Factory Tour - Production watch!

[TomE]

They're all delayed 6-8 weeks due to parts supply issues. UK dealer demo cars aren't now due until August. First customer cars in late Aug/early Sept.

They're trying to part-build where they can, so there are likely to be sub-assemblies and partial cars going through the production hall and stored around the site.

 

[Yachtie]

They're all delayed 6-8 weeks due to parts supply issues. UK dealer demo cars aren't now due until August. First customer cars in late Aug/early Sept.

They're trying to part-build where they can, so there are likely to be sub-assemblies and partial cars going through the production hall and stored around the site.

I presume this delay is based on the parts still to come in so could be extended if they don't!!

 

[TomE]

I think that's still a possibility. Also, it's not just one big container full of the missing parts for 6 months of 2022 production. In most cases Lotus will be expecting a steady flow of deliveries every 1/2/3 months, depending on the batching with that supplier. Hopefully unblocking the supply for Month 1 and 2 also unblocks the flow for Month 3 onwards, but there's still uncertainty in supply chains.

In some cases the parts have been made but the transport from Asia has been the issue. Once those containers are loaded on a ship the timing becomes more predictable (barring mid-journey fires - how often do they happen?!). In other cases the parts are coming from UK and Europe but the suppliers have been waiting for sub-suppliers or raw materials. Lots of different circumstances and different suppliers. Hence the efforts from Lotus procurement teams to understand where the delays are and get visibility of the early signs things are getting resolved at each supplier, rather than just taking things at face value and waiting for parts to show up.

 

[TXEMIRA]

I think that's still a possibility. Also, it's not just one big container full of the missing parts for 6 months of 2022 production. In most cases Lotus will be expecting a steady flow of deliveries every 1/2/3 months, depending on the batching with that supplier. Hopefully unblocking the supply for Month 1 and 2 also unblocks the flow for Month 3 onwards, but there's still uncertainty in supply chains.

In some cases the parts have been made but the transport from Asia has been the issue. Once those containers are loaded on a ship the timing becomes more predictable (barring mid-journey fires - how often do they happen?!). In other cases the parts are coming from UK and Europe but the suppliers have been waiting for sub-suppliers or raw materials. Lots of different circumstances and different suppliers. Hence the efforts from Lotus procurement teams to understand where the delays are and get visibility of the early signs things are getting resolved at each supplier, rather than just taking things at face value and waiting for parts to show up.

Lotus has enough travel planned to start packing parts in their bespoke luggage.

Plus they could use the space in the Emira, even the cup holders, to show just how many car parts can be transported.

“Yeah. You can get 17 steering wheels in the boot, a full set of rims behind the seats, and a couple of cup holders in each cup holder.”

#ForTheSolutions

In all seriousness, this all just makes for getting the vehicle even more exciting! Delays create desire.

 

[EspritGuy]

Lotus has enough travel planned to start packing parts in their bespoke luggage.

Plus they could use the space in the Emira, even the cup holders, to show just how many car parts can be transported.

“Yeah. You can get 17 steering wheels in the boot, a full set of rims behind the seats, and a couple of cup holders in each cup holder.”

#ForTheSolutions

In all seriousness, this all just makes for getting the vehicle even more exciting! Delays create desire.

On the topic of delay:
Withdrawal symptoms.... in both meanings of the term.

 

[vdr]

Let's just hope Lotus does not do what Land Rover and Porsche are doing. Reserving the right to deliver cars with missing features in order to keep production moving. There have been several Land Rovers missing features (standard and optional)... and Porsche for its 2023.5 model year have disclosed they will start doing the same. Imagine waiting all this time for our Emira's and Lotus changes our specs to get you out of the way! 🤞🏼 This doesn't happen.

Porsche has been doing this since mid-21. My Taycan was delivered with 3 open campaigns that reflected missing options to be retrofitted “at a later date”. It’s been over six months, post-delivery, and I’m still waiting for parts. Meanwhile I personally know a half dozen people with the same model, produced after mine, missing little to nothing in the way of their respective builds.

With Porsche, at least, delivered cars seem to have much less priority.

 

[TomE]

Let's just hope Lotus does not do what Land Rover and Porsche are doing. Reserving the right to deliver cars with missing features in order to keep production moving. There have been several Land Rovers missing features (standard and optional)... and Porsche for its 2023.5 model year have disclosed they will start doing the same. Imagine waiting all this time for our Emira's and Lotus changes our specs to get you out of the way! 🤞🏼 This doesn't happen.

The UK deposit T&Cs allow Lotus to do this, as well as change the price and delivery date and build sequence.

Many final edition Elises were delivered with hard tops because the soft top supplier had shut down temporarily due Covid. These were offered by Lotus free of charge, to get the cars delivered and paid for, to the annoyance of other people who had ordered the optional hard top and still had to pay for it.

 

[Leonard]

, to the annoyance of other people who had ordered the optional hard top and still had to pay for it.

Wow. Glad to hear the lack of empathy towards their customer base isn't a new thing!

 

[Johnson]

They're all delayed 6-8 weeks due to parts supply issues. UK dealer demo cars aren't now due until August. First customer cars in late Aug/early Sept.

They're trying to part-build where they can, so there are likely to be sub-assemblies and partial cars going through the production hall and stored around the site.

Any new factory photos? Or updates on customer car timelines?

If UK customer cars arrive September, can we assume a two month production run to fill FE orders? Then international RHD vehicle orders begin around November, with cars on the boat to Oz around mid-Dec. First customer deliveries to Australia in January?

Completely speculative of course…

 

[Leonard]

Any new factory photos? Or updates on customer car timelines?

If UK customer cars arrive September, can we assume a two month production run to fill FE orders? Then international RHD vehicle orders begin around November, with cars on the boat to Oz around mid-Dec. First customer deliveries to Australia in January?

Completely speculative of course…

I'd have thought shipping 🚢 times to Oz would be an easy 9 weeks at moment 😬

 

[TomE]

Any new factory photos? Or updates on customer car timelines?

If UK customer cars arrive September, can we assume a two month production run to fill FE orders? Then international RHD vehicle orders begin around November, with cars on the boat to Oz around mid-Dec. First customer deliveries to Australia in January?

Completely speculative of course…

No photos. Customers have been able to contact Customer Care at/since Goodwood to get an update on individual timeframes if they were in the first 4 delivery months. They're emailing those people this week. Delays are 1-2 months for pre-Goodwood 2021 deposits, 2-3 months for at/after Goodwood.

I'd thought the first AU cars were previously June+July build and Sept delivery, so could now be Aug-Oct build and Oct-Dec delivery.

 

[Nick in Sydney]

I'd thought the first AU cars were previously June+July build and Sept delivery, so could now be Aug-Oct build and Oct-Dec delivery.

Australia was going to get two "batches" of FE cars in calendar 2022, a smaller one in Aug/
Sept and a larger batch in around Oct/Nov. My guess is that they will each slip a quarter . . . so perhaps 30 cars in Q4 and then the remaining FE cars in Q1 and Q2 of 2023.

 

[frazzer]

btw. many of these supply chain, shipping and inflationary issues have been artificially created by the shipping industry for profit, they are now not structural issues for the most part. This is the dirty secret that most of the media are not talking about.

Shipping Companies Had a $150 Billion Year. Economists Warn They’re Also Stoking Inflation

“They exploit our desperation”: Small businesses and consumers are paying for sky-high freight costs as cargo giants mint profits.

www.bloomberg.com

I know a trader who ships large volumes of commodities (real ones not fake futures) around the world, mostly food and paper, he told me recently some shipping companies are deliberately taking ships out of service to drive prices up, in fact he told me far worse, but I'll leave it out for fear of sounding conspiratorial.

 

[JXJ]

Spoke with Lotus CS this morning, my October delivery now December, taking delivery mid winter not great! Apparently more information coming from factory this week, I think l’ve heaed that one before 😒

 

[Eagle7]

Spoke with Lotus CS this morning, my October delivery now December, taking delivery mid winter not great! Apparently more information coming from factory this week, I think l’ve heaed that one before 😒

If that's the case for you guys in the U.K., then we're probably not going to see anything in the U.S. until March or April.

 

[DerTheDer]

If that's the case for you guys in the U.K., then we're probably not going to see anything in the U.S. until March or April.

If thats the case I would like the option to pull my deposit! So far I have no information from Lotus and scheduled for a November Delivery.

 

[TXEMIRA]

If that's the case for you guys in the U.K., then we're probably not going to see anything in the U.S. until March or April.

Right. So “Spring” will have been accurate.

 

[VL3X]

If thats the case I would like the option to pull my deposit! So far I have no information from Lotus and scheduled for a November Delivery.

Same situation here. I would like the option.. At least so we can see base spec pricing and the additional colors.

 

[New to Lotus]

Correct spring was always correct, nobody clarified which year!!!!

 

[CoryC]

Looking forward to my factory tour today... will share any new info not previously mentioned!