Comments:
Elio Motors - Say hello to Elio
Has anyone ever heard of Elio
Motors? I haven't until recently when I looked out my office
window and noticed several people hovering over a orange colored
vehicle. The shape of the vehicle was unique with a front
somewhat vaguely shaped like a Plymouth Prowler but no rear wheels that I
could see from a distance. So I had to step out of the office
to get a closer look.
There were several marketing representatives from Elio Motors handing out brochures and answering questions. So what did I learn about the Elio? Well first it is a 3 wheeled vehicle that is street legal and technically classified as a motorcycle. For fuel economy the ratings are an impressive 84 miles per gallon highway and 49 miles per gallon city driving. The gas tank holds 8 gallons and I'm guessing with traffic patterns here in Los Angeles the real life fuel economy will not be nearly as high.
The Elio uses standard parts for assemble and has partnered with Pep Boys which is an auto parts retailer and service center. The good news is that Pep Boys has 802 locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. So all servicing for Elio vehicles will be done by Pep Boys.
Looking around the Elio I can see that most of the body panels are formed nicely and fit and finish was pretty good for a prototype car. There are some areas like the trunk in the back where the trunk panel door is not evenly aligned. The front wheel fairings remind me of the Plymouth Prowler and have body colored panels made of aluminum.
I was given an opportunity to sit inside the Elio. The drivers view is clear on the front and sides, but there is no view of the rear because the seating is tandem for the passenger. The instrument gauge has a speedometer and tachometer in the center, with a small fuel and temperature gauge in the outer edges.
On the right hand side is the shift knob. Elio will be offering either a 5 speed manual or automatic transmission. There's a small space for personal items like a cell phone or paperwork. And one cup holder that can fit a standard sized water bottle or soda.
I was glad to see that the Elio had air conditioning vents located on the sides of the dash, but a/c control knobs looked really cheap and flimsy.
The same thing on the window switches and door latch. Even the chrome plating was not done well and felt really cheap. But I guess this is reflected in the low price of these vehicles. But I do like the body colored painted interior panels that brightens up the insides.
Now on to the powerplant for the Elio. I ask the Elio rep if I could see the motor and he was happy to oblige but mentioned that production models will have the Elio proprietary engine. From what I understand the prototypes Elio vehicles use a Suzuki G10/Geo Metro 3 cylinder engine.
From what I understand the prototypes Elio vehicle use a Suzuki G10/Geo Metro 3 cylinder engine. I found this strange because Elio is expecting delivery in mid-2015 and still working on design and production of the motor. Is this vaporware or will they go back to using off the shelf motorcycle engines when they start delivering their pre-orders next year?
Because of the tandem seating where the passenger sits behind and higher than the driver there is no rear window. When I looked at the Elio from the rear view the trunk had a nice clean sloping curve towards the brake and backup lights. The trunk itself is useful for a two small bags of groceries but probably not enough for a weekend getaway for 2 with luggage. You can see the slight misalignment of the trunk panels in the picture below.
The back has a single wheel and covered in a black plastic fender. The current exhaust system is flowing out the right bottom side of the Elio, but I heard that production models will probably have exhausts pointing out from the rear somewhere below the license plate.
Probably the best selling point about the Elio is the price. The base price starts at only $6800.00. Elio is currently taking pre-orders and supposedly there are 35,000 orders already placed.
So what does everyone here think of the Elio? Will they actually produce a vehicle for delivery by the promised timeframe or is it vaporware? And do you think it will be a popular low cost commuter alternative for the future?
Regards,
ED-209
This message has been edited by ED209 on 2014-10-18 17:25:41
There were several marketing representatives from Elio Motors handing out brochures and answering questions. So what did I learn about the Elio? Well first it is a 3 wheeled vehicle that is street legal and technically classified as a motorcycle. For fuel economy the ratings are an impressive 84 miles per gallon highway and 49 miles per gallon city driving. The gas tank holds 8 gallons and I'm guessing with traffic patterns here in Los Angeles the real life fuel economy will not be nearly as high.
The Elio uses standard parts for assemble and has partnered with Pep Boys which is an auto parts retailer and service center. The good news is that Pep Boys has 802 locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. So all servicing for Elio vehicles will be done by Pep Boys.
Looking around the Elio I can see that most of the body panels are formed nicely and fit and finish was pretty good for a prototype car. There are some areas like the trunk in the back where the trunk panel door is not evenly aligned. The front wheel fairings remind me of the Plymouth Prowler and have body colored panels made of aluminum.
I was given an opportunity to sit inside the Elio. The drivers view is clear on the front and sides, but there is no view of the rear because the seating is tandem for the passenger. The instrument gauge has a speedometer and tachometer in the center, with a small fuel and temperature gauge in the outer edges.
On the right hand side is the shift knob. Elio will be offering either a 5 speed manual or automatic transmission. There's a small space for personal items like a cell phone or paperwork. And one cup holder that can fit a standard sized water bottle or soda.
I was glad to see that the Elio had air conditioning vents located on the sides of the dash, but a/c control knobs looked really cheap and flimsy.
The same thing on the window switches and door latch. Even the chrome plating was not done well and felt really cheap. But I guess this is reflected in the low price of these vehicles. But I do like the body colored painted interior panels that brightens up the insides.
Now on to the powerplant for the Elio. I ask the Elio rep if I could see the motor and he was happy to oblige but mentioned that production models will have the Elio proprietary engine. From what I understand the prototypes Elio vehicles use a Suzuki G10/Geo Metro 3 cylinder engine.
From what I understand the prototypes Elio vehicle use a Suzuki G10/Geo Metro 3 cylinder engine. I found this strange because Elio is expecting delivery in mid-2015 and still working on design and production of the motor. Is this vaporware or will they go back to using off the shelf motorcycle engines when they start delivering their pre-orders next year?
Because of the tandem seating where the passenger sits behind and higher than the driver there is no rear window. When I looked at the Elio from the rear view the trunk had a nice clean sloping curve towards the brake and backup lights. The trunk itself is useful for a two small bags of groceries but probably not enough for a weekend getaway for 2 with luggage. You can see the slight misalignment of the trunk panels in the picture below.
The back has a single wheel and covered in a black plastic fender. The current exhaust system is flowing out the right bottom side of the Elio, but I heard that production models will probably have exhausts pointing out from the rear somewhere below the license plate.
Probably the best selling point about the Elio is the price. The base price starts at only $6800.00. Elio is currently taking pre-orders and supposedly there are 35,000 orders already placed.
So what does everyone here think of the Elio? Will they actually produce a vehicle for delivery by the promised timeframe or is it vaporware? And do you think it will be a popular low cost commuter alternative for the future?
Regards,
ED-209
This message has been edited by ED209 on 2014-10-18 17:25:41
They are in the trend, for sure. Now, I don't know if in the US, they will be successful.
I always thought that americans were most attracted by big engines.
Best,
Nicolas
Maybe that is why...
..it uses a Chevrolet Camaro steering wheel, so at least there's some link to a V8? 
is it better
I wonder if the Elio is a compromise between a compact car and a motorcycle? Good observation about the steering wheel. I didn't check if it has a airbag. Would you drive a Elio?
Regards,
ED-209
Regards,
ED-209
Wait and see
I think you're right about Americans being attracted to big engines. Well at least I am
Regards,
ED-209
Regards,
ED-209
That's certainly different
I wonder how well it drives? Do you need a M1 to operate?
-MW
license requirements
I don't know if driving the Elio requires a M1 license. If it does I wonder if a helmet is required and if it is will it detract from people buying it? I asked about test drives and they don't currently offer it, just display models that they are trying to get people to pre-order.
Regards,
ED-209
Regards,
ED-209
In Europe, class B driving license would be enough ...
... and if the Elio has a certified roll cage, a helmet would not be necessary.
Marcus
Marcus
good point about the roll cage
because i'm sure that a lot of people here in LA would hate wearing a helmet inside the Elio. It messes up the look of their hair LOL.
Regards,
ED-209
Regards,
ED-209
Still a lot of space for a single person ...
... since the tandem seat is not a real option, given the limited height and poor accessability. In Europe the problem is that all access limitations for cars apply to the Elio as well, since it is wider than a single-tracked vehicle. Legal-wise, they will be treated like quads, or ATVs. For pure commuting, it would need electric drive, and for longer distances, it is too small. But let's see ...
Marcus
Marcus
A lot of these startups popping up...
Here in San Francisco, in SOMA district, there is an electric version of this with only two wheels and two centrifugal generators keeping the car/motorcycle upright.
The Elio seems to be dated before it's even been released.
At $6800 though, it will be a compelling choice for the budget conscious. But given the severity of traffic and the importance of safety in LA, I would feel much more comfortable in a real car. At least Mini Cooper sized.
The future is unpredictable and the only determinant predictable thing is that the future will be inherently unpredictable. With advances like car-sharing, UBER drivers, and self-driving vehicles, I predict car ownership in the future will be something that is less and less important. Even to citizens of car-intensive cities like Los Angeles. Did you notice how inexpensive UBER in Los Angeles is? I just spent $350 to rent a car for a week (airport location taxes and fuel included) from Burbank airport that I drove for a total of 400 miles. Plus $36/night to garage it at the hotel. If I had an UBER, I probably could've done nearly all of my trips for the week for not much more. Plus I had to drive, and it's stressful to drive in Los Angeles, especially in the narrow streets (that are practically one-way streets with dozens of blind corners per mile) of Hollywood Hills.
Good catch. An interesting article and it'll be cool to see what happens in the future.
Question, how do I park this thing in a Motorcycle parking space? It won't fit in a traditional motorcycle parking space.
That Lit Motors car/bike....
...is a pretty interesting bit of technology.
Though, I prefer this gyrocar, with seating for 6...
Wolseley/Shilovski Gyrocar...designed by Shilovski and built by Wolseley just before the Great War. Clever guy was Count Shilovski.
How did that work?
Yeah, LIT Motors... I should check up on them next time I'm in the neighborhood.
A huge Gyroscope...
....about a metre in diameter and weighing 600kg that was spun up to several thousand rpm kept the vehicle balanced.
You can see the location of the gyro behind the driver in the drawing below.
It also had automatically triggered outriggers, should the gyroscope slow down too much to maintain stability (as does the Lit vehicle...but this was 100 years ago)
The big problem is, depending on which way the gyro rotated (no sure if it was clockwise or anticlockwise), the car would be very reluctant to turn the opposite way.
I believe the Lit Motors vehicle avoids this issue by having 2 gyros, spinning in opposite directions (so it's equally reluctant to turn in both directions ;-)
Wow. Amazing.
How do you know so much about this topic and about LIT motors? Investor (future/current/past)? Competitor?
Regardless, you sure do get around.
AND YES! I was also thinking the same thing about the rotation of the gyroscope, that it would prevent turning. And I also suggested (and partially inquired if it would make a difference) to the LIT Motors president (a very young guy) that perhaps for Northern Hemisphere it should rotate in one direction, and the opposite direction for the Southern Hemisphere. I'm not a gravitational physicist but I thought it was worth consideration. That's when he explained that they had already thought of that and I do believe he confirmed the two gyros span in different directions. It's been nearly a year since I last spoke with him, so my memory may be imperfect.
Again, compliments to you for your in-depth knowledge about this unusual topic.
Elio, aside...
And I do not want to be dismissive of your post, Ed, but man, what a perfect location and view!!! I would see all my appointments at the beach and give a whole new meaning to hosting a board meeting :-D
I am assuming the dress code is swim trunks and bikinis plus a nice tan???
Cheers,
Alex
RE: Elio, aside
Thanks for the kind words Alex. Casual Friday's would be great in a swim trunk and bikini. I need to host more meetings down at the beach LOL!
Regards,
ED-209
Regards,
ED-209