USA/Canada Delivery Thread

[Sjetware]

Just waiting on the carb cert... The emotional roller coaster of will they or won't they is killing me now!

 

[2Lotus]

So I just got back from the Eletre test drive and was able to speak with the GM of Lotus Philly.
Regarding Emiras he said:
1- No cars for carb states have been shipped yet. They have received a vin for their demo car. But it also has not shipped. They have not received any other vin numbers.
2-The physical portion of carb testing is complete but the bureaucracy part has not. Basically waiting for paperwork to go through. When that will be is anyone's guess.

We he said No CARB state cars have been shipped does that mean none shipped on boat's or trucked to dealerships?

 

[Nova]

I'm hoping for another batch of CARB EOs to be released towards the end of next week. The logical choice is 1/13/2024.

 

[Nova]

We he said No CARB state cars have been shipped does that mean none shipped on boat's or trucked to dealerships?

I had been running the calculations in my mind and the answer is a solid "I don't know". If we assume that the 83% manual figure applied to both US and Canada, eh, then the 501 cars received to date would translate back to about 603 cars total. This is lower than the initial 700 FE 1.0 cars total for both countries but higher than the 500 units of US allocation for FE 1.0. Add in the fact that we know there are *some* FE 2.0 cars. in this 501 units, then the possibility can go both ways: 1) The cars shipped to the US so far are only for US FE 1.0 and FE 2.0 orders; 2) The cars shipped to the US so far are for both US and Canada FE 1.0 and FE 2.0 orders and *there are more cars on the ocean*.

Now, based on the last official communication, "500" cars were being shipped to the US in multiple batches, and we are now at this number. Maybe they are shipping more than 500 but only 500 of those cars were relevant to US dealers - maybe there were other additional units of cars shipped intended for Canadian customers. It's worrisome that Canadian dealers don't know anything about such cars. I guess we'll continue to monitor for arriving ships and whatnot.

 

[Nova]

Also worth noting about this Austin Texas dealer, is that the cars are actually not at the new car lot. They are at their separate pre-owned lot. (Previously Audi lot)
I asked my salesman about the cars getting batteries topped off and he wasn't sure since they're over at this other lot. He said he would ask about someone starting and letting them idle for a bit in the future.

This is the type of stunt I would hope to avoid with dealers having brainless ideas like this.

Also, auto theft is up so I don't know about the wisdom of having 100K cars just sitting there idling on a lot.

 

[Porter]

This is the type of stunt I would hope to avoid with dealers having brainless ideas like this.

Also, auto theft is up so I don't know about the wisdom of having 100K cars just sitting there idling on a lot.

Talked to my dealer yesterday, Flow in Winston-Salem. They are keeping their arriving cars in an indoor storage facility that's heated. And on trickle chargers.

I was super pleased to hear this.

 

[Porter]

Also worth noting about this Austin Texas dealer, is that the cars are actually not at the new car lot. They are at their separate pre-owned lot. (Previously Audi lot)
I asked my salesman about the cars getting batteries topped off and he wasn't sure since they're over at this other lot. He said he would ask about someone starting and letting them idle for a bit in the future.

You should hope and pray that your sales guy just doesn't know, and made something up. Because that's bad.

 

[Nova]

6 additional units came in to the US on Saturday, but to Newark, NJ, not to Baltimore. It's also a type of bill of lading I haven't seen previously on these, an "In-bond" type.

View attachment 35187

The consignee for these is Lotus themselves, not the Lotus Cars USA subsidiary.

[edit] I looked up the automated In-Bond status and that indicates that the cargo is intended to be taken through the US on the way to another country, and not actually imported TO the US. Previously cargo that was carried forward on the same ship was billed slightly differently, so I suspect something is different about these. As far as I can tell, either they are bound for Canada over land transport, or they are being loaded onto a different ship in Newark and taken elsewhere.

All the details you could ever want about In-Bond import processing can be found here.

Here's what the cargo description says:

NEW UNPACKED VEHICLE S LOTUS EMIRA FIRST EDITION V6 LHD MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE, FUEL CELL, FLAMMABLE LIQUID POWERED COMMODITY CODE 8703.24.01.50 PERMANENT EXPORT CARS LOADED ON VESSEL IN ERROR STAYING ON BOARD VESSEL FOR RETURN TO THE UK

These seem to decode just fine using the NHTSA decoder.

 

[Nova]

Talked to my dealer yesterday, Flow in Winston-Salem. They are keeping their arriving cars in an indoor storage facility that's heated. And on trickle chargers.

I was super pleased to hear this.

You have chosen...

...wisely.

 

[bif]

Here's what the cargo description says:

NEW UNPACKED VEHICLE S LOTUS EMIRA FIRST EDITION V6 LHD MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE, FUEL CELL, FLAMMABLE LIQUID POWERED COMMODITY CODE 8703.24.01.50 PERMANENT EXPORT CARS LOADED ON VESSEL IN ERROR STAYING ON BOARD VESSEL FOR RETURN TO THE UK

These seem to decode just fine using the NHTSA decoder.

Lotus gonna Lotus....or maybe something really bad...

 

[scarzie]

Took a trip down to Austin today and stopped in to see my Atlantis car for the first time. I am very happy with how it looks. Didn't see any issues thankfully. Has the Lotus battery tender in the trunk.
All the others looked good as well. No bird droppings or anything. These cars really look amazing.

Did you see how the tender hooks up in the trunk? Is there a permanent hard wire?

 

[Stiffarm]

source?

Gavin Newsome is the source

 

[Arkham]

This is the type of stunt I would hope to avoid with dealers having brainless ideas like this.

Also, auto theft is up so I don't know about the wisdom of having 100K cars just sitting there idling on a lot.

Good thing these have the new anti-theft devices.... manual transmissions

 

[LuckysDad]

We he said No CARB state cars have been shipped does that mean none shipped on boat's or trucked to dealerships?

Not shipped from UK.

 

[CHEESE]

Here's what the cargo description says:

NEW UNPACKED VEHICLE S LOTUS EMIRA FIRST EDITION V6 LHD MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE, FUEL CELL, FLAMMABLE LIQUID POWERED COMMODITY CODE 8703.24.01.50 PERMANENT EXPORT CARS LOADED ON VESSEL IN ERROR STAYING ON BOARD VESSEL FOR RETURN TO THE UK

These seem to decode just fine using the NHTSA decoder.

 

[Lotustoronto]

I had been running the calculations in my mind and the answer is a solid "I don't know". If we assume that the 83% manual figure applied to both US and Canada, eh, then the 501 cars received to date would translate back to about 603 cars total. This is lower than the initial 700 FE 1.0 cars total for both countries but higher than the 500 units of US allocation for FE 1.0. Add in the fact that we know there are *some* FE 2.0 cars. in this 501 units, then the possibility can go both ways: 1) The cars shipped to the US so far are only for US FE 1.0 and FE 2.0 orders; 2) The cars shipped to the US so far are for both US and Canada FE 1.0 and FE 2.0 orders and *there are more cars on the ocean*.

Now, based on the last official communication, "500" cars were being shipped to the US in multiple batches, and we are now at this number. Maybe they are shipping more than 500 but only 500 of those cars were relevant to US dealers - maybe there were other additional units of cars shipped intended for Canadian customers. It's worrisome that Canadian dealers don't know anything about such cars. I guess we'll continue to monitor for arriving ships and whatnot.

So, did some digging into Canadian Emissions and it seems that cars which are approved for sale in US under EPA/CARB can be immediately shipped into Canada for sale as well. If I read correctly, it seems Canada is basically treated as a CARB state, I am sure there is additional paperwork when actually shipping them across the border, but in terms of selling it should be fine with US approvals. @eriegz

 

[Newguy1354]

Did you see how the tender hooks up in the trunk? Is there a permanent hard wire?

I did not see a special connector but I only glanced in.
As for the idling, he was just trying to give me any response that might sound good. I just asked to see what he would say. That place has several $200k+ cars sitting outside. No one is tending to any batteries or starting cars. But this is not uncommon for cars to sit at dealers. I'm not concerned about it.

 

[MIGZ]

While I understand 100K is a lot of money respectively to where the car market is going its really a small premium. Many of the dealer that sell Lotus also sell other premium brands for cars that live outside until sold. My local dealer is a Benz/Aston/Lotus.

All I'm saying is and Emira is a great looking car for 100K, but realty is 100K are pretty common these days.

Most of the big soccer mom SUVs are 100k, premium trim pick up trucks are 100K. Short of just a few every car manufactures has 100K plus cars.

If a dealer has to take additional special precaution with Lotus is just add to the cost and PIA.

 

[Arkham]

While I understand 100K is a lot of money respectively to where the car market is going its really a small premium. Many of the dealer that sell Lotus also sell other premium brands for cars that live outside until sold. My local dealer is a Benz/Aston/Lotus.

All I'm saying is and Emira is a great looking car for 100K, but realty is 100K are pretty common these days.

Most of the big soccer mom SUVs are 100k, premium trim pick up trucks are 100K. Short of just a few every car manufactures has 100K plus cars.

If a dealer has to take additional special precaution with Lotus is just add to the cost and PIA.

Agree, going all out for a <$100k (FE 1.0) car should have tempered expectations. However, the expecations should be really low, it's jsut the CARB approval that is making it horrible. If I custom ordered a $50k KIA I would expect to go pick it up as soon as it arrived and was prepped and not having it sit around and there's no reason for them to do anything special. With Lotus, I expect the same, but since that's not the case, I kind of expect some additional measures since I can't just go pick up a custom ordered car. Things like proper storage and all that fun stuff.

 

[MIGZ]

Agree, going all out for a <$100k (FE 1.0) car should have tempered expectations. However, the expecations should be really low, it's jsut the CARB approval that is making it horrible. If I custom ordered a $50k KIA I would expect to go pick it up as soon as it arrived and was prepped and not having it sit around and there's no reason for them to do anything special. With Lotus, I expect the same, but since that's not the case, I kind of expect some additional measures since I can't just go pick up a custom ordered car. Things like proper storage and all that fun stuff.

I don’t disagree with you but from a business revenue side many of us are already on the hook , car will sell once released. If you do reject the car they sell it to the next guy.

Dealers are focused on moving inventory they can sell that’s whats going to get the best treatment attention.

Honestly why would they choose to PDI now without a date of when they can sell and risk having to do it over again. They just wait until green light then PDI , if it got cat scratches / water spots while it waited deal with it then.

It’s sucks for us because having waited this long of we are subconsciously expecting perfection. It’s our baby ….

To a dealer it’s just another car