Elio

[Badger]

Elio

I finally decided to put a few dollars down to reserve one when they become available (Maybe mid 2016 but not holding my breath). They look like great fun for day/weekend trips and around town. I just hope I am still able to drive one by then.

http://www.eliomotors.com/One_Page_Specs_Sheet.pdf

 

[splitwdw]

I receive their email updates. I think they are so cool. Reminds me a little of the Chrysler Prowler. My grandfather says he doesn't like the "non refundable reservation". He lost a $50 (not sure if that's the exact figure) deposit on a Tucker year's ago. Even though it has great gas mileage I think of it as a city car.

 

[bld999]

Shocking price for a full bodied conveyance. You can't buy a new road motorcycle for that.

 

[Walt34]

Shocking price for a full bodied conveyance. You can't buy a new road motorcycle for that.

Indeed. Not good as a primary vehicle except perhaps for an introverted single person, but it sure will sell in cities, as a commuter car, and as a second "runabout" car.

 

[Badger]

I don't know if there are any other "cars" with the same configuration (3 wheel tandem) except for the old Messerschmidt. If they can hold their price close to $6800 and have decent quality it should sell well. A street legal golf cart cost that much and more. This should be a lot more fun.

Cheers!

 

[M Paquette]

I got to try one on their 'tour' when they came through San Francisco. If the 2000 Miata gets totaled, this is the replacement. Especially if they do decide to add a convertible version in the second generation model.

It's really easy to get in and out of. Tandem, or front and back seats, both using the one door on the left side. Shifter and such are on the right, so a door wouldn't be great there, besides breaking up the roll-cage structure.

 

[braumeister]

Reminiscent of the old Isetta. I once knew a guy who owned one in NYC, and it fascinated me.
Isetta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[DallasGuy]

I would like to get one when/if they come out. But at this point it seems like the company is having a difficult time getting funded, so the wait continues. I will be very surprised if they actually start selling them. I'm guessing that there are many people like me out there that want one but not enough to put money down on one until they actually come out. If they actually start selling, I'll be surprised if the price is less than $8000...but I'd still buy one at that price.

 

[Walt34]

I'm guessing that there are many people like me out there that want one but not enough to put money down on one until they actually come out.

That's where I am too. No way am I going to put down a deposit on something that isn't even in production. That is much too speculative for me.

 

[bld999]

If you don't mind being outdoors, there's the CanAm Spyder, but they go for 19k to start. They have been around since 2007, and are built by BRP
[Bombardier] using a robust Rotax motor. BRP knows which end is up in terms of building vehicles, fwiw.

Unless CanAm is getting rich on the Spyder, the noob is leaving a lot of $ on the table, particularly with the extra bodywork. What is the other competition? Smartcar sales have been very slow for Mercedes, and that is arguably a comp, and they sell for about 15k, with a "three cylinder automotive engine".

Honda Fits go for ~ 16k...

New 250cc dirt motorcycles mild to wild sell for 4-8k new, so I'm from MIssouri on this thing at least on getting it built AND making enough money to sustain a going concern.

 

[gauss]

As someone who is not necessarily an "expert" in this but probably closer to it than most around here, my question would be "Will the US DOT / NHTSA allow this to enter the market as a motorcycle?"

Seems like it might not pass the "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck.. test"

If motorcycle registration is not allowed, they would be subject to meeting all of the FMVSS standards that cars/truck manufacturers are subject to and thus killing their business proposition.

All the electric vehicle products that you see in the market, such as these, where the speed is limited to 25 mph are doing this to avoid FMVSS certification.

I am not sure if you are in the $100 line or the $1000 line or somewhere in between, but before I sent in more than $100 I would want to know more about the risk and process that I described above.

-gauss

 

[tgotch]

Just read they have raised $65 Million, but need $230 Million...
They need almost a 1/4 Billion $ to start? Sounds crazy to me.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/03/f...-a-three-wheeled-dream-car-of-the-future.html

Don't forget about the Aptera, which never made it to market:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptera_Motors

 

[Badger]

As someone who is not necessarily an "expert" in this but probably closer to it than most around here, my question would be "Will the US DOT / NHTSA allow this to enter the market as a motorcycle?"

Seems like it might not pass the "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck.. test"

If motorcycle registration is not allowed, they would be subject to meeting all of the FMVSS standards that cars/truck manufacturers are subject to and thus killing their business proposition.

-gauss

The Slingshot is already being sold and is the same 3 wheel configuration. The main differences being higher cost, higher power, side-by-side seating and open cockpit. It is considered a motorcycle. I believe it needs 4 wheels to be a car.

2015 Polaris Slingshot | 3 Wheel Motorcycle - Reverse Trike

Cheers!

 

[gauss]

I hope that you are right and that Elio sees the light of day in the US. Real innovation and more choices/options for personal transportation are needed here.

That begin said, Elio has said publicly on Social Media that their design will support attaching child safety seats in the rear seat. This type of use and marketing makes me even more skeptical that the safety lobby in this country will allow this to come to be.

If you are investing money in Elio, just make sure that it is speculative money that you will not mind loosing.

This will be an interesting one to watch. Again, I hope that my advice turns out to be wrong.

-gauss

 

[RobbieB]

I made my "all in for a grand" reservation back in June of 2014. I am a little over 5000 on the reservation list my car will be in the top 10% made when they start to roll.

A couple of days ago I "committed to buy" and locked in a base price of 7 grand.

Mine will be "creamsicle" which I thought would be a good safe "hunter orange" color for this small "car-cycle"

Not to mention it would be perfect to tow behind an RV eh?

 

[Koolau]

As I get older, life seems more precious and I find myself gravitating (heh, heh) toward LARGER vehicles, not smaller - though I absolutely love the new micro-technology (green, high mileage, etc.) Even back when I was about 23, I looked at a Honda 600 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_N360. It was just too small and uncomfortable even though I could fit into it at the time. IIRC, the "official" internal noise specs were 89dbA at full throttle (90dbA if you were using the heater.) And while it was cheaper than a "real" car, it wasn't THAT much cheaper. IIRC, I spent twice as much for a new Vette instead.

Back to Elio, for $7 grand, I could buy a used "real" car which, while maybe not as much fun, would be nearly infinitely safer. No disrespect to the motorcyclists on board, but I just want a lot more metal between me and the next car (or, for that matter, the pavement.) To each his own and YMMV, etc.

 

[RobbieB]

I'll be "stylin' and profilin" with Lucy in the back seat;

 

[JDARNELL]

I saw the prototype in Colorado Springs and spent about 30 min checking it out. Interesting idea. A couple of things that stuck out to me was egress out of the back seat could be a challenge and the front side posts are really in the site picture. However you can see forward out of the side windows so probably not a big issue. Would be a fun thing to take to bike rallies painted up as a WWII fighter plane. For me it isn't something I am interested in.

 

[Another Reader]

I'll be "stylin' and profilin" with Lucy in the back seat;

Lucy has a healthy, shiny coat. Is she eating the caviar and steaks with you? What's her everyday food?

 

[RobbieB]

Lucy is an American StaffordGreyWeiler and yes, she has a short coarse shiny/glossy coat.

She gets her bowl of dry (kibble) dog food topped off with a little of whatever I've been eating for supper.

 

[Another Reader]

That's only fair! Which kibble does Lucy prefer?

 

[RobbieB]

She pretty much likes everything, right now it's Blue Wilderness duck recipe.