Any more phone calls?

[fatjase]

Deposit on 12th July. No 3rd call yet

Same here,.

 

[Dingo]

They have called UK V6 FE people with deposits up to mid 11 July about delivery slots from June to September. Calls to people from 11 July afternoon onwards and for i4 FE/Base Edition next steps are supposed to start "in March".

Agreed - I am 11am 11th July deposit and spoke to customer service on Monday as I’m still waiting for my third call and delivery month. Same response ie they are waiting for the factory to allocate them the next batch of cars but I was told I am close to the top now…hopefully soon!

 

[thenextchapter]

I hope this does not come true..... my money will be going else where

I tend to agree

 

[torstin]

The Drive release is PR BS. It's the bare minimum required for a direct channel - a means of choosing your config, placing your order and selecting finance and trade in options. They've got it live a week before the press reviews start, so the timing is pretty obvious, but the majority of it was already there for existing deposit holders.

There are still no updates to the website for specifications, timings, process, FAQs etc. Nor any new content such as links to the Gavan videos and so on. Apart from the updated configurator it's unchanged from when pricing was announced last September.

On the plus side, I expect a big influx of new forum members next week as press reviews come out, with people looking for more information!

And they’ll soon learn not to look that information from lotus

 

[Tonyshepp]

The Drive release is PR BS. It's the bare minimum required for a direct channel - a means of choosing your config, placing your order and selecting finance and trade in options. They've got it live a week before the press reviews start, so the timing is pretty obvious, but the majority of it was already there for existing deposit holders.

There are still no updates to the website for specifications, timings, process, FAQs etc. Nor any new content such as links to the Gavan videos and so on. Apart from the updated configurator it's unchanged from when pricing was announced last September.

On the plus side, I expect a big influx of new forum members next week as press reviews come out, with people looking for more information!

You’ll be busy then Tom … 😕

 

[First Lotus]

There is rumour that late Jul deposit could get to 2023 delivery. I certainly hope that this isn't the case. I hope that Lotus can share more and be transparent in the near future.

Crikey... So us with a late November deposit are destined to have a very long wait 😭.
As much as I'd love to say, I'm going elsewhere...for me and my personal criteria, there isn't a replacement so I'll just sit tight and wait my turn!

 

[Tonyshepp]

Crikey... So us with a late November deposit are destined to have a very long wait 😭.
As much as I'd love to say, I'm going elsewhere...for me and my personal criteria, there isn't a replacement so I'll just sit tight and wait my turn!

I feel your pain when the glowing reviews are out!

 

[First Lotus]

I feel your pain when the glowing reviews are out!

I also hope we don't suffer a price rise before then.
I know it'll be somewhere but it's so long ago I read anything related...
But will all FE V6s be out before i4 FE's? As that would really delay i4s. And then base would be even later? 2024?

 

[First Lotus]

I guess a lot will depend on second shift. Im assuming all estimates and info (Albeit very limited!) are based on one shift

 

[andrew6382]

I guess a lot will depend on second shift. Im assuming all estimates and info (Albeit very limited!) are based on one shift

You know it was pointed out to me the other day... The last time lotus launched a car 2008, the world was in a mess and the stock market crashed, as good as the car was.... its lauch was shadowed by that....... sales tanked

Now we have the Emira..... and boy the world is in a mess..... interest rates going up, inflation at a 30 Year high, cost of living going up, gas, electric and fuel prices on the up. Not to mention Ukraine

They may have plenty of reservations on the books that can be refunded. The car may get a good, glowing review... but things might over take it.

People may find the cost has got past them,

Some may start to think again as a result of the poor way Lotus have dealt with early depositors, or even the time they are being asked to wait......

 

[Balboa]

You know it was pointed out to me the other day... The last time lotus launched a car 2008, the world was in a mess and the stock market crashed, as good as the car was.... its lauch was shadowed by that....... sales tanked

Now we have the Emira..... and boy the world is in a mess..... interest rates going up, inflation at a 30 Year high, cost of living going up, gas, electric and fuel prices on the up. Not to mention Ukraine

They may have plenty of reservations on the books that can be refunded. The car may get a good, glowing review... but things might over take it.

People may find the cost has got past them,

Some may start to think again as a result of the poor way Lotus have dealt with early depositors, or even the time they are being asked to wait......

Yes - The sky is falling so heed warning, step aside and move me up the FE list!

 

[bbpxbbpx]

Crikey... So us with a late November deposit are destined to have a very long wait 😭.
As much as I'd love to say, I'm going elsewhere...for me and my personal criteria, there isn't a replacement so I'll just sit tight and wait my turn!

I said that it was rumour because it was customer service responding to our email queries. It is only a guesstimate that the delivery will be 2023 considering where we are in the queue. I remember seeing a screenshot of such email not long ago on this forum.

But CS did caveat that the estimate is not from the factory, and the factory is busy planning and allocating the builds so it could change.

Hopefully it will be sooner and we will get our allocation by end of year as Tom estimated.

 

[JXJ]

Deposit 13th July no call yet!

 

[1500 GT]

Deposit 13th July no call yet!

Same for me, morning of 13th July and nothing yet. Seriously considering putting delivery off until March 23 if it isn’t going to be within the first couple of weeks of September.

 

[TXEMIRA]

Imagine all the calls Lotus would get if not for this outlet… I can’t imagine.

Attribution on exact dollars saved would be difficult to calculate but if we just agree philosophically that this forum has helped, then there merit to trying to show the value.

Think of all the help and “answers with conviction” that have occurred on here just since July… I bet thousands of calls have been avoided as a result. Incredible. Great forum!

 

[TomE]

Imagine all the calls Lotus would get if not for this outlet… I can’t imagine.

Attribution on exact dollars saved would be difficult to calculate but if we just agree philosophically that this forum has helped, then there merit to trying to show the value.

Think of all the help and “answers with conviction” that have occurred on here just since July… I bet thousands of calls have been avoided as a result. Incredible. Great forum!

I've previously had "thanks for your support" messages from Matt Windle and Scott Walker. I've said it would be great if Lotus published some of this info too. But even the promised note from Gav on suspension options hasn't appeared and so I did my write up on it to fill that gap.

 

[TomE]

I guess a lot will depend on second shift. Im assuming all estimates and info (Albeit very limited!) are based on one shift

I believe they're based on second shift starting in Jan 2023. But they are looking at whether that can be sooner (in Q4 2022). I'm assuming that's why they haven't contacted people yet about delivery months from Oct onwards.

 

[eclat2emira]

I've previously had "thanks for your support" messages from Matt Windle and Scott Walker. I've said it would be great if Lotus published some of this info too. But even the promised note from Gav on suspension options hasn't appeared and so I did my write up on it to fill that gap.

Yes, quite a debt of gratitude owed by Lotus to yourself and this forum as a whole Tom. I always try to make the most positive assumptions or deductions I can as to why things happen or don't happen - otherwise life gets too grumpy!

My gut feel about this is a general lack of bandwidth at Lotus - too much to do by too few people who are all running incredibly hard and doing more than one job, all following unprecedented demand.

If I was at Lotus I'd focus on the hot topics and quick wins in order to keep some kind of information flow going.

Rumours and half-truths love a vacuum....

 

[First Lotus]

And it's about to get a whole lot worse for Lotus in about 5 days when the reviews kick off!
Either way in fact...
Great reviews = more customers and more swamped.
Bad reviews = cancelled orders (maybe) and less money!

 

[TomE]

And then they'll launch the Type 132 on 29 March and it'll get even more busy on top of that.