Anybody Hear about these guys?

When your first post on a Prius chat board is in the "Other Cars" section, boosting what appears to be a vaporware car, from a country with a reputation for low quality, and making claims that if true would make it the most advanced EV in the world, you should expect skepticism.

That said, you are welcome here. Just don't expect people to jump up and down saying, "Wow! Finally the car I've been waiting for. Where can I send my money?"

Note that we are just as skeptical of the Zap X, and many of us are also just as skeptical of EEStor and the Volt. We want hard data, not overblown claims. Again, you are welcome here if you wish to stay.

 

Thanks. Just wanted to give a little info for those wondering. That is all. No harm intended and not trying to convince any body of anything.
By the way there a several small companies sourcing gliders and powertrains all around the world today. Most don't advertise what they are doing or where they are going with it.
We may see some more of these companies pop up in the next year or so.

Thanks again

 

Ok, Dacia is now basically Renault's low cost brand. How they do it?
They basically make cars using older and proven Renault's components and technologies, which have already paid off their R&D cost.

They basically make decent and reliable low cost cars. So decent that they are being sold all around EU, including countries like Germany with quite some success. They are not high tech cars with latest technology built in, those are reserved for Renault's home brand. But they offer excellent value for the buck. They even offer 4 year 100.000 km warranty in some markets here in Europe (Toyota still offers 3 years only / 100.000 km ).

We should not mix old Dacia reputation anymore. Those were times of communism, which have changed a lot over last decade with Renault's huge investments into Dacia.

Not that I like Dacias, but we should tell what has changed over time.

For example, what is getting sold around EU:

Started with Dacia Logan
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia_Logan]Dacia Logan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

Continued with Dacia Sandero
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia_Sandero]Dacia Sandero - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

And now even an SUV Dacia Duster
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia_Duster]Dacia Duster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

They also still have some weird models of cars for weird markets on stock.

 

hahaha, you do like dacias.... I rented one in romania last summer, brand new logan mcv: first the claim that it fits 7 is bogus: maybe the seven dwarfs...
second,. broke down twice during my 300 km trip through the country. that with only 5k or so miles on the dial. (belt broken due to misaligned tensioner, and electrical fault in dashboard causing all lights to turn off; oh what good memories, like when i was 18 driving my first communist car and getting classmates to push-start me)
third, the plastic inside could only be rivaled by a prototype car built by students, both in design and quality... do they use glue guns to attach those interior moldings?

 

I do not like nor Dacias, nor Renaults, I drive my third Toyota

I just pointed out the changes of Dacia brand in last few years. And with rental cars everything depends from agency to agency. Some simply do not care about maintenance and state of their rental cars.

 

So, is he or isn't he a mouthpiece for the dealer?
Strange that someone "from Iowa" would just pop in here, say the EV is great, then get all skittish when asked for documentation.
How about just some personal experience, then... like, how long does it take for YOU to charge it up? How far can YOU drive at highway speeds (55-65 mph)?

I hope it turns out to be a good EV. We need more good EVs in this country. I'd like the EV pickup, actually.

 

It may or may not be merely a coincidence but EnVision's address is:

426 S. 17th Street
Ames, Iowa 50010
Phone: 515-598-2258

And that's what caused me to wonder, "What the hey?"

 

any 5000km new car should not have needed any maintenance!!!

 

Well...even if you skeptical guys don't believe him, I do...!
and I want to buy one of these hot little EV cars...it's about time!

Do you take Visa, Mastercard or a personal check?
If so, my mastercard number is 1234-56-7890-xxxx-xxxx.

Hah...got ya!!
And You guys thought I was going to fully type out my Mastercard number.

I'll just send him the check.


Sincerely,

ZC1

 

Explain for the challenged amongst us, please

 

the OP is in Iowa too. coincidence?

 

OK. Things went down like this:

The OP gives EnVision web site.The Contact Us section there gives the
Ames, Iowa address.

Interesting, a new car company in Iowa, far from the auto hotspots;
Cali, Detroit, New Your, Florida, whatever.
A wildly optimistic case of "Build It, and They Will Come?"

Out of the blue, a first time poster Iowan, speaking with apparent
familiarity, praises the car highly. Coincidence? Highly unlikely.

"What the hey?"

 

Ah. Yes, I'd noticed the Iowa connection. Thought maybe there was something about the address/phone number that was hinky.

 

I could care less what the history or place of maunfacture of this car is.

But, I would like to think that the venture is legit.
So I did some very basic poking around.

Here's the Google Map Satellite view of the company address:


Cool, huh?
Notice the listed co-tenant; "PigCHAMP line of products is an
integrated and innovative suite of powerful management tools for the
swine industry."
So, maybe the building has 2 floors and separate entrances for each
tenant. A business with national aspirations deserves no less.

I don't have anything against the swine industry.
I don't have anything against swine...
except when they sit up and post here.

Call me crazy, but, I'm not feeling real confident that Envision is
gonna' be a big player in the soon to be very hot EV/BEV segment of
vehicle sales.

I'd like to hear more from a real, self-professed company
spokesperson. With luck, he will show me/us something meaningful.

Of course, Eye-Oh-way has seen trouble from fast-talking
thimble-riggers before:

 

i did some too. here are some links (use google translate to get an idea):

O masina electrica bazata pe Logan Pick-up in SUA? Blogtronic
and
Dacia Logan EMC (USA), Logan electric - Reno.ro - Forum Renault Romania

basically the owner is an ex-chrysler dealer looking to do something since he can't sell government-bailed cars anymore.
he is debating importing fake smart cars from china too, he has plans to assemble the dacias in florida, but for now there is only one in the country and two more on the way. The design was supposedly produced by two romanians in a garage working with dacia logan shells and drivetrains, and there are negotiations for envision to buy up to 500 dacia shells / month according to romanian press.

did you know this dacia will use the same batteries used on tomahawk missiles and navy submarines? because mr. gabus says so.

considering the romanian-american automobile import history, this smells really bad of money laundering. i hope i'm wrong.

update: renault/dacia officially denies involvment in the emc/envision venture. so these must be purchased as a private sale, with not even the manufacturer willing to put the dacia badge on them.
and the 7 seat wagon is exactly the dacia logan mcv i was talking about having rented in RO a few posts up. and the one I drove was the EU certified production version, not the EV assembled who knows where.
ok, enough dacia bashing, i'll get back to my search for a test drive of a ford fiesta and a nissan leaf.