Emira production is underway

[Gibbo205]

All the cars in the factory are on base wheels which are no longer available as an option.
Just wondering why all the factory pictures seem to be on wheels that are not an option any more?

Maybe these factory pictures are older, the Forged wheels did not yet arrive in volume or maybe these are early production cars for approval in various different countries as I believe Lotus have around 90 Emira's on the road around the world under going testing.

 

[Emira]

All the cars in the factory are on base wheels which are no longer available as an option.
Just wondering why all the factory pictures seem to be on wheels that are not an option any more?

Maybe these factory pictures are older, the Forged wheels did not yet arrive in volume or maybe these are early production cars for approval in various different countries as I believe Lotus have around 90 Emira's on the road around the world under going testing.

I echo your comments. Plus, what I don't understand is why none of the cars are running around with the First Edition wheels? Presumably testing would be required to see how they perform given that they're lighter than the base wheels?!

 

[Nick in Sydney]

My bet is that "real" production (rather than validation cars or a handful of UK media cars) still hasn't started.
Why? Simple . . . we would be seeing the cars.

They have to put them somewhere and it's not as if Hethel has acres of under-cover storage space. You drive down Potash Lane, get to the end, and there's the big car park on the left. Is it filled with Emiras ready to load on trucks? No.

 

[Gibbo205]

I echo your comments. Plus, what I don't understand is why none of the cars are running around with the First Edition wheels? Presumably testing would be required to see how they perform given that they're lighter than the base wheels?!

I am not sure how stringent or type approval is but if the car drives fine on the base wheel, it will only drive better on the forged FE wheel as its a reduction in unsprung weight which always yield benefits.

I know Lotus have a few cars on the forged wheels so they have done testing, but maybe we see more cars on cast wheels is because they are cheaper and maybe Lotus using up stock of that wheel design for whatever reason whether that be cost saving or something else.

I for one if the car sits a bit high once I get it will look at lowering options of 10-20mm and some 10-15mm wheel spacers potentially, but hoping the final production ride height and stance will be spot on anyway.

 

[TomE]

They only started production just over a week ago and are in ramp up. Week 1 involves building only one production car. What we’re seeing in the pictures (taken on Sat) is mostly cars that started build before that first production car. So they are mainly final stage validation cars.

There is a picture of a part-built red car from side on with no interior - that’s production car #1.

They’ve got to build some production cars for approvals, press reviews and dealer demos first. So it’ll be several weeks until they start building the first customer car.

 

[andrew6382]

They only started production just over a week ago and are in ramp up. Week 1 involves building only one production car. What we’re seeing in the pictures (taken on Sat) is mostly cars that started build before that first production car. So they are mainly final stage validation cars.

There is a picture of a part-built red car from side on with no interior - that’s production car #1.

They’ve got to build some production cars for approvals, press reviews and dealer demos first. So it’ll be several weeks until they start building the first customer car.

So what i said stands, they have not yet built a finished car as of Saturday 12th March....
There is a picture of a part-built red car from side on with no interior - that’s production car #1.
and still dont have finished seats ? and it dont have FE wheels on

Yes it goes with out saying they going to build dealer....... etc,etc given, not my point

Yes clearly they want to make sure the cars are right

So for months they practiced putting cars together, now they learning how to put cars together for production ?

So if in the first week they build one car....... Finished car ? nope

Do they have all the parts to build finished car right now, well they dont have finished seats ?, "Wheels ?"

 

[TomE]

Andrew, they are "in production". They are on target. Be patient.

 

[andrew6382]

Andrew, they are "in production". They are on target. Be patient.

Production is the process of combining various material inputs and immaterial inputs (plans, knowledge) in order to make something for consumption (output). It is the act of creating an output, a good or service which has value and contributes to the utility of individuals.

ZERO OUTPUT

I have no issue with them being on time or not, am sure they will make deadlines, people will get there cars in June( which should of been May)

Come lets be honest

I would much rather see a post from Lotus, "Production has started, but as we are still unwilling to sign of the seats, because we feel they can be better. We will still be making our dead lines, and car will be going to customers in June as planned.

Not we started production, but then hear they still working on the seat, so no finished seats, so no finished cars yet

One is honest ,open, strong and transparant

The other

Lotus of old

The first pictures we get of cars, come from some mate of Matt's, whats that all about, why when they knew it was such a big issue ?

 

[Leonard]

Re wheels, someone said on another forum that the Evoras got built on std shop wheels and the expensive stuff was added at the end

 

[andrew6382]

Re wheels, someone said on another forum that the Evoras got built on std shop wheels and the expensive stuff was added at the end

Yes seen some thing about that mentioned, some time ago..... but you would think perhaps out of the pictures we have see.... Seen one car on FE wheels..... but you could be right

 

[ADC]

I mean this without any ill intent or snark (ok, maybe a really tiny tiny bit of snark... I can't help who I am), and I really enjoy everyone's contributions on this forum, but... maybe a few of us need to take a breath.

Yes, Lotus have repeatedly dropped the ball on comms. We've (rightly) been beating the bloated corpse of that horse for months. Yes, they are now building some cars, and we are all going nuts that they tell us nothing further about what FE examples will actually look like. They will get to building customer cars soon, and a couple of week's worth of hand wringing won't impact that timeline I'm guessing.

I understand that the angst level must be significantly higher for deposit holders who are already locked in (and I'm not in that position yet), so I don't mean to patronise, but given that frantically raising our voices in threads here seems to amount to diddly, I'm inclined to just find something else to do in the meantime to distract myself... like, everyone should pester Tom about more info on the i4 FE for instance

 

[Leonard]

I mean this without any ill intent or snark (ok, maybe a really tiny tiny bit of snark... I can't help who I am), and I really enjoy everyone's contributions on this forum, but... maybe a few of us need to take a breath.

Yes, Lotus have repeatedly dropped the ball on comms. We've (rightly) been beating the bloated corpse of that horse for months. Yes, they are now building some cars, and we are all going nuts that they tell us nothing further about what FE examples will actually look like. They will get to building customer cars soon, and a couple of week's worth of hand wringing won't impact that timeline I'm guessing.

I understand that the angst level must be significantly higher for deposit holders who are already locked in (and I'm not in that position yet), so I don't mean to patronise, but given that frantically raising our voices in threads here seems to amount to diddly, I'm inclined to just find something else to do in the meantime to distract myself... like, everyone should pester Tom about more info on the i4 FE for instance

No I agree. Why I've taken my Grumpy Pants off

 

[Leonard]

Yes seen some thing about that mentioned, some time ago..... but you would think perhaps out of the pictures we have see.... Seen one car on FE wheels..... but you could be right

Andrew get your pants off!

 

[ADC]

No I agree. Why I've taken my Grumpy Pants off

 

[andrew6382]

Nice

 

[Leonard]

I think the Forum would break if anyone put their angry jumper on as well!

 

[TomE]

Way too much over-analysis of every photo and snippet of news going on. I'm not going to respond to everything, I simply don't have time. I'll try to cover stuff I do know, rather than speculate. Perhaps others could do they same?

Lotus have started production - yay! They are on track for June customer deliveries - yay!

We still don't know all the details we'd like - boo!

Take a step back and chill out a bit

 

[TomE]

Production is the process of combining various material inputs and immaterial inputs (plans, knowledge) in order to make something for consumption (output). It is the act of creating an output, a good or service which has value and contributes to the utility of individuals.

ZERO OUTPUT

I have no issue with them being on time or not, am sure they will make deadlines, people will get there cars in June( which should of been May)

Come lets be honest

I would much rather see a post from Lotus, "Production has started, but as we are still unwilling to sign of the seats, because we feel they can be better. We will still be making our dead lines, and car will be going to customers in June as planned.

Not we started production, but then hear they still working on the seat, so no finished seats, so no finished cars yet

One is honest ,open, strong and transparant

The other

Lotus of old

The first pictures we get of cars, come from some mate of Matt's, whats that all about, why when they knew it was such a big issue ?

You can be a pedant about what "production" means to you, but it's irrelevant. Lotus are "In Production" - they have started building the first official Production Emira. Whether it is finished or not, or destined for approvals process or a dealer or a customer is irrevelant.

 

[TomE]

I mean this without any ill intent or snark (ok, maybe a really tiny tiny bit of snark... I can't help who I am), and I really enjoy everyone's contributions on this forum, but... maybe a few of us need to take a breath.

Yes, Lotus have repeatedly dropped the ball on comms. We've (rightly) been beating the bloated corpse of that horse for months. Yes, they are now building some cars, and we are all going nuts that they tell us nothing further about what FE examples will actually look like. They will get to building customer cars soon, and a couple of week's worth of hand wringing won't impact that timeline I'm guessing.

I understand that the angst level must be significantly higher for deposit holders who are already locked in (and I'm not in that position yet), so I don't mean to patronise, but given that frantically raising our voices in threads here seems to amount to diddly, I'm inclined to just find something else to do in the meantime to distract myself... like, everyone should pester Tom about more info on the i4 FE for instance

Thank you.

Perhaps you and others can now appreciate my reluctance to publish anything about the i4. The information I have hasn't appeared anywhere else online. So, like Phil's pictures on Saturday, I expect anything I post to be copied and pasted across every forum and Facebook group and Emira-related Instagram account and so on. Frankly, I could do without the shitstorm that will produce.

I'm still debating what I can share and what I'm prepared to post up. Reactions such as the posts on here today and over the weekend suggest I'm better off not posting.

 

[andrew6382]

You can be a pedant about what "production" means to you, but it's irrelevant. Lotus are "In Production" - they have started building the first official Production Emira. Whether it is finished or not, or destined for approvals process or a dealer or a customer is irrevelant.

It my view, and nothing to do with being pedantic... I understand things take time etc, been over all that...

But like i said

One is honest ,open, strong and transparant

The other

Lotus of old