[darelldd]

Well, I finally called my local dealer to officially cancel my order (from August). After we chatted for a bit, I asked if there was any word on when these vans would come in (just out of curiousity), and was sheepishly told no. It was to be early October, late October, early November... and there's still no clue. I was told that I was the first to put my order in, and I see lots of them driving around the area now, and of course there are the many, many new owners on this board.

Oh well. In two years when I'm in the market again, the world will be a different place, and the Ody will be a different van.

Just thought I'd let you know that there are still dealerships that are NOT YET selling 2002s!

------------------
-= Darell =-
2001 Civic EX (ULEV)- currently the BIG car.
1997 EV1 (ZEV) in process - "This is NOT your father's golf cart"

[This message has been edited by darelldd (edited 11-09-2001).]

 

[Homer]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by darelldd:
Just thought I'd let you know that there are still dealerships that are NOT YET selling 2002s!
</font>

Including mine! Well, not many of them to be more precise.

I pass by this dealer to and from the office almost daily and, in the past month or so, I have yet to see more than one Ody on the lot at any given time. In the aggregate, I've seen maybe 6-8 of them over the last month; only a couple with RES and **zero** NAVs. Yet, my sales rep said he had a waiting list of around 70 as of the beginning of October!

 

[darelldd]

Actually, the same is true of my dealer. They've actually sold the few that came in the first allotment, that nobody had "ordered." So none of the ordered Odys have yet been sold.

 

[Canodyssey]

Seems they arent selling to many 2002 "toaster ovens" either Darell. How come your EV1 is a 1997 model. Hasn't the electric car technology advanced at all in 5 years?

 

[jarcher]

darelldd...
Don't give up! Give Dennis Jenkins a call at Jay Honda in OH. 888-360-6861 or his cell phone 866-221-5394. He'll get you one and you will probably get it under MSRP. Then down side is then you have to pay to ship it out here. After shipping it cost me about $400 above MSRP. No real hassles either. Got what we wanted.

At least two other members on this board have bought from him, ODY and one other, can't remember his handle now. ODY got his about two weeks before I got mine (on 11/3).

Dennis claims to have sold several in this manner.

I just got mine smogged yesterday. Tomorrow I have an appt. at the DMV to register it and pay the sales tax.

============================================
02 RP EX-L

 

[darelldd]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Canodyssey:
Hasn't the electric car technology advanced at all in 5 years?</font>

Sadly, no. The EV1 is still the highest-performance, highest-tech production EV in exsistence. There were 500 made in 1997, and 500 made in 1999. The 1997 models were refurbished at the end of their first 3-year lease to meet the 1999 standards (new, better batteries, upgraded suspension, fully detailed paint, etc).

The traditional auto industry is fighting the EV industry tooth-and-nail. They don't want to produce EVs because the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) industry perceives huge losses of profit.

For a Q & A between Adam amd me... and for more than you ever wanted to know about EVs, check here: http://www.odyclub.com/ubb/Forum19/HTML/000070.html


------------------
-= Darell =-
2001 Civic EX (ULEV)- currently the BIG car.
1997 EV1 (ZEV) in process - "This is NOT your father's golf cart"

[This message has been edited by darelldd (edited 11-08-2001).]

 

[darelldd]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by jarcher:
darelldd...
Don't give up!
</font>

Thanks for the info, but alas it is too late. I'll be looking again in two years, but for now I'm committed to the EV1 that I should pick up next week.

------------------
-= Darell =-
2001 Civic EX (ULEV)- currently the BIG car.
1997 EV1 (ZEV) in process - "This is NOT your father's golf cart"

[This message has been edited by darelldd (edited 11-08-2001).]

 

[Jonaussie]

Well get this. I too placed an order back in august and also got the same story about mid October then end October and yes then November. Well after at least two weeks of constantly pestering my dealer about where my van was, and let me tell you all I was trying to find out from them was a measly build date. The only answer I ever got from these guys was "I haven't heard anything". Well I then decided to do some investigating for myself. Called American Honda in CA. They said the dealer should know the build date when they place the order. Well guess what, my dealer never placed the order at all, well they say that they were over looked?????????????????? OK YEAH RIGHT!!!!!
Well after pestering them I now have a build date of end of November and should get the van around the beginning of December, 4 months after I originally place my order. I will not be giving this dealer a good review!

 

[darelldd]

Oh man. I feel your pain. That's a tough pill to swallow - especially after you've been in contact with them so often.

Bummer.


------------------
-= Darell =-
2001 Civic EX (ULEV)- currently the BIG car.
1997 EV1 (ZEV) in process - "This is NOT your father's golf cart"

 

[Kris]

The same thing is happening to me. I ordered a RRP-EXL with NAVI they first of August and they told me I would have it by Oct/Nov. Now After pestering the salesman 4 times in a week and a half, I come to find out that other people were ahead of me on the list and that the dealer can only order 1 a month of the RES or NAVI cars. He said they are working on it. Yea right. Now he says maybe Dec. or Jan. If I start over at another dealer though I would have to start at the bottom of the list. This sucks! I was willing to wait ~4 months, but 5-6 months seems excessive.

 

[cmmeyers]

darell, that stinks!

I haven't visited the board in over 3 weeks, and I wondered if you had received your van yet. What a disappointment.

 

[darelldd]

Man, I'd hate to try and catch up to THIS board after three weeks! Lots has changed. I've swapped capes and changed the color of my tights. I'm now EV MAN! - Savior of the polluted skies.

------------------
-= Darell =-
2001 Civic EX (ULEV)- currently the BIG car.
1997 EV1 (ZEV) in process - "This is NOT your father's golf cart"

 

[ody]

To all who are disgusted by the games some dealers are playing, do yourself a favor (as jarcher suggests) like I did-
CALL JAY HONDA!! Talk to Dennis Jenkins, chances are your Ody will be on the way within the week. He found mine the next day and had it on his lot, ready to ship by the end of the week. Great experience, don't sweat the shipping-the company they use have been doing this for at least 40 years and are the best in the business!
jarcher, johnkalajian and myself have all bought this way and can vouch for the whole process. Worth checking out!

------------------
'02 RRP EX NAV
Mudguards,cargo tray,Weathertech mats, Bug deflector, lampguards, gold emblems,
17" TSW Spirit wheels with 235/55 Dunlop Sport A2 tires
More stuff on the way...
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

 

[Kris]

Well, I called Dennis at Jay Honda and he thinks there is a good chance he can find me an EX-L NAVI and have it shipped to me within the next 2-3 weeks. He will find out for sure on Mon. He is giving $300 off MSRP, but the shipping will be around $600 so it will be a little more. He said they do this all the time and he was very helpful. Thanks for the advice!

 

[ody]

Good luck, Kris! I know Dennis will do what he can to get your van for you. It was a pleasure doing business with him and I would do it all over again.

 

[Kris]

Well, unfortunately even Dennis at Jay Honda has been unable to locate me a RRP EX-L NAVI. He really tried though and called to 4-5 different states. They must not make that many. He found only 3 and they were all sold already. I have called 4 different dealers in MN and the earliest anyone days they can get one (including Jay Honda in Ohio) is the end of Jan. or beginning of Feb. I have been waiting since the first week of August. This is ridiculous! My local dealer says we can have a silver EX-L NAVI in mid-Dec. We'll probably take it, but it will be the third silver Odyssey on our block and I already have a silver Acura MDX. I just can't believe it would take over 6 months for me to get the color I want! Grrrrrr.....

 

[ody]

Kris- sorry to hear about your inability to find the Ody you want! The RRP is very nice, but so are some of the other colors too-maybe Dennis J. can find you your second (or third) choice? I like the Silver too, but am glad I was able to get the RRP. Good luck, hang in there!

------------------
'02 RRP EX NAV
Mudguards,cargo tray,Weathertech mats, Bug deflector, lampguards, gold emblems,
17" TSW Spirit wheels with 235/55 Dunlop Sport A2 tires
More stuff on the way...
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

 

[ody]

Hey Darell-have you read the latest Car & Driver article by Pat Bedard re: electric vehicles? Raises some interesting (at least to me

) issues! Probably not anything new to someone as well versed in the debate as yourself, but check it out if you can...

 

[darelldd]

Thanks Ody -

No I hadn't heard of that article yet (my sub to C&D just expired a couple of months ago, and I was too lazy to start it up again!)

I'll check it out.

------------------
-= Darell =-
2001 Civic EX (ULEV)- currently the BIG car.
1997 EV1 (ZEV) - "This is NOT your father's golf cart"

 

[darelldd]

Ody -

This is what you must have been referring to:
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/features/2001/August/200108_feature_carb.xml?keywords=electric

Again, thanks for sending it along. It is always educational to see what the media is attempting to tech the masses. If this article brings up any particular questions for you, I'd be happy to discuss them. As it is, there are too many untruths in the article to discuss them all.

The saddest part for me in all of this is that in 1995 when I first drove a prototype of the EV1, I told myself that I had now purchased my last gasoline car. Seven years and two gasoline cars later my best choice is still that SAME car that I test-drove in 1995. There has been NO pogress in the technology since all money and effort since that time has gone into fighting the mandate. In 1995 there was no question in my mind that I'd have several third-generation EVs to choose from in 2002. Yet here I am, all excited about leasing a 1997 first-gen EV1 because it is still the highest peformance and highest tech EV available. We put a man on the moon in fewer years than the time it took this car to go from the design stage to my garage. Why? NASA didn't spend its time and money fighting the "mandate" that Kennedy proposed.

Whoa! I get excited easily, don't I? Back off my box...


------------------
-= Darell =-
2001 Civic EX (ULEV)- currently the BIG car.
1997 EV1 (ZEV) - "This is NOT your father's golf cart"