Elio

[Flack]

In this thread I will be answering questions about the Elio. The Elio is set to come out in the fall of 2015 and I have already made a small down payment to reserve one.

Here are the specs you need to know to begin this discussion:

Est. date: Fall, 2015
Engine: 3 cyl, gas (no electric)
Mileage: 84 mpg on highway (est)
Top speed: 100+ mph
Seats: 2 (tandem)
Crash test rating: 5 star
Comes with: power windows, power lock, am/fm radio.
Price: $6,800

Legally the Elio is considered a motorcycle since it has less than 4 wheels, although the company is lobbying to have it called a car to circumvent (a) motorcycle driver's license endorsements and (b) helmet laws.

[RetroRomper]

I have also been following the Elio because it fulfills a very specific car niche: cheap, long range commuter, safe & great gas economy. Thus I'm quite glad to actually know someone who has taken the plunge and pre-ordered one. My questions for you then are as follows:

1. Why your initial interest?
2. Will it be replacing another vehicle?
3. How will you use it?
4. Exactly who in your household though to put money down on it? Was it a tough sell for you / your wife?
5. Are you ready to be mocked for driving the equivalent of a vibrating bullet?

That is all.

[Flack]

My questions for you then are as follows:

I have reviewed these and determined them to be GREAT QUESTIONS.

1. Why your initial interest?

Round trip I have a 50 mile commute. I use approximately 3 gallons of gas per day, which is around $10. So I am looking for a way to decrease that. I also take a LOT of road trips for work. My wife's car, mostly because of me, is two years old and has 70,000 miles on it.

2. Will it be replacing another vehicle?

It will definitely be replacing my motorcycle. My motorcycle gets roughly 40 miles per gallon; ideally, this will get more than twice that. Other than the motorcycle I own a truck, a fun car, and my wife's car.

3. How will you use it?

I'll definitely be using it for commuting. I hate racking up pointless miles on my STI driving to work and back. My motorcycle's not big or fast enough to enjoy on the turnpike to work. My truck gets terrible mileage. This is the perfect commuting vehicle.

Like I said earlier, I also drive a lot for work. I take lots of trips to Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, and other places, all of which are a day's drive. 84 mpg makes a lot more sense on those trips.

4. Exactly who in your household thought to put money down on it? Was it a tough sell for you / your wife?

I initially put down the $100 non-refundable payment and have since upgraded to the $250, bumping myself up in line. $250 puts me in the 3rd queue out of 8 for reservations so I figure it's a safe investment. My wife couldn't care less if I buy one or not; she encourages my dumb adventures. At one point in time we owned four cars and three motorcycles. I am always buying or selling something on wheels it seems. At least this one is somewhat practical.

5. Are you ready to be mocked for driving the equivalent of a vibrating bullet?

I've driven a Ford Festiva, a dune buggy, a Suzuki Sprint, a Geo Tracker, a Scion XB and a Yugo -- ridicule is nothing new to me.

Here's the thing -- the Elio gets better mileage than any other gas-powered car and most motorcycles. The 5-star rating counters the "it's a death trap" arguments and at under $7k, I don't see how it could be a bad investment. I don't think hybrid technology has matured yet -- there are too many standards and the cost of replacing the batteries is crazy. I've ridden in a Smart car and it's such a tiny and underpowered vehicle. I think this thing looks cool too, at least better than a tiny round bubble, so hopefully that will spare me of some mocking. In short, for a commuter, this thing "makes sense" to me. I don't think it's a solution for everybody but I think I will get some use, or at least a good story, out of it.

One thing I forgot to mention is that Pep Boys have been named as the official Elio service dealer. There's a Pep Boys 2 miles from my house so that will be convenient. They are also using off the shelf parts, so I'm hoping that even if Elio folds years down the road, I'll still be able to get parts and get the thing running.

I would also like to paint it to look like a Tron Cycle but first things first.

[AArdvark]

How DO You Think IT Will DRIVE \N The Snow ?

[AArdvark]

Handwritten lnterface sucks right now, please forgive any spelling



THE
PEN IS NOT PREITIER
THAN THE
AARDVARK

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I have questions! I hope that you will find them to be quality questions!

1) Does it have one headlight or two? I hope it has two, so that when people see you coming in darkness, they don't think "motorcycle."

2) Is there a mod to let the backseat passenger face in the opposite direction of the road? If so, then I think an alternative to Tron Light Cycle styling would be that of a snow speeder.

3) Does Oklahoma have a helmet law? I would imagine that somebody has to step in here and stop people in a wholly closed vehicle from having to wear a helmet.

[Flack]

How do you think it will drive in the snow?

THIS is a GREAT QUESTION!

The Elio is front wheel drive, and since the engine sits on top of the front axle, it apparently does pretty good in the snow.

[youtube][/youtube]

[Flack]

I have questions! I hope that you will find them to be quality questions!

THESE are QUALITY QUESTIONS!

1) Does it have one headlight or two? I hope it has two, so that when people see you coming in darkness, they don't think "motorcycle."

It does have two (you can see them in the above video).

2) Is there a mod to let the backseat passenger face in the opposite direction of the road? If so, then I think an alternative to Tron Light Cycle styling would be that of a snow speeder.

I don't think so, and if you did you would lose what there is of a trunk. The Elio seats two (facing forward, one in front of the other) with enough room in the back for a couple of backpacks or bags of groceries or something. The rear seat lays down to provide enough room "for a golf bag".

3) Does Oklahoma have a helmet law? I would imagine that somebody has to step in here and stop people in a wholly closed vehicle from having to wear a helmet.

Oklahoma does NOT have a helmet law! Oklahoma has an "eye protection" law which says if you're not wearing a helmet you must have eye protection, which can be a windshield or sunglasses. Obviously the Elio's windshield meets those requirements. What would really suck would be a cross-country trip in which you would be taking a helmet off and putting it on. I can't imagine anybody but the biggest of dick cops would write you a ticket for not wearing a helmet inside a 3-wheeled car with a 5-star crash rating, but... you know.

[Flack]

So now I will tell you about Elio's "Gas Card Financing Plan." This is not required but it will be a financing option. I will be using round numbers just to illustrate the point.

Let's say it currently costs you $60 to fill your car up with gas. The Elio will use 1/3 of the amount of gas you currently use, so in the Elio, it would cost you $20. SO, whenever you get $20 worth of gas, the card would CHARGE you $60. The difference ($40) would go toward paying off your Elio. So technically, the Elio would not be costing you anything because you would still be paying what you used to pay for gas.

Also, the Elio has an 8 gallon tank, which at 84 mpg would give you 672 miles per tank. So for me right now, I could easily go two weeks back and forth to work on a single of gas.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I ran the numbers on getting to my new job, Flack. I get 55 miles to the gallon, and I now work 0.5 miles away. So that is one mile a day. That means that with the two gallon tank on the motorcycle, that's ... roughly 110 days before having to get into the reserve tank.

I like this future where the two of us have skullfucked Big Oil ("oil") and we just unleash a stream of dino come at them! I like it a lot!

[RetroRomper]

Would someone else point out to ICJ that riding anything except a bicycle half a mile is more than a little embarressing? Please? I really don't want to be the bad guy this time around.

[Flack]

Can't help ya, RR; I drive a golf cart out to the end of my driveway to check my mail. LIKE A BOSS.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Would someone else point out to ICJ that riding anything except a bicycle half a mile is more than a little embarressing? Please? I really don't want to be the bad guy this time around.

Can't help ya, RR; I drive a golf cart out to the end of my driveway to check my mail. LIKE A BOSS.

Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

You have no power here, Retro!

Ahhh hahaha aha!

[Garth's Equipment Shop]

And how is this "safe" again? I'm really surprised this was not among the questions already asked despite their quality.

[RetroRomper]

Three or four airbags, roll cage construction (the structural integrity of the "cab" in reinforced to resist damage), etc. The safety of the thing against anything say a head on collision with a tank doesn't appear to be in doubt, though these are computer simulations: the real crash test stuff should be coming early next year,

[Flack]

And how is this "safe" again? I'm really surprised this was not among the questions already asked despite their quality.

THIS is a GOOD QUESTION.

01. The Elio is designed not to tip over on flat ground. The company states that it cannot be done. That sounds more like a challenge, but...

02. Under the body, the Elio is built more like an airplane than a typical car. It's more like a roll cage with a skin, from what I understand. (It also has airbags.) Based on Elio's tests they expect the Elio to have a 5-Star crash rating. You can't actually get that rating until a production version of the car is tested by the NTSB, but that's what they are expecting.

To to be completely honest and not sugar coat anything, I expect that in anything more than the lightest fender bender, the occupants of the vehicle will survive and the rest of the car will be smashed to shit. That front end does not look like it would do well if Bubba's 4WD truck ran into it.

Also, for reference - crash ratings:

Front impact:
5 Stars = 10 percent or less chance of injury
4 Stars = 11-20 percent chance of injury
3 Stars = 21-35 percent chance of injury
2 Stars = 36-45 percent chance of injury
1 Star = 46 percent or greater chance of injury

Side impact:
5 Stars = 5 percent or less chance of injury
4 Stars = 6-10 percent chance of injury
3 Stars = 11-20 percent chance of injury
2 Stars = 21-25 percent chance of injury
1 Star = 26 percent or greater chance of injury

Roll over:
5 Stars = 10 percent or less risk of rollover
4 Stars = 10-20 percent risk of rollover
3 Stars = 20-30 percent risk of rollover
2 Stars = 30-40 percent risk of rollover
1 Star = 40 percent or greater risk of rollover

[AArdvark]

Re: Snow vehicle

I was thinking more like getting out of a driveway with four inches of that heavy wet snow after the street plow has pushed it a foot deep near the end. I guess not driving it on those few days wouldn't break the gas budget.

Does it have A/C?


THE
108 DEGREES
AARDVARK

[Tdarcos]

Legally the Elio is considered a motorcycle since it has less than 4 wheels,

Wrong. The qualification is either weight or engine size. California defines a motorcycle as having at least a 150cc engine (below that, it's a scooter, which does not require a Class M license or endorsement.)

But the key is either the weight. A "motorcycle" is defined as weighing less than 1500 pounds (in California). If it's above 1500 pounds, even if it has less than 4 wheels, it's a motor vehicle, meaning you can drive it on a Class C license, which allows operating anything under 20001 pounds that isn't a motorcycle.

I think something has been stuck in here, if my post goes over a certain size it is nulled out.

[Tdarcos]

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? I POST A MESSAGE OF 8 LINES AND IT'S BLANKED OUT! IF MY COMMENTS ARE UNWANTED THEN TELL ME.

If the manufacturer originally issued a title for it in California as a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, under the "full faith and credit" clause of the US Constitution, any other state would have to honor it and accept it as a non-motorcycle.

[AArdvark]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuukk