USA/Canada Delivery Thread

Motor Cars of Atlanta. I will say that this is still the same story I was told when I confirmed my spec for the i4 in August 23. December build with a first quarter 24 delivery.
It's very unlikely that any US Spec I4s are going to be on their way to the US until the FE 1.0 and FE 2.0 cars have been delivered first.

I could be wrong, because getting I4s to the US ASAP may be important to passing CARB certification. If that's the case, the V6 buyers would be very thankful to the I4 buyers.
 
It's very unlikely that any US Spec I4s are going to be on their way to the US until the FE 1.0 and FE 2.0 cars have been delivered first.

I could be wrong, because getting I4s to the US ASAP may be important to passing CARB certification. If that's the case, the V6 buyers would be very thankful to the I4 buyers.

It's 2 different production line. Factory is currently producing I4 for the Chinese market and will start producing U.S. I4 in Jan. There might be a slight delay as they address some of the complaints from the press tour (DCT shift out of sync with the instrument panel RPM display and some random downshift delay) but my sales contact was at the factory a month ago and he still expect their I4 demo in Mar/Apr.
 
I remember seeing some dealers with available FE I4 slots for the taking back in the September time frame. It's conceivable that Lotus has I4 production slots planned for the US once the FE 1.0 and 2.0 production is completed, which makes sense for March time frame.
Wrong years though. A year gap between build and delivery?
 
No, only 14 states follow CARB standards. My salesman heard that it's possible Lotus will begin deliveries to non-CARB states first, if signoff doesn't happen by the time the first cars arrive. He expects that all the cars will be imported at Baltimore.
Sales person is doing anything possible to keep an order alive.

There won't be a hodgepodge of emission cert vehicles driving around waiting for a recall for a sticker.

Largest market is California, all cars will be CARB cert before being delivered to a customer.

New Lotus is not gasping for cash like Evora 400 days, they won't risk a strange emissions cert strategy, they have proven that delays don't matter, so they will delay.
 
I can’t find the thread about “What’s your car in the meantime” but I’m going to pull the trigger on an i8…..just for now. Older, half the price of the Emira but good enough to trade in. Anyone own one with advice on what to look for? I know the A/C is crap and costs $2k. I’m thinking it’ll be a fun ride until my base spec comes in, if ever. My gut says 18 months minimum. I’m a summer 2022 depositor.
 
I can’t find the thread about “What’s your car in the meantime” but I’m going to pull the trigger on an i8…..just for now. Older, half the price of the Emira but good enough to trade in. Anyone own one with advice on what to look for? I know the A/C is crap and costs $2k. I’m thinking it’ll be a fun ride until my base spec comes in, if ever. My gut says 18 months minimum. I’m a summer 2022 depositor.

I wanted an early i8 a few years ago as they are great looking cars. Then I looked into ownership issues and read up on them. I quickly turned away. Maybe those were the early ones only.
 
From Gator:

"I assume you've heard the news circulating about Emira arrivals from various sources and online forums/social groups... Some of what's been reported is hearsay or conflicting information and has yet to be confirmed by Lotus Cars. I've been following the reports and contacted our reps at LC USA to receive the latest information. This is everything that's been shared with me thus far:
  • North American units did start production in September but are not in transit yet.
  • We are still on schedule for deliveries to dealers to begin in December, and the first VINs/units to be expected will be shared soon.
  • Dealer demos will likely be included in the first shipment of cars.
  • The Emira has received EPA approval, but Lotus still awaits CARB certification.

I am actively working to find out more, especially regarding particular units, their arrival dates, and further certification status updates. Please note that regardless of when cars arrive at port in the United States, they will not be released to any dealers until they receive 50-state certifications— Lotus Cars can receive hefty fines if a vehicle is sold to a customer in a market that has not approved the vehicle.

I apologize if I am/was unable to send you notification of your Emira entering production. This is exciting news that I greatly wanted to share with you. The first update LC USA and dealers will receive about particular units is once the car is complete and being shipped overseas. I promise I will provide your order update to you the moment it is received."
 

I wanted an early i8 a few years ago as they are great looking cars. Then I looked into ownership issues and read up on them. I quickly turned away. Maybe those were the early ones only.

From Gator:

"I assume you've heard the news circulating about Emira arrivals from various sources and online forums/social groups... Some of what's been reported is hearsay or conflicting information and has yet to be confirmed by Lotus Cars. I've been following the reports and contacted our reps at LC USA to receive the latest information. This is everything that's been shared with me thus far:
  • North American units did start production in September but are not in transit yet.
  • We are still on schedule for deliveries to dealers to begin in December, and the first VINs/units to be expected will be shared soon.
  • Dealer demos will likely be included in the first shipment of cars.
  • The Emira has received EPA approval, but Lotus still awaits CARB certification.

I am actively working to find out more, especially regarding particular units, their arrival dates, and further certification status updates. Please note that regardless of when cars arrive at port in the United States, they will not be released to any dealers until they receive 50-state certifications— Lotus Cars can receive hefty fines if a vehicle is sold to a customer in a market that has not approved the vehicle.

I apologize if I am/was unable to send you notification of your Emira entering production. This is exciting news that I greatly wanted to share with you. The first update LC USA and dealers will receive about particular units is once the car is complete and being shipped overseas. I promise I will provide your order update to you the moment it is received."
I mean it’s Lotus’s on schedule so if they get them done someday it’s technically on schedule for them.
 
I feel like some of those numbers don't add up.

Why? US FE I4 first production is Jan 24 but allocation for that batch was already filled when I placed my deposit but my dealer have 16 Mar 24 I4 production allocation left and I turned in my Config on Oct 14 as seen here:

IMG_5112.jpg


P.S. The email exchange on deposit was for the "Final Edition" V6 manual not the I4.
 
Last edited:
From Gator:

"I assume you've heard the news circulating about Emira arrivals from various sources and online forums/social groups... Some of what's been reported is hearsay or conflicting information and has yet to be confirmed by Lotus Cars. I've been following the reports and contacted our reps at LC USA to receive the latest information. This is everything that's been shared with me thus far:
  • North American units did start production in September but are not in transit yet.
  • We are still on schedule for deliveries to dealers to begin in December, and the first VINs/units to be expected will be shared soon.
  • Dealer demos will likely be included in the first shipment of cars.
  • The Emira has received EPA approval, but Lotus still awaits CARB certification.

I am actively working to find out more, especially regarding particular units, their arrival dates, and further certification status updates. Please note that regardless of when cars arrive at port in the United States, they will not be released to any dealers until they receive 50-state certifications— Lotus Cars can receive hefty fines if a vehicle is sold to a customer in a market that has not approved the vehicle.

I apologize if I am/was unable to send you notification of your Emira entering production. This is exciting news that I greatly wanted to share with you. The first update LC USA and dealers will receive about particular units is once the car is complete and being shipped overseas. I promise I will provide your order update to you the moment it is received."
We should all really learn to not trust anything until Gator confirms it.

Cars being built. Confirmed.
Cars being shipped. False, but "soon".
EPA Certification. Confirmed.
Non-CARB states getting cars before CARB approval. False.

Not the worst of updates.
 
Just in from my dealer per my inquiry about Emira status.

"I’m happy to confirm that the first cars are already at the port we should see the first ones and our demo by mid December."

Hope springs eternal!
Can you send any proof of this? Called lotus of Naples/naples motors sports. they still cannot confirm this information to be true. Everyone says a lot on the forums, but no one sends a single screen shot. I don't get it.
 
From Gator:

"I assume you've heard the news circulating about Emira arrivals from various sources and online forums/social groups... Some of what's been reported is hearsay or conflicting information and has yet to be confirmed by Lotus Cars. I've been following the reports and contacted our reps at LC USA to receive the latest information. This is everything that's been shared with me thus far:
  • North American units did start production in September but are not in transit yet.
  • We are still on schedule for deliveries to dealers to begin in December, and the first VINs/units to be expected will be shared soon.
  • Dealer demos will likely be included in the first shipment of cars.
  • The Emira has received EPA approval, but Lotus still awaits CARB certification.

I am actively working to find out more, especially regarding particular units, their arrival dates, and further certification status updates. Please note that regardless of when cars arrive at port in the United States, they will not be released to any dealers until they receive 50-state certifications— Lotus Cars can receive hefty fines if a vehicle is sold to a customer in a market that has not approved the vehicle.

I apologize if I am/was unable to send you notification of your Emira entering production. This is exciting news that I greatly wanted to share with you. The first update LC USA and dealers will receive about particular units is once the car is complete and being shipped overseas. I promise I will provide your order update to you the moment it is received."
My SA said that he has heard the same, but is trying to confirm with his Lotus rep before sending out a note.
 
Looks keeping everything under the vest for sure. Not a good look Lotus.
 
Gator's information is as good as any other dealership IMO. There is not too much conflicting information except whether this in in transit or not. In transit is a definition that can be comprehended very differently. Toyota defines in transit only when the car leave a US port and on the way to its dealership. While Porsche defines in transit as soon as it left the factory. Some may think once Emira left Hethel, it started its journey and be "in transit" even when it is sitting at the port of South Hampton. Some may argue the car only will be in transit when it is being moved by a RoRo cargo ship or by trucks.
At any rate, it is more likely than not that we can see dealer demos and first batch of Emira on US soil by the end of year.
 

Create an account or login to comment

Join now to leave a comment enjoy browsing the site ad-free!

Create account

Create an account on our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Back
Top