Free Republic

San Francisco police are investigating an unusual crime spree after four people who live in and around Bernal Heights awakened Monday morning to find their Smart microcars had been rolled over by groups of vandals.

(VIDEO-AT-LINK) A California automotive start-up is hoping their prototype supercar will redefine car manufacturing. The sleek race car dubbed 'Blade' didn't come off an assembly line - but out of a 3D printer. Kevin Czinger of Divergent Microfactories has spent most of his career in the automotive industry. One day he realized that no matter how fuel-efficient or how few tailpipe emissions the modern car has, the business of car manufacturing is destroying the environment. "3D printing of metal radically changes that. By looking at 3D printing not for that overall structure but to create individual modular structures that can...

Are you thinking about buying a new fuel efficient car but are wary of hybrid technology? Fear not! There are dozens of cars on the market today that deliver great fuel economy without resorting to heavy and expensive battery packs. While most of these vehicles are designed to run on petroleum products (either conventional gasoline or diesel fuel), the Ford Focus SFE is a FlexFuel vehicle that can run on 100% domestic E85 ethanol fuel as well as conventional unleaded gasoline. 2014 Ford Focus five-door E85 holds a significant price advantage over regular unleaded gas in some parts of the...

In a matter of two days, history was made at Chicago's McCormick Place, as the world's first 3-D printed electric car -- named Strati, Italian for "layers"-- took its first test drive. "Less than 50 parts are in this car," said Jay Rogers from Local Motors.

Congress has approved a measure that will allow makers of three-wheel cars to receive funding for fuel-efficient auto technologies, according to published reports. The bill, which still needs to be signed into law, could be a boost to companies developing alternative car designs, notably Aptera Motors and Elio Motors. Both companies have argued that their three-wheel cars deserve federal funding meant to promote more efficient vehicles. The legislation, passed late last week, would overturn an Energy Department rule that limited funding to four-wheel vehicles meeting emissions and fuel-economy benchmarks, Automotive News reported on Friday. The new guidelines will now allow...

The folks from Elio Motors dropped by the Philadelphia Business Journal offices in Old City on Monday to show off their new concept car (see attached photo gallery). Small in stature and containing three wheels (two in the front, one in the back), the car costs just $6,800 and gets 87 mpg highway (49 mpg city). Although still in the concept and fundraising stages, Elio’s top brass has been showing off the vehicle across the country – from its headquarters in Shreveport, La. to New York to Detroit. For the first time, they revealed a prototype of the car’s engine,...

You wouldn't think a small, green, three-wheeled vehicle would be the perfect recipe for creating a buzz in the car world. But that's what Paul Elio has done with his Elio Motors firm, and though the vehicle in question is still a fair while from production reality, the company has a loyal following already. So far, it's enough of a buzz that over 15,000 people have put down deposits for the car, according to Elio's website (via Autoblog Green). That doesn't mean the company has 15,000 sales in the bag, of course. […] It's led Elio to suggest the emissions...

"Ten years ago, I received a letter from a man named Bob Shotwell who lived in a small town in Minnesota. He knew that I liked old cars from watching me on television. And he wanted to give me one. He recalled that he asked his father for a car as he was about to graduate from high school in the early 1930s. But his dad replied that if he wanted a car, he should build one. So, 17-year-old Bob scrounged parts and made his own car. It was a little three-wheeled coupe powered by a 77.2-cu.-in. four-cylinder 1931 Indian...

Your next commuter car could have two seats, three wheels and get 84 miles to the gallon. Elio Motors wants to revolutionize U.S. roads with its tiny car, which is the same length as a Honda Fit but half the weight. With a starting price of $6,800, it’s also less than half the cost. Phoenix-based Elio plans to start making the cars next fall at a former General Motors plant in Shreveport, Louisiana. […] Because it has three wheels—two in front and one in the rear—the Elio is actually classified as a motorcycle by the U.S. government. But Elio Motors...

Click on a question to get the answer. Q. Is the Elio available for international customers? Q. Who makes the engine/drive train/brakes etc.? Q. How will it do in the snow/bad weather? Q. Will I fit in the vehicle? Q. Where can I buy an Elio? Q. What options will be available on my Elio? Q. Can I be a distributor or a service outlet for the Elio? Q. Once I make a reservation, how long before I get my Elio? Q. What kind of gas does Elio take? Q. Are test drives available? Q. Is Elio a car or...

Paul Elio wanted to bring affordable transportation to drivers and create jobs for American workers. The company is planning to release vehicles for sale in the first quarter of 2015. The car is planned to use 95% American parts and American labor, vitally important to Paul.(VIDEO-AT-LINK)The company says that the vehicle will cost $6800, achieve an 84 miles per gallon fuel economy, and they anticipate a five star NHTSA safety rating. The eight gallon tank will theoretically allow a driver to go 672 miles on a tank of gas. Top speed of the Elio is said to be over 100...

Elio Motors today announced it has unveiled its new 0.9 liter, 3-cylinder engine prototype, completing one of the company's most important stages of development. With a goal of up to 84 MPG and a projected top speed of more than 100 MPH, the enclosed, three-wheeled Elio requires an engine with a unique blend of power and efficiency that simply doesn't exist on the market today. Elio Motors, which plans to sell the vehicle for $6,800 when it launches in the first half of 2016, turned to world-class engine developer IAV to create a new technology that would meet the company's...