*Updated 3.11.22 Some great news that was a surprise

[NicolasB]

Last month when I contacted my dealer I was told I was not going to get an FE because they were getting 10 of them and I was somewhere around 16.

Yesterday I got an email from the dealer telling me they are now getting 15 and I am #13! So, now I am hoping for pics soon of colors to help me decide before making a final decision. Happy to be in the FE camp. Waiting to hear back about next deposits and estimated delivery.

 

[VL3X]

That's exciting!! Do you know which month you'll be ordering?

 

[EspritGuy]

Last month when I contacted my dealer I was told I was not going to get an FE because they were getting 10 of them and I was somewhere around 16.

Yesterday I got an email from the dealer telling me they are now getting 15 and I am #13! So, now I am hoping for pics soon of colors to help me decide before making a final decision. Happy to be in the FE camp. Waiting to hear back about next deposits and estimated delivery.

Lucky number 13.
Congratulations,

 

[NicolasB]

That's exciting!! Do you know which month you'll be ordering?

I emailed to see if they knew, no response yet. He told me to let him know if Lotus emails me about anything.

 

[TomE]

Congratulations, excited for you!

 

[eclat2emira]

Last month when I contacted my dealer I was told I was not going to get an FE because they were getting 10 of them and I was somewhere around 16.

Yesterday I got an email from the dealer telling me they are now getting 15 and I am #13! So, now I am hoping for pics soon of colors to help me decide before making a final decision. Happy to be in the FE camp. Waiting to hear back about next deposits and estimated delivery.

Congrats on your great news! It's always worth just hangin' in there....

 

[NicolasB]

Yes, hoping the dealer emails back Monday to let me know if he has any rough idea in a timeline. Will probably be right about when the snow starts to fall!

 

[Mike-engel]

Last month when I contacted my dealer I was told I was not going to get an FE because they were getting 10 of them and I was somewhere around 16.

Yesterday I got an email from the dealer telling me they are now getting 15 and I am #13! So, now I am hoping for pics soon of colors to help me decide before making a final decision. Happy to be in the FE camp. Waiting to hear back about next deposits and estimated delivery.

Congratulations! Would you mind sharing your deposit date with your dealer?

 

[NicolasB]

Congratulations! Would you mind sharing your deposit date with your dealer?

September 15th, 2021
Dealer is Lotus of Western NY

 

[PaulP]

Truly happy for you but so many people in earlier not getting FE. process in USA is absurd.

 

[NicolasB]

Wow… that’s pretty late to join the game. Several others that submitted before you with no cigar.

Yeah, the problem of the US dealer network, where it isn't first come first serve. I almost did my reservation at a Connecticut dealer because they were bigger and thought they would get more cars, but figured I was late and would be better off at a smaller/closer one. I got lucky I guess.

Happy though, because the guy who runs it is legit and tracks his cars when he can, and is a true Lotus guy, not just some sales dude that doesn't get it.

 

[NicolasB]

Truly happy for you but so many people in earlier not getting FE. process in USA is absurd.

Agreed, they should not have allowed deposits for FE cars if they were going to limit them as they are now. Should have told people that it was limited and they would get regular models after the maximum number was reached.

 

[Mike-engel]

Agreed, they should not have allowed deposits for FE cars if they were going to limit them as they are now. Should have told people that it was limited and they would get regular models after the maximum number was reached.

Indeed. I was in July about 2 weeks after the reveal and no luck. Maybe I will get one of those great calls like you? I remain ever hopeful.

 

[Eagle7]

Agreed, they should not have allowed deposits for FE cars if they were going to limit them as they are now. Should have told people that it was limited and they would get regular models after the maximum number was reached.

Unfortunately, by the time they realized what kind of deposit numbers were coming in, the deposits were already in. From what I gather, they didn't have a clue they'd get this kind of response, and weren't prepared for it at all.

 

[EspritGuy]

Unfortunately, by the time they realized what kind of deposit numbers were coming in, the deposits were already in. From what I gather, they didn't have a clue they'd get this kind of response, and weren't prepared for it at all.

I have to wonder about that. There was pre-reveal deposit activity and then the Reveal deposit surge. And a week later at Goodwood another surge. So by about July 15th the writing was pretty much on the wall about market interest.
This was still before pricing news.
So yes, they had to manage success. Each deposit had to be Authenticated, so it was no surprise about the numbers. Months later allocations were announced, basically throwing a bone to regions.
Global place in line didn't matter.
What's grating is that North America was capped and strapped with Dealer allotment while UK continued full throttle.
An order is an order whether it originated with a dealer or Lotus.
This has been long debated to no benefit.

 

[TomE]

But weren't all deposits in July simply for "an Emira", there was no way to specify if you wanted V6/i4 or First Edition/Base Edition until later?

 

[TXEMIRA]

But weren't all deposits in July simply for "an Emira", there was no way to specify if you wanted V6/i4 or First Edition/Base Edition until later?

I’d say July were FE. New poll?
Whether V6 or i4 is another question.

 

[Eagle7]

I have to wonder about that. There was pre-reveal deposit activity and then the Reveal deposit surge. And a week later at Goodwood another surge. So by about July 15th the writing was pretty much on the wall about market interest.
This was still before pricing news.
So yes, they had to manage success. Each deposit had to be Authenticated, so it was no surprise about the numbers. Months later allocations were announced, basically throwing a bone to regions.
Global place in line didn't matter.
What's grating is that North America was capped and strapped with Dealer allotment while UK continued full throttle.
An order is an order whether it originated with a dealer or Lotus.
This has been long debated to no benefit.

Pre-reveal were pure faith deposits by hard-core Lotus fans, and I don't think there were that many, certainly nothing that would give Lotus a clue as to what was coming. Yes, by July 15th pretty much all FE eligible deposits had been placed. That's THOUSANDS, basically at, during and a week after Goodwood. I don't have any doubt they never dreamed that would happen. Considering their history, who would? From July 6 to the 15th is only 9 days. That's how long it took for the landslide to happen. That's pretty amazing actually, considering how little information was available at the time.

As far as selling to the U.K., customers there have to buy directly from Lotus; they ARE the dealer, so of course they're taking orders at full throttle. All the money is coming in directly with no middle-man, so I don't have a problem with that. It's good business sense. Selling to North America is selling wholesale to dealers; it's not quite the same dynamic. It's still important, but there's a delay in getting paid, and they make less on each car.

Allocations were based on spreading out one year's production run, around the entire world. The demand has far exceeded supply, and it looks like that will continue for a few years at least. We have no idea what's going to happen once the reviews start hitting the web. The Chris Harris review alone is probably going to pull a million views, and what's that going to do to demand? Even if only 1% of the viewers decide they want one, that's another 10,000 orders.

Lotus has a smash hit on their hands, that's all there is to it. Great for them, frustrating for production, and even more frustrating for those who want one, because you're not going to be able to get one quickly. Just the way it is right now.

 

[TomE]

It was already apparent on Thu 8 July 2021, the first day of Goodwood, that they'd seriously underestimated demand. I was there that day and spoke to senior Lotus folks late in the afternoon. Even then, two days after the reveal, they were saying it was five times the demand they'd expected. They were already talking about having to ramp up the second shift and look again at country allocations. Two days later I heard they'd provisionally boosted the UK 2022 allocation by over 30%.

I don't understand how they've prioritised numbers per country per month, but it does seem like the US is a much more mixed outcome than UK and other countries. It looks to be hugely unfair some people with July deposits at one dealer aren't getting a 2022 build but others at another dealer with much later deposits are getting one. We've been through the reasons for this and the apparent limited Lotus control over it. From the outside it certainly looks unfair and divisive.

My hope is the reviews are so positive that orders ramp up to a level where Lotus have enough confidence to commit to the third shift.

 

[~el~jefe~]

A third shift would solve much yes. Better for the company in every way. More out is less pissed off early depositors. At this point, everyone is still early as they have not made a car yet