Production delays and weighing our options

[VL3X]

We are already starting to hear about production delays with the Emira. Initial delivery for the US was "Spring 2021" and then it was "July for early deposit holders" and now we're being told to "expect it around October." It's only a matter of time before First Edition deliveries get pushed into Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. By then, we'll likely see the additional 13 paint options, able to spec colors for the TDC stripe on manual steering wheels, and maybe ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) will be added back as a standard on FEs. We'll also likely have journalist reviews, base spec pricing, and individual package/option pricing. Heck, some initial production bugs might even be worked out by then too!

All that being considered, being a First Edition early deposit holder doesn't seem all that attractive now. I feel Lotus should reveal the additional paint options and individual package/option pricing now so buyers can make informed decisions on their $100k purchases. That way, those wanting a base or custom spec I4 or V6 can weigh their options and decide if they actually want a First Edition or not. This would also potentially relieve some FE production pressure from Lotus since some of us in line may opt to wait. I'd be fine letting those buyers who want one of these 6 initial colors take delivery before me if it means I can still be at the front of the line for a color and spec I actually want.

Thoughts?

 

[Magma]

Yup... Been feeling the same way for a couple month.
Weighing the pros and cons of what you really get with the FE. It basically comes down to these 2 things:
#1. You get it a bit sooner and can say you have an FE
#2. The FE is potentially a value proposition

I literally can't think of anything else.

 

[VL3X]

Yup... Been feeling the same way for a couple month.
Weighing the pros and cons of what you really get with the FE. It basically comes down to these 2 things:
#1. You get it a bit sooner and can say you have an FE
#2. The FE is potentially a value proposition

I literally can't think of anything else.

#1 is moot to me if I'll be taking delivery next winter. She'll just be sitting in the garage for months waiting for spring anyway.

#2 is a maybe.. we still don't have individual option pricing. I don't really want heavy 12-way seats.. maybe they're a $5k option? What is the weight of the OEM forged wheels? Maybe I'd rather spec OEM cast wheels to save money and source my own aftermarket forged wheels.

 

[chooch13]

I'm going to play devil's advocate in terms of Lotus' launch plans by saying that the Emira FE is more of a smoke and mirrors show to hide the fact that they are behind on product/factory development (In comparison to where they thought they would be). That and they may be trying to get more buyers up front by hiding the details of everything else.

I think the only reason to get an FE is if you just can't wait and want an Emira now, but as was mentioned, now that there are production delays, that point is kind of moot. I believe if Lotus actually detailed all of the option prices individually and told us what the extra paint options would be, there would be a lot of people passing on the FE. Part of me thinks that maybe it would have been better to delay the reveal by a year.

 

[El Chorizo]

I'm going to play devil's advocate in terms of Lotus' launch plans by saying that the Emira FE is more of a smoke and mirrors show to hide the fact that they are behind on product/factory development (In comparison to where they thought they would be). That and they may be trying to get more buyers up front by hiding the details of everything else.

I think the only reason to get an FE is if you just can't wait and want an Emira now, but as was mentioned, now that there are production delays, that point is kind of moot. I believe if Lotus actually detailed all of the option prices individually and told us what the extra paint options would be, there would be a lot of people passing on the FE. Part of me thinks that maybe it would have been better to delay the reveal by a year.

Everyone is dealing with production delays now... I don't blame them for getting it out the door and letting orders come in.

 

[chooch13]

Everyone is dealing with production delays now... I don't blame them for getting it out the door and letting orders come in.

I agree that everyone is dealing with production delays, but a lot of the decisions that have been made to date do not stem from production delays. Getting it out early and letting orders come in is good and all, but I don't think it's a good thing when it comes at the expense of transparency.

I have always been a Lotus fan and having one of the earliest Emira deposits down in Canada, I truly want this new car to be a success, but customers need to be better informed is all I am saying. They have stated that they want to become a manufacturer on a more global scale, but so far it has seemed like Lotus of old.

 

[EM33RA]

I agree that everyone is dealing with production delays, but a lot of the decisions that have been made to date do not stem from production delays. Getting it out early and letting orders come in is good and all, but I don't think it's a good thing when it comes at the expense of transparency.

I have always been a Lotus fan and having one of the earliest Emira deposits down in Canada, I truly want this new car to be a success, but customers need to be better informed is all I am saying. They have stated that they want to become a manufacturer on a more global scale, but so far it has seemed like Lotus of old.

I totally agree. They have said plenty but have delivered very little to date. Communication is everything, we can all be forgiven for anything we are transparent with from day one. There’s a global pandemic at hand which has delivered circumstances never seen in our lifetime but the sheer fact Lotus has gotten every aspect besides the car itself wrong to date, in my opinion.

I’m a die hard Lotus fan but have been left disappointed with you’ll get a car in 2022, and I’ve signed a contact which states delivery between June to Dec 2022. Don’t blame the dealers they simply don’t know and are being drip fed information forwards and back.

Lotus have gone from treading water to going into an Olympic final, is my analogy… I’m not a customer whom is hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Time will tell….

 

[TXEMIRA]

As much pontification that can exist, and does, still haven’t seen any “selling my spot in line” posts.

Lots of folks allegedly backing out but none opting for the line-skip premium. Wonder if we will see that.

 

[PaulP]

I’m not abandoning my spot yet, I’m still holding out hope the initial reviews will be glowing. And I’m waiting on the new BMW M2 design to be actually seen and details there. Once both of those are out I’ll either be buying one of those two, or possibly dip my toe into the 918/911 vs Taycan world.

I don’t imagine many will drop spots until the cars are reviewed

 

[VL3X]

I’m not abandoning my spot yet, I’m still holding out hope the initial reviews will be glowing. And I’m waiting on the new BMW M2 design to be actually seen and details there. Once both of those are out I’ll either be buying one of those two, or possibly dip my toe into the 918/911 vs Taycan world.

I don’t imagine many will drop spots until the cars are reviewed

Yep.. I'm waiting for reviews too. Taycans are interesting vehicles. I went to a launch event and drove one. Much better build quality than Tesla (obviously), but definitely not an alternative to the Emira. The Taycan is more of a nice daily driver and very disengaging from a driver's perspective. I'm hoping the Emira will be full on driver engagement with the manual trans and hydraulic steering!

 

[TXEMIRA]

Problem is that Lotus is tracking who is doing deposits… requiring a copy of the purchasers drivers license. To prevent multiple deposits at multiple dealers. So only way around would be to have to order for someone else then purchasing with sales tax to only resale right away! Too much risk involved for both parties IMHO.

It’s just a car flip. Built-in premium capable. I’m sure the $5-$8k + a premium in the US for tax won’t stop someone from buying an FE that was too late to get in line.

Main thing though - we are holding our pee and waiting in this line like champions! Hahaha

 

[SemiF19]

This will be my first Lotus. I actually like the color options and have already built my car. Like everyone else, the last step is to see actual reviews on the car. As much as it looks absolutely gorgeous and virtually everyone who has seen one says the same thing, I still want to see one in person. As of right now I'm told that I'm #75 on the reservation list with the dealer expecting allocation between 60 and 80 First Edition cars.

 

[wallstbear]

We are already starting to hear about production delays with the Emira. Initial delivery for the US was "Spring 2021" and then it was "July for early deposit holders" and now we're being told to "expect it around October." It's only a matter of time before First Edition deliveries get pushed into Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. By then, we'll likely see the additional 13 paint options, able to spec colors for the TDC stripe on manual steering wheels, and maybe ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) will be added back as a standard on FEs. We'll also likely have journalist reviews, base spec pricing, and individual package/option pricing. Heck, some initial production bugs might even be worked out by then too!

All that being considered, being a First Edition early deposit holder doesn't seem all that attractive now. I feel Lotus should reveal the additional paint options and individual package/option pricing now so buyers can make informed decisions on their $100k purchases. That way, those wanting a base or custom spec I4 or V6 can weigh their options and decide if they actually want a First Edition or not. This would also potentially relieve some FE production pressure from Lotus since some of us in line may opt to wait. I'd be fine letting those buyers who want one of these 6 initial colors take delivery before me if it means I can still be at the front of the line for a color and spec I actually want.

Thoughts?

I suspect those ordering the base/manual model would wait another 2-3 years.

 

[Tonyshepp]

VL3X, Your hypothesis is flawed in the fact of which if the First Editions are delayed, everything else would be as well. I don’t foresee Lotus launching any additional info on the base models for a while… why would they? There is no benefit to do so… it would only disrupt the First Edition buyers that were on the fence. They have a huge list of buyers waiting to buy. Hopefully press drive reviews happen at the beginning of the year. My guess is they will praise it tremendously driving the demand even higher. Lotus’s problem now is retaining interest if they do delay over and over. We should hopefully know more in January.

As you say why release information that may disrupt FE buyers before the 3rd and final deposit (in the UK at least) is taken. The most important question on my mind is how much the options are that come on the FE, Am I actually getting a bargain or paying full price for them - some of which I'm not too bothered about.

 

[freefall_junkie]

As you say why release information that may disrupt FE buyers before the 3rd and final deposit (in the UK at least) is taken. The most important question on my mind is how much the options are that come on the FE, Am I actually getting a bargain or paying full price for them - some of which I'm not too bothered about.

I reckon there is one factor which will make the FE seem a bargain in a couple of year's time: inflation. Anyone who has studied economic history knows that the inflation genie is very hard to put back in the bottle once it is out. I don't believe for one minute the line from the Fed, BoE and ECB about current inflation levels being 'transitory'. Sooner or later Lotus will be forced to hike Emira prices, and I really doubt whether we will ever see a sub £60k base Emira in the UK.

 

[Tonyshepp]

I reckon there is one factor which will make the FE seem a bargain in a couple of year's time: inflation. Anyone who has studied economic history knows that the inflation genie is very hard to put back in the bottle once it is out. I don't believe for one minute the line from the Fed, BoE and ECB about current inflation levels being 'transitory'. Sooner or later Lotus will be forced to hike Emira prices, and I really doubt whether we will ever see a sub £60k base Emira in the UK.

Inflation in the Uk has averaged 4% the last 2 quarters. I wouldn’t be surprised if the base pricing increases next year to account for inflation of materials and labour. I doubt they have procurement contracts in place with their suppliers that guarantees no inflationary uplifts beyond a year.

 

[Yachtie]

I'm in a business that buys materials and makes things, we have seen 20%+ rises in some materials just this year so I'm sure Emira prices will go up quite significantly moving forward. Hopefully it won't affect us early depositors!!

 

[freefall_junkie]

Inflation in the Uk has averaged 4% the last 2 quarters. I wouldn’t be surprised if the base pricing increases next year to account for inflation of materials and labour. I doubt they have procurement contracts in place with their suppliers that guarantees no inflationary uplifts beyond a year.

And that is before you factor in the fact that the headline CPI figure hugely understates what is going on with regard to manufacturing costs. UK PPI (producer price inflation) is far higher, somewhere around 10% for input prices and 6% for output prices according to the ONS, much higher still by some other measures.

 

[Matt]

We are already starting to hear about production delays with the Emira. Initial delivery for the US was "Spring 2021" and then it was "July for early deposit holders" and now we're being told to "expect it around October." It's only a matter of time before First Edition deliveries get pushed into Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. By then, we'll likely see the additional 13 paint options, able to spec colors for the TDC stripe on manual steering wheels, and maybe ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) will be added back as a standard on FEs. We'll also likely have journalist reviews, base spec pricing, and individual package/option pricing. Heck, some initial production bugs might even be worked out by then too!

All that being considered, being a First Edition early deposit holder doesn't seem all that attractive now. I feel Lotus should reveal the additional paint options and individual package/option pricing now so buyers can make informed decisions on their $100k purchases. That way, those wanting a base or custom spec I4 or V6 can weigh their options and decide if they actually want a First Edition or not. This would also potentially relieve some FE production pressure from Lotus since some of us in line may opt to wait. I'd be fine letting those buyers who want one of these 6 initial colors take delivery before me if it means I can still be at the front of the line for a color and spec I actually want.

Thoughts?

For Chinese market, it said that the earliest delivery of FE I4 will be "Winter 2022" .

 

[Balboa]

We are already starting to hear about production delays with the Emira. Initial delivery for the US was "Spring 2021" and then it was "July for early deposit holders" and now we're being told to "expect it around October." It's only a matter of time before First Edition deliveries get pushed into Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. By then, we'll likely see the additional 13 paint options, able to spec colors for the TDC stripe on manual steering wheels, and maybe ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) will be added back as a standard on FEs. We'll also likely have journalist reviews, base spec pricing, and individual package/option pricing. Heck, some initial production bugs might even be worked out by then too!

All that being considered, being a First Edition early deposit holder doesn't seem all that attractive now. I feel Lotus should reveal the additional paint options and individual package/option pricing now so buyers can make informed decisions on their $100k purchases. That way, those wanting a base or custom spec I4 or V6 can weigh their options and decide if they actually want a First Edition or not. This would also potentially relieve some FE production pressure from Lotus since some of us in line may opt to wait. I'd be fine letting those buyers who want one of these 6 initial colors take delivery before me if it means I can still be at the front of the line for a color and spec I actually want.

Thoughts?

I put my order in (California) about a month ago. My dealer says I have no prayer of getting an FE and to expect a 12-18 month wait. I want blue so I'd gladly take an FE if others step aside (200 ahead of me). Otherwise most of my free time will be spent glued to this forum...