Posted on 02/05/2014 6:06:08 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
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 miles per hour.
http://www.eliomotors.com
Vehicles will be built in the abandoned Shreveport Louisiana assembly plant. Elio will sell the vehicles themselves at specialized retail centers in the top sixty markets across the United States. Eight different colors are all hip, now and named things like Licorice, Sour Apple and Rocket Silver.
Elios come with standard equipment - a reinforced roll cage and airbags for safety, radio, air conditioning and power windows for comfort. Most of the components of the Elio are already in production, allowing the vehicle to keep a low cost and hopefully low insurance premiums. Because most of the components can be purchased at a corner auto parts store the carmaker is expecting low maintenance costs.
The small front mounted engine in the Elio is 70 horsepower, 1.0 litre, three cylinder device that resembles a Geo Metro more than a standard Chevrolet or Ford offering. Two seats are available in tandem configuration, or the driver can go solo and stow gear on the fold-down second seat.
The Elio is incredible because of its massive ambition. It's hard to think of another automaker starting out like this on such a large scale with such a radical product. Massive marketing campaigns aren't hitting venues like the Superbowl but the vehicle was featured last month at the Consumer Electronics Show, the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, and the Sundance Film Festival.
Even with heavy funding in place, a location secured to build the product, and suppliers on board for production there is a heavy question in the air of whether or not the Elio can become a fully realized product. Obtaining a five star crash rating will go a long way toward winning consumer confidence and once production begins it will be exciting to see how popular the vehicle is with American consumers.
With three wheels it would qualify as a motorcycle requiring it to be licensed as such and requiring the driver and passenger to wear helmets in many states.
I have toyed withe the idea of making a similar vehicle out of the rear half of a wrecked Harley or Goldwing or other large motorcycle and the front half of a VW bug.
I can see these selling well in Europe. Gas much more expensive and streets much narrower.
That was HILARIOUS, especially the people at that conference near the end...
Then they'd have a much more comprehensive lineup. They could even add in the Can-Am Spyder for the hat-trick.
They have obtained waivers in all states except 4 or 5 so that helmets will not be required. They are still working on the last couple states and will likely succeed in all 50 states prior to production in 2015.
Thanks for the laugh!
how's that airbag working for you?
you'd have to be a special kind of stupid to get into one of those anywhere near traffic
It’s convenient and a time saver. Your dead in any major accident, no medical bills and just be buried in whats left of the car saving on funeral cost...
In Virginia, they will call that a “motorcycle”, and will require a motorcycle license to drive it.
I wrote my representative about this, but for some reason nobody wants to fix the law.
The key to a 3-wheel car is to put the single wheel in the back, and don’t drive fast backwards.
I agree with the poster upthread that said it seems a lot like an enclosed CamAm. I wouldn't mind something like this as a commuter. I doubt it will end up getting the claimed mileage, but the idea isn't that different.
That was good.
You’ve always been on the vanguard of style.
Yup that was from Brazil.
A Messerschmidt 3 wheeler from the 40’s.
Hilarious.
I was thinking the same thing, except a 4wd pick-up like the Nissan or Colorado.
Not so fast buddy - NTSA is going to have a long, hard look at this thing.
I would imagine that they’re past that stage if they’ve already leased a factory and hired people. If not, they’re fools.
You beat me to it! Was going to post the same video. Been there - done that.
Although it is fair to say, putting the two wheels in front rather than in back does make a difference.
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