[Allan Gibbs]

Wish we had a "FedEx Overnight" delivery option.

 

[smura]

I'll throw another flame into the fire. There was an article (I believe Business Week) which was discussing the fact that shipping rates have skyrocketed in the past year or so because China was importing so much raw materials and had so few ports in which to unload that there were major backups getting ships offloaded into China.

Something like ships were tied up in the water awaiting the unload of their cargo for 4 weeks or something crazy like that.

There was also no ships currently being built (or very few) so the probelm will not go away for 5 years or so.

So expect shipping delays and blame it on China!

 

[zvezdah1]

As far as I know, Lotus had contracted transporting the cars at a fixed rate quite some time ago. The cars are shipped in containers to a specific car transporting company on whatever container ships are in port. This company has extensive experience in car shipping (they've been shipping volvos for many years). At any rate, I suspect dozens of ship leave England every week for the US.
Chris

 

[HoopyFrood]

Caught a picture of the transport they've contracted:

 

[andykeck]

So expect shipping delays and blame it on China!

I'm going to be leaving for China in two weeks. I'll see our shipping people there and I'll be sure to tell them to step it up.

 

[andykeck]

It doesn't sound like Lotus has enough cars to fill up a ship.

It would take a few _years_ current Federal Elise production to fill up a modern container ship. If they're getting three in each 40 foot container, then a Post-Panamax ship could hold more then nine or ten thousand Elises.

 

[Steve W]

Yup.

That picture of the first car leaving England showed an ISO container, so basically once in the box, that box is taken to the port, put on a ship with boxes containing all sorts of stuff, not just cars, and brought over.

Those containers can be sealed at Hethel put on a truck to the ports, shipped, put on another truck this side, and only opened once they get to the distribution point.

Which means nobody at the port is going to be driving your car.

 

[zvezdah1]

Steve,
Thats why they went that way. They also could have fitted more in the container stacking them but think they opted for the simpler three in a row, that way no fluids leaking down on the other cars (a british car leak?)
Chris

 

[atyclb]

let's hope our cars don't meet a similar fate

 

[andykeck]

Ouch.
Double ouch.
Lots of fun on this page.