U.S. Update: Allocation & Order Date

[darkling]

yeah kinda what i said i'm thinking sept 2023 for me if i don't custom color it.

 

[PaulP]

I think eagle7's post earlier nailed it, they aren't tied directly to prior sales, and the smaller dealers may get more than expected while the larger ones are surprised with less maybe.

Seems to be supported with the numbers reported so far, but I'm mostly guessing...

Well this is bullshit. I placed my order with the dealer with the most lotus sales in the world because I was told they would be allotted more cars because they sold so many Evoras. And now dealers who haven’t sold shit are getting the bulk of them and my spot for FE apparently is gone.

 

[DF_Toronto]

Well this is bullshit. I placed my order with the dealer with the most lotus sales in the world because I was told they would be allotted more cars because they sold so many Evoras. And now dealers who haven’t sold shit are getting the bulk of them and my spot for FE apparently is gone.

I 100% believe it when I hear Florida dealership is #1, that makes sense. Curious where the info came from that it would translate to a better chance? I assumed the dealer didn’t matter and that it would be based upon when the deposit went in and got accepted by Lotus HQ (which I know took about a week from when I made mine). Although I guess that may not entirely work if it’s allotment based ie. if hypothetically a large dealer had their 50 first deposit holders cancel and that was their “allotment” that would be pretty bad for them and unfair to end up getting none.

 

[VL3X]

Well this is bullshit. I placed my order with the dealer with the most lotus sales in the world because I was told they would be allotted more cars because they sold so many Evoras. And now dealers who haven’t sold shit are getting the bulk of them and my spot for FE apparently is gone.

Eh.. I don't think this is true. Victory Lotus doesn't do much sales volume and they are getting 7 total Emiras for this year. Summit does big volume and they're getting ~35.

 

[Pegasi]

Just got off the phone with my dealer so they got 40 fe v6 cars being #4 in u.s for sales last year. Thats like 1/2 what they thought and delivery won't be til like sept it got pushed back from june or july. I order this winter for a base v6 for mid 2023

I have reviewed this thread and others and I am almost positive that somebody said if you put a deposit in by March 2022 you will get a FE. I also remember somebody saying they are looking for a 2nd shift manager. Isn't it possible that if they ramp up with two shifts by late fall they can produce almost 5000 cars per year so everyone should get one by fall of 2023?

Maybe this is just what I want to believe. Ok, I will wait to see what my dealer has to say but it seems like my August 27 deposit was late to the party.

 

[Davebeats]

Well this is bullshit. I placed my order with the dealer with the most lotus sales in the world because I was told they would be allotted more cars because they sold so many Evoras. And now dealers who haven’t sold shit are getting the bulk of them and my spot for FE apparently is gone.

When did you put your first deposit and do you know how many allotments your dealer recieved ?

 

[darkling]

i'm not i was nov 2021 no fev6 for me What a heard they are shooting for 5k cars in 2023 maybe more but right now with chip and seat foam etc shortages and shipping looks like a month or 2 longer they the expected for u.s. customers. alotment for q1 2023 are out from what i was told and yes i was told double the 2022 alotment .

 

[FlyNavy01]

Reason #1,001 why the outdated dealership sales model needs to disappear. Tesla's dealer-less approach was such a breath of fresh air. I placed my deposit in Atlanta and took delivery in Portland, yet none of that mattered because the reservation was based purely on a timestamp, not who or where it was made or based on "previous sales volume", wtf is that all about?

I ordered the car on my phone and it was delivered directly to my house in Oregon. Easiest process ever. I hope Lotus (and others) take note for future sales...

 

[DF_Toronto]

Reason #1,001 why the outdated dealership sales model needs to disappear. Tesla's dealer-less approach was such a breath of fresh air. I placed my deposit in Atlanta and took delivery in Portland, yet none of that mattered because the reservation was based purely on a timestamp, not who or where it was made or based on "previous sales volume", wtf is that all about?

I ordered the car on my phone and it was delivered directly to my house in Oregon. Easiest process ever. I hope Lotus (and others) take note for future sales...

I may be wrong but I believe it’s a law in the US or North America and Tesla has some loophole they are using that other established companies can’t? I think there was a documentary or a YouTube video about this…I did find this one


*EDIT* found it

 

[FlyNavy01]

I may be wrong but I believe it’s a law in the US or North America and Tesla has some loophole they are using that other established companies can’t? I think there was a documentary or a YouTube video about this…I did find this one


*EDIT* found it

Correct, which is archaic and asinine in my opinion that such laws exist. Particularly since dealerships were originally created to protect consumers... The irony is pretty wild since they do quite the opposite these days.

To get back on topic, I hope someone can officially confirm that all Emira deposits (not orders) prior to March 2022 will have the opportunity to order an FE. I think many on this forum would like to know.

 

[Eagle7]

Ok, the way things normally work, or used to, is every year Lotus would look at the sales performance of each of their dealers, and allocate cars based on that performance. HOWEVER, this was before every Lotus dealer was taking deposits on the hottest car Lotus has ever rolled out. Before the Emira, dealers that normally sell 2 cars a month were only getting 2 a month because that's all they were likely to sell. Dealers that typically sold 2 a week were getting 8 a month because that's what they were moving. The dealers were the ones ordering these cars for their inventory.

The Emira has changed all that. Every dealer now has a backlog of actual money deposits that are greater than any amount they've ever sold in a year. And that total exceeds the number of cars Lotus is going to be able to send to North America, so that makes allocations different than normal.

As is generally true with all brand dealerships, typically the top 20% of their dealers sell 80% of the total sales, so they get the lion's share of allotments each year. However that's based on the normal business model of dealerships ordering cars on their account as inventory cars to put on their lots. Every Emira Lotus is going to produce this year is accounted for by an actual customer deposit, not a dealer order, which is pretty much unprecedented for Lotus and their dealer network. This makes it a direct customer experience, rather than a dealer business-as-usual experience. This is going to be frustrating for everybody, including Lotus, because the demand right now exceeds production capacity. So far, it looks like the normally low performance dealers are getting less than 10 each, while the high performance dealers are still getting dozens, just not as many dozens as they would like.

Another factor in the mix is we don't know which model all those deposits are for, which also affects where you are in the queue if you have a deposit with a dealer. Lotus has stated they will build as many FE V6 cars (manual or auto) as they get orders for, AS LONG AS the orders are in by the end of March. They may not be able to deliver all of them this year, some may be delivered next year, but you will get your FE at the price you ordered it at. HOWEVER, if I read it right, the end of March is the cutoff date for actually being able to order a V6 FE. After March, you can still order a car, but it will have to be a base model, and you can add the options you want, paying for them individually the way you normally would when ordering a car.

SO... the good news is, if you want an FE, you can get one as long as you get your order in by the end of March. It won't matter if the dealer you order with doesn't have any more allocations for this year's production run. You'll get your FE in next year's production run. They're working on adding a second shift, and once they get things underway, they'll undoubtedly figure out ways to improve the efficiency so they can produce more cars. Matt has said they can actually do 3 shifts if absolutely necessary, so it may come to that. They don't want to over-produce, but I have a feeling this car is going to be lightning in a bottle once the general public sees them. You can also simply not order an FE right now, and put your deposit in for a base model plus whatever options you want. Those will be made too, but those also won't be delivered until next year. So it isn't a matter of if you can get a car, it's a matter of when.

 

[TXEMIRA]

Ok, the way things normally work, or used to, is every year Lotus would look at the sales performance of each of their dealers, and allocate cars based on that performance. HOWEVER, this was before every Lotus dealer was taking deposits on the hottest car Lotus has ever rolled out. Before the Emira, dealers that normally sell 2 cars a month were only getting 2 a month because that's all they were likely to sell. Dealers that typically sold 2 a week were getting 8 a month because that's what they were moving. The dealers were the ones ordering these cars for their inventory.

The Emira has changed all that. Every dealer now has a backlog of actual money deposits that are greater than any amount they've ever sold in a year. And that total exceeds the number of cars Lotus is going to be able to send to North America, so that makes allocations different than normal.

As is generally true with all brand dealerships, typically the top 20% of their dealers sell 80% of the total sales, so they get the lion's share of allotments each year. However that's based on the normal business model of dealerships ordering cars on their account as inventory cars to put on their lots. Every Emira Lotus is going to produce this year is accounted for by an actual customer deposit, not a dealer order, which is pretty much unprecedented for Lotus and their dealer network. This makes it a direct customer experience, rather than a dealer business-as-usual experience. This is going to be frustrating for everybody, including Lotus, because the demand right now exceeds production capacity. So far, it looks like the normally low performance dealers are getting less than 10 each, while the high performance dealers are still getting dozens, just not as many dozens as they would like.

Another factor in the mix is we don't know which model all those deposits are for, which also affects where you are in the queue if you have a deposit with a dealer. Lotus has stated they will build as many FE V6 cars (manual or auto) as they get orders for, AS LONG AS the orders are in by the end of March. They may not be able to deliver all of them this year, some may be delivered next year, but you will get your FE at the price you ordered it at. HOWEVER, if I read it right, the end of March is the cutoff date for actually being able to order a V6 FE. After March, you can still order a car, but it will have to be a base model, and you can add the options you want, paying for them individually the way you normally would when ordering a car.

SO... the good news is, if you want an FE, you can get one as long as you get your order in by the end of March. It won't matter if the dealer you order with doesn't have any more allocations for this year's production run. You'll get your FE in next year's production run. They're working on adding a second shift, and once they get things underway, they'll undoubtedly figure out ways to improve the efficiency so they can produce more cars. Matt has said they can actually do 3 shifts if absolutely necessary, so it may come to that. They don't want to over-produce, but I have a feeling this car is going to be lightning in a bottle once the general public sees them. You can also simply not order an FE right now, and put your deposit in for a base model plus whatever options you want. Those will be made too, but those also won't be delivered until next year. So it isn't a matter of if you can get a car, it's a matter of when.

Great input here!
1. I want to be at the dealership for all their deliveries. Wouldn’t that be cool?
2. All of this demand is pre-production. Imagine the desire once these hit the roads…
It’s going to be fun!
3. Unprecedented = so true. Any other launch that compares?
Like any other brand with this type of limited volume?

 

[Pegasi]

SO... the good news is, if you want an FE, you can get one as long as you get your order in by the end of March. It won't matter if the dealer you order with doesn't have any more allocations for this year's production run. You'll get your FE in next year's production run. They're working on adding a second shift, and once they get things underway, they'll undoubtedly figure out ways to improve the efficiency so they can produce more cars.

Did you read the post by @Magma in this thread? (I posted it below) They got a different response from what you are saying. What you are saying was my understanding but what about the communication from Gator. Any thoughts?

U.S. Update: Allocation & Order Date

@Magma posted about not being in an FE Allocation. Does anyone know for sure when the FE isn’t going to be made anymore? How many runs or how many total FEs will be made? Imagine a 2023 FE and a 2024 FE… It would be helpful to know, if “not making the first cut” means not getting an FE or...

www.emiraforum.com

 

[Pegasi]

SO... the good news is, if you want an FE, you can get one as long as you get your order in by the end of March. It won't matter if the dealer you order with doesn't have any more allocations for this year's production run. You'll get your FE in next year's production run. They're working on adding a second shift, and once they get things underway, they'll undoubtedly figure out ways to improve the efficiency so they can produce more cars.

I don't know if the link I posted worked. Here is what Magma said:

"Yes the whole thing is a little confusing. The email from Gator basically stated that I didn't make the cut for an FE UNLESS people in front of me drop out. BUT base edition cars will soon follow and orders for them will start this summer for delivery in early 2023 (barring no further delays which you all know how that goes).
I plan to time my delivery for Fall of 2023."

 

[darkling]

As it was explained to me tho the fe v6 cars on only 2022 productions 700 total for u.s.a. and then the v6 2022 order base cars is 1st to be produced then the fe i4 cars from 2022. "":" Holy crap lotus get a c.s. rep online and get it clear in writing:

 

[TXEMIRA]

As it was explained to me tho the fe v6 cars on only 2022 productions 700 total for u.s.a. and then the v6 2022 order base cars is 1st to be produced then the fe i4 cars from 2022. "":" Holy crap lotus get a c.s. rep online and get it clear in writing:

This would be a Limited FE or LFE or LE…

This too shall be fun.

 

[Jabberwocky]

This process is definitely equal parts exciting, nerve-wracking and baffling. It's like some sort of "Squid Game" approach to selling cars (albeit nobody is dying - we're just dying to get our hands on the car we all love ). I'm in an awkward spot, having selected one of the "new" dealers (Lotus Charlotte), due to its proximity to my Raleigh home where my Emira will be kept and my positive experience talking to the salesperson.

I was a rather late deposit, so I have managed my expectations accordingly - hoping to get a car sometime in 2023. But I'd be lying if I said I am not hanging by the phone on the edge of my seat and obsessively hitting refresh on the "new posts" link here, like some lab rat hitting a food dispenser button. I'm excited at the prospect I might just get lucky with allocations and drop-outs ahead of me to get an order/build date sooner. But I'm also a bit anxious that there may be torches and pitchforks on this forum if folks like me end up with a car before someone who put in a deposit 4 months earlier and just happened to pick a dealer with a longer list.

Anyhow, the game continues. I hope all of us that are passionate about this car get behind the wheel as soon as possible and that our patience pays off in the end.

I also put down a deposit at Lotus Charlotte. I haven't heard anything yet but will update if I do.

 

[Mike-engel]

Was informed by Gator this am that I didn't make the FE cut. I've had a feeling for a while and that's why I went forward with the Z06 to drive while I wait. View attachment 2765

Hey @Magma. Would you mind mentioning when you put in your first deposit? I thought that as long as one put in their deposit by November 4.2021 that they would be able to receive a FE car. Maybe not with the first allocation, but eventually. Are you saying you won’t get a FE with the first allocation, or just not at all?

 

[Eagle7]

I don't know if the link I posted worked. Here is what Magma said:

"Yes the whole thing is a little confusing. The email from Gator basically stated that I didn't make the cut for an FE UNLESS people in front of me drop out. BUT base edition cars will soon follow and orders for them will start this summer for delivery in early 2023 (barring no further delays which you all know how that goes).
I plan to time my delivery for Fall of 2023."

This is where the confusion seems to be from what the dealers are saying versus what Lotus has said. Gater saying Magma didn't make the cut for an FE is from them, for THIS YEAR'S allocation that GATOR is going to receive, not that Magma couldn't ever get one. According to Lotus, as long as you get your order for a V6 FE in by the end of March this year, regardless of this year's allocation or your dealer's allocation, they will build your FE, but you'll get it next year, not this year. They're not placing a limit on how many they're going to produce, just a limit on how long the window to order will be open.

 

[FlyNavy01]

This is where the confusion seems to be from what the dealers are saying versus what Lotus has said. Gater saying Magma didn't make the cut for an FE is from them, for THIS YEAR'S allocation that GATOR is going to receive, not that Magma couldn't ever get one. According to Lotus, as long as you get your order for a V6 FE in by the end of March this year, regardless of this year's allocation or your dealer's allocation, they will build your FE, but you'll get it next year, not this year. They're not placing a limit on how many they're going to produce, just a limit on how long the window to order will be open.

Is it "order" before March or "deposit" before March? I think this is where the confusion is coming from. Words mean things and people seem to be using them interchangeably even though they're two different things.