Elio Motors is setting up a unique sales program. The company is setting up marshalling centers where customers can go and order one of the 3-wheeled cars.

Elio has more than 65,000 people already signed up to buy the cars. The marshalling centers and retail locations are being developed and reservation holders will have several delivery options.

In an email release Elio Execs say:

Details of the sales process will be rolled out well in advance of production. After we have filled every reservation, new customers will be able to purchase their vehicles from a retail center. As we have outlined in a previous blog, our dealers will more closely resemble a retail store, think open floorplan like an Apple Store, than a traditional car dealership. The plan is to allow Elio customers to stroll into an Elio Motors store, select the vehicle they want to their exact specification and pick it up the next day. The Elio marshaling centers will make our on-demand ordering process possible.

The release says the retail centers will be located in the top 60 US markets.

Elio

The Elio release adds this information about the manufacturing process:

At our plant in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, we will manufacture 14 standard vehicles: 7 distinct colors with 2 different transmission options. Once these vehicles roll off the production line, they will be transported by truck or rail to our marshalling center locations. We will have between 7-12 marshalling centers across the country, depending on geographic demand. Each center will be within 8-10 hours of an Elio dealer to ensure a quick turnaround. Additionally, the plant in Shreveport will act as a marshalling center.

While it's interesting to see Elio's sales plan, I can't help but wonder if these cars will ever be built. The company is facing serious financial woes and needs more than $100 million before production can begin.