The eiON's secret strategic plan began with the development of a fun vehicle (even without such an affordable initial price) and will become reality with the feasibility of Accessible (A), Adaptive (AA) and Autonomous (AAA) vehicles, providing an Alternative for a democratic energy Self-sufficiency, through the Self-Production of electricity from solar energy.
Here at eiON we have a very clear line-up for the future and we envision in the long term a growing interest in purely electric vehicles that are:
ADAPTIVES, which can use pre-existing structures (especially chassis and bodywork) during the transition to new technological standards that are yet to come or for conversion to new concepts and energy sources, because we believe that human mobility will require the optimization of vehicles hitherto produced;
ALTERNATIVES, manufactured based on production processes dominated by conventional service providers (cutting, bending and welding of steel and fiberglass lamination), which may be a reasonable alternative for peripheral, less industrialized countries;
ACCESSIBLE, because the vehicles of the future will be able to use production structures with investment already amortized and technologies of public and dominated knowledge, which have already reached the state of the art (three-phase induction electric motor, differential system, etc.);
SELF-PRODUCERS of electrical energy based on solar photovoltaic technology, which provides democratization of access to an energy resource that is available, to a greater or lesser extent, in absolutely all parts of the globe; after all, the wise have already taught us that the sun rises for everyone;
SELF-SUFFICIENT, equipped and integrated with energy capture, conversion and storage solutions, with the possibility of energy portability and free enjoyment, without dependence on other more complex systems;
AUTONOMOUS, because this form of mobility tends to be safer, free of human error, freeing people up for other activities of greater appeal and/or value, without the need to allocate exclusive time to operational activities such as driving, for example, and, mainly, eliminating the need for individual ownership of the vehicle (whose ownership will remain applicable only in case of eventual need for social status), leaving the vehicle publicly available for use only as an instrument for the realization of transport and mobility capacity.
As you know, eiON's initial product is a fun, simple electric vehicle that will soon be presented to the market in a new model, with a high-capacity powertrain and high storage capacity of energy (autonomy), called Buggy Power.
However, some readers may not be aware of the fact that our long-term strategic plan is to build a conceptual technology platform that makes it possible to offer a wide range of electric vehicle models, including model reuse, from Adaptive way (A), which will only require the use of commonly and easily found services, such as steel and fiberglass work, with Affordable prices (A) and shared use, with the use of fully Autonomous driving technology (A), as soon as it is considered fully secure and at an advanced stage of technological maturity (TRL).
All this because eiON's general purpose is to help accelerate the shift from a hydrocarbon economy, which encourages consumerist, extractive behavior without a renewable cycle, to a circular solar economy, with the promotion of behaviors that have based on solidarity and sharing, which we believe to be the main, but not exclusive, solution to the question of the sustainability of the human race on Planet Earth, a paradise that took more than 4 billion years to form, and, in an approach down to earth, no viability is seen on any Planet B.
Our strategy is based on the understand that technology is a key component to today's electric vehicle resurgence, but there must also be some art to its success.
There are authors who argue that most previous electric vehicles were designed by and for people who fundamentally did not find fun in the act of driving a vehicle. They were idealistic people, who thought it was better to walk, cycle or use public transportation (and that's good and right!). But based on this principle, some previous projects of electric vehicles understood the cars themselves as “a necessary evil” and not as a friendly instrument of mobility or even of pleasant activity, among other purposes, and, exactly there they made a mistake. The mentality that the vehicle was a necessary evil led to the manufacture of several unattractive "punishment electric vehicles", in our opinion.
In addition, requirements for obtaining government incentives that benefit the manufacture of more sustainable vehicles, among them that they are less polluting and much cheaper, among others, inevitably force automakers to make vehicles with a lower overall performance than desirable, and, mainly, with limited aesthetic appeal, without art.
Understanding this context and knowing the passion that most people have for vehicles, we are concerned with providing fun with high torque from electric motors, and, above all, with a balanced aesthetic, neither too chic nor too minimalist, in a combination of technology and art.
Fundamental for eiON's long-term strategic plan to be implemented is to make viable, in the short term, an electric vehicle free of strings, simple, a Frugal Innovation (in the academic concept) based on reworkable and reusable materials (steel and fiber glass), whose manufacturing process is accessible even in less industrialized countries, but which is a robust vehicle, which can go anywhere on asphalt or off-road, with a long life, as well as being fun, efficient and drivable that excites, and that, allied to all this, can have versions with great energy storage capacity.
Even with this context, some might question whether this really does any good for Planet Earth. Could you question, in a very short-term view, if we really need another high-torque vehicle? Will a fun vehicle make a difference to global carbon emissions? Well, as the founder of another important initiative has already taught us, the answers are no and not much. And, most importantly, this debate loses focus unless you understand eiON's secret strategic plan (which we confide in you here in confidence to remain just between you and me).
As with every fast-growing technology company, all free cash flow is and will continue to be used to reduce production costs and bring subsequent new products to market as quickly as possible. When someone buys our “out of the box” Sustainable Mobility Franchise business model, along with the right to use our electric fun vehicle, they are actually helping to fund the development of the Adaptive, Accessible and Autonomous (AAA) vehicle that we will still launch in the future, but which already has a conceptual project and name, but which I still cannot reveal to you (for now, we have no problem with eventually being stamped as just "another buggy manufacturer").
It is important to record what everyone knows, because it is a fact that every new technology, when in its initial development phase, entails products with a high unit cost, until an optimized product and production line can be achieved, and, that it is no less true for electric vehicles. The eiON's strategy is to enter at the top of its initial market niche (buggies, which are traditionally handcrafted), but with vehicles with high instantaneous torque and off-road capability, for customers who are prepared to pay a award for a mere and ephemeral fun on wheels in sustainable tourist tours, and then, strictly observing our strategy, expand our market share, as quickly as possible, with other products and services, with a high volume of units produced and lower prices, but mainly with the highest possible energy storage capacity, maintaining ownership over electric vehicles and their respective batteries, through the structuring of the Sustainable Mobility Franchise (I will talk more about our “out of the box franchise” in the next posts).
Now that we've talked a little about what we want, let's briefly record what we don't want, so you don't get confused (or maybe so you "glue the signs" at once lol). We don't just want to be another automaker that gets bogged down in a red sea, in a race after incentives because its core business is not sustainable. Our mission is to provide an ecologically sustainable mobility experience to encourage leisure and tourism. Our focus is on the enjoyment of our customers and making it possible, even if only for a few moments, for the incessant pursuit of happiness. We want our customer to remember that all-electric dune buggy ride and think that it could have lasted a little longer, as well as that it could be repeated at some point. We are not a car maker, we are a happiness factory! That's right, we are a car manufacturer that doesn't sell its cars, but just make them available for sharing. Without understanding eiON's secret strategic plan, it seems crazy! And maybe it could even be, because to undertake it you have to be a little crazy ;-)
And as John Lennon said, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one, and I hope one day you'll join us in making the world one." Imagine all the people sharing the whole world!
I am still not convinced that I made clear and explicit here the great insight of eiON's strategic plan, which, as agreed at the beginning of this text, you cannot tell anyone. So, in the next few posts I'll tell you our strategy around the batteries, but it's just between you and me, okay?
MFSJ
P.S.: For those of you who are already following our journey this far, this is nothing new, but we also share a summary of our journey for those who are arriving here for the first time. So, we are a group of idealists fluent in engineering and complex business structuring that started a journey in 2017, with the objective of making a sustainable solution for accessible mobility possible, contributing to the fight against pollution and the mitigation of climate change (we don't want to stand still, we want to try to contribute as much as we can). We know that our initiative directly impacts the entire chain of the automotive and energy industries (yes, it's challenging and crazy stuff). With this in mind, we finalized our first purely electric car prototype made possible with Brazilian technology in 2018 (TRL-4), followed by the development of a dozen prototypes for the solution to mature (TRL-6) completed by the end of 2022. At the moment as of this publication, we have a Series Head Lot of four purely electric cars ready done and in the testing phase in a relevant environment in a real situation of use by the target customers (TRL-7). In total, we have already manufactured almost two dozen electric cars made possible with Brazilian technology, as well as we are in the full development phase of other purely electric car models and related products and services. At the fastest pace, within our possibilities, we will get there, because as the philosopher said, time and I face any other two.
Comments