[old and tired]

If they actually manage to get to market with that retail price point and it's not a piece of crap they'll sell every one they can make.

My concern is that the feds will regulate the price up over 10k with safety features. My guess is the reason it can be so cheap is that it has a motorcycle classification. Change that to car and all of a sudden it'll need all kinds of safety things it doesn't have now. However, if they can actually sell that thing for $6800, they'll sell like hotcakes.

[Hodar]

My concern is that the feds will regulate the price up over 10k with safety features. My guess is the reason it can be so cheap is that it has a motorcycle classification. Change that to car and all of a sudden it'll need all kinds of safety things it doesn't have now.

From their website ....

Each Elio comes equipped with a Safety Management System that includes three airbags – a reinforced roll-cage frame, Anti-Lock Braking System, and 50% larger crush zones than similar vehicles. Preliminary safety tests on computer models anticipate a 5-Star safety rating.

I don't see how the US Gov't can screw this up, at least from the Safety Checklist point of view.

[RegulatorCountry]

If the site is accurate it has safety equipment and is being crash tested with an “anticipated” five star safety rating. But, there are no bumpers at all, so it’s not really classified as a car. The fighter jet seating, one front, one behind argues for it being classified as a motorcycle.