Emira Production Line Photos

[Bibs]

Am I really allowed to take my camera in there? Sure! 

Surprised as I was, as a member of the media gang on yesterday's launch of the Evija Fittipaldi the hugely knowledgeable @Guy Munday gave us a very comprehensive tour of the production line. The biggest takeaway, having been visiting the factory for almost 20 years now is the huge, and I mean huge investment not only in technology but more importantly, quality. Production is now focussed on efficiency due to the volume increases but also on ensuring cars on the line are built as they are intended with a 'no faults forward' policy and machinery such as the optical scanners which, sat on a 3 ton granite block for consistent integrity, take hundreds of measurements of each car to ensure it's been assembled as it should be to the hundredth of a mm before moving on. With more efficient sub-assembly now completed in the old Elise/Exige & Evora factory, components such as the front and rear subframes are assembled and completed before being attached to the chassis on the production line. It's a very impressive move on from the more manual processes of the prior cars but with that said, while there are many machines to help with more precise tasks and heavy lifting, the process is still very much a manual one with each task getting 17 minutes to be completed before the automated AGV's move the car on to the next stage in the process.  

 

[exeterjeep]

Good to see an actual load of cars in production now.

[simonb]

verdant seems popular

[philcool]

Love it they haven't thrown away thoes trolly Jack's 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Great to see everything up and running. Shouldn’t be long now depositors.

[Bibs]

The badges are one of the last things added to each car. This is because it's easier to go through the paint inspection and correction processes without badges. Who knew! 

[jep]

Fab snaps. I didn't even ask if I could take photos.....so I didn't! I wasn't media though 🙂

It certainly has changed from when I toured the Elise production line in 2000 to see the 340R being built. 

I'm still unsure why I was allowed to attend yesterday - a fluke connection outside of my normal (very small) Lotus circles....but I'll take it. A very special day for this Lotus fanboy. 

Justin

 

 

[PJS]

Amazing pics thank you . Any observations on LHD v RHD split? And all the DV with yellow calipers no other colour ? 

[JB]

Looking good in the factory. 

We are hoping that we will have a demo by the time the Eletre roadshow is with us end of October. Only dealer to have the Eletre on a Saturday!!!! 😉

[Evotion]

great pics bibs. 

When @TomEand I were there it look pretty busy and one does wonder where all these cars have gotten to.

From those shots one would believe we are all looking okay but I got contradictory timing messaging in the space of 6 hours.

Have to agree on the quality and attention to detail. This was something that definitely warmed Tom's and my heart. Alas, that was 9 months ago and we seem not much nearer deliveries.

[Bibs]

4 minutes ago, Evotion said:

Alas, that was 9 months ago and we seem not much nearer deliveries.

People in the EU have had their cars delivered, some UK deliveries are very much imminent. Like, really imminent.

[Abgreenbank]

So I see the numbers 371 372 and 373 on some components in a photo, I also gather Harry’s build is 333, so they must be nearing a total of 400 cars built?………soon

[Bibs]

Those are the fuel tanks.

[TomE]

1 hour ago, Bibs said:

People in the EU have had their cars delivered, some UK deliveries are very much imminent. Like, really imminent.

I really really hope so.

We have been promised things so many times and then the story has changed.  It's now six times that my delivery date has been deferred, each time only 4-6 weeks before the delivery date I'd been given.  The last two times I was told Lotus were "confident" in the dates and that they would not move again.  So please forgive my scepticism when we are told yet again "soon".  We also still have the unexplained re-shuffling of the build sequence that pushed me and many other pre-reveal depositors to be 2-3 months further down the queue than people who placed post-reveal deposits.  And the delivery last month to EU customers who placed deposits 4 months after the reveal.

As you know, I keep an eye on a lot of Emira news.  I've seen about 10 customer cars delivered in Europe, of which only 3-4 have been driven away by customers - the rest are awaiting fixes of PDI issues and paperwork to enable them to be registered.  In the UK, I know 7 people who have completed the final checkout process, some over a month ago, and none have been contacted about a delivery date.  Dealer demo cars were promised for 14 Oct and are now back to being "soon".

[Mctaff]

lovely to see all those photos... the hethel yellow is making me reconsider my choice of DV, although DV also looks good.

worrying thought that I can't seem to spot a single RHD car in the 30 or so in the photos - I think that tells me a lot about when we're getting our cars!

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Look closer:

[ramjet]

Saw this photo and thought the guy had some sort of odd bandage on his head. Lol

 

12 hours ago, philcool said:

Love it they haven't thrown away thoes trolly Jack's 

It's very handy to have a trolley jack that goes on the ceiling.  

[Murdock]

18 hours ago, simonb said:

verdant seems popular

Asia market does love Jade Green

[Rambo]

Looks like quite a few of those cars are destined for China?

Remind me again, what nationality is Geely? 🤔

 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Rambo

[Mctaff]

12 hours ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

Look closer:

 

ahh, well spotted! the RHD car is the one whose bonnet doesn't fit properly top right - I'm loving this new production process that makes panels with laser sharp tolerances.... 

 

 

[Bibs]

That's the initial fluid fill station so the bonnet is probably unhitched in order to fill up the brake/clutch fluids.

This is a production line, not a showroom. 

[ramjet]

Yup. Since the car is still on the production line, the bonnet could be ajar for any number of reasons. Confusing comment @Mctaff

[Mctaff]

Oh… I thought the front didn’t open?

if it does, fair enough, it’s probably slightly open…

 

[exeterjeep]

Previously seen a pic of a white pre production car with the 'bonnet' approaching vertical.  It appears that you need to remove a few clips/screws/bolts to gain access..

[Mctaff]

yeah I guess they've got to get whatever gubbins lives under there in and then the bonnet in place somehow, even if its off limits to me on a day to day basis