at final payment.

 

[TomE]

Wonder what colour is being built first?

My Hethel Yellow one obviously

 

[DJS]

Wonder what colour is being built first?

I bet its Seneca blue and shadow grey lol

 

[eclat2emira]

My Hethel Yellow one obviously

I should think that would only be fair!

 

[digilotus]

Probably Osmium Silver

 

[teamvxracing]

wonder how many they make today?

 

[eclat2emira]

wonder how many they make today?

Great question and will the first be chassis number /000001 or will that have been assigned to a validation car?

 

[Pav]

Great question and will the first be chassis number /000001 or will that have been assigned to a validation car?

Interesting, it would be fun to be able to decipher the chassis number so we know what number car we have. Not long to go now!

 

[xen]

I suspect the first few will probably be retained within Lotus for their museum / archive or something. The next maybe reserved for managment and friends of the brand.

 

[TomE]

wonder how many they make today?

I reckon about 10 per day at this stage, probably ramping up a bit through to end May/early June when they get approvals and first customer cars get released. I know roughly how many press + dealer + customer cars are going to be built in the next 3 months. Then ramp up to 20/day, which is the rate for the headline 5,000 cars per year.

 

[TXEMIRA]

This is great!

Have there ever been any real articles or reviews to prove the whole “I’ll take the 2nd or 3rd edition so they can get the kinks worked out” theory?

OR

Is that just a feel good kind of thing?

I ask because 10 cars on day 1 seems high. Imagine even the best X people from this forum got together…
Could those best X put one of these together today?

Now add a few months of training and decades of knowledge, then pump out 10 on day one. Still seems like a lot. Then double that soon.

Completely incredibly impressive and scary at the same time. Never been so close to these numbers to think about it before and thought of that whole “don’t get the first one” thing.

Thanks!

#ForTheExperts

 

[Pugwash]

So mine should be built by the end of the week then. I do hope they put it somewhere so it doesnt get too dusty between now and June when they let me have it.
#forthepolishers

 

[TomE]

This is great!

Have there ever been any real articles or reviews to prove the whole “I’ll take the 2nd or 3rd edition so they can get the kinks worked out” theory?

OR

Is that just a feel good kind of thing?

I ask because 10 cars on day 1 seems high. Imagine even the best X people from this forum got together…
Could those best X put one of these together today?

Now add a few months of training and decades of knowledge, then pump out 10 on day one. Still seems like a lot. Then double that soon.

Completely incredibly impressive and scary at the same time. Never been so close to these numbers to think about it before and thought of that whole “don’t get the first one” thing.

Thanks!

#ForTheExperts

Remember they've built nearly 90 cars already for validation use. Those have also been used to train the assembly and QA staff, as well as prove the build processes and quality controls.

The main assembly hall is in the picture below. The rear sub-frame and engine have already been assembled and bolted on to the chassis before here. Panels are painted in the paint shop (behind the back wall) and then painted panels are attached to the car using an assembly robot in an area to the left. Each workstation in this hall does a 17 minute set of work then it moves up to the next stage.

Pic: Autocar/Lotus

 

[Dabjbr]

I reckon about 10 per day at this stage, probably ramping up a bit through to end May/early June when they get approvals and first customer cars get released. I know roughly how many press + dealer + customer cars are going to be built in the next 3 months. Then ramp up to 20/day, which is the rate for the headline 5,000 cars per year.

Tom,
Production expected is 10 a day. Check!

Just curious, do you know how many days it takes to build one start to finish?