[geowak]

Elio motors is planning a factory in an old GM building out of Shreveport, LA. American made built, with 84mpg on the freeway. A three wheeled car that uses "off the shelf" parts and can be serviced at Pep Boys locations. It costs $6,800 for a new model and one can get an Elio credit card and make payments at the pump as you gas up.

Would you buy one? www.eliomotors.com

[srb]

Some previous comments:

So what about the Elio

Steve

[RDavidson]

Not sure, but I like the idea. Vehicles like this are all that many people really need for 75% of their driving needs. Great way for me to get a "motorcycle" er.....car.....without the wife knowing.

[thunderbrick]

Yeah, I might.  My commute is 5 miles and it could be fun.  Could visit the grandkids 60 miles away, and with only once seat I wouldn't have to worry anymore about the hot babes that always want to ride with me.  Seems they just can't resist my '96 Buick Roadmaster wagon.  A "Woody," of course.

[GT Audio Works]

I would love to buy one...
The cost of owning and operating a new car is a bad joke.
The environmental costs for building, operating and disposing of todays auto technology is too high.
I believe innovation and technology will breed a better way to get us and our things around.
Is this the answer?? I hardly think so...but its a step in the right direction, and that's how the status quo changes.
By evolution more than revolution.
Would I buy one ??
Only if they make dedicated lanes for such vehicles.
I cant imagine myself or my loved ones motoring down the NJ TPK. in such a vehicle with 18 wheelers and huge SUV's ready to crush me out of existence.
Greg

[dpatters]

With less than 30,000 units ordered so far I can't imagine they'll last very long as a company.

[srb]

With less than 30,000 units ordered so far I can't imagine they'll last very long as a company.

> $200 million in sales on a pre-order campaign isn't bad.

If they can actually deliver the vehicles and they appear on the road, who knows what kind of sales they can make on a real and visible product vs a "blue sky" product.  Of course availability of service will have to be a working reality.

Steve

[Russell Dawkins]

If they are successful and are able to turn a profit at that price, then I imagine the Mark II will look a lot better after they hire a good stylist/designer. It looks awkward from certain angles - the rear, the wheel covers in front, the paint scheme - even the actual colours they are choosing. Also, I see from one of the videos that those A pillars are pretty intrusive into your field of vision looking forward. They need to be moved back, but it looks like that might compromise simplicity of construction.

[macrojack]

No idea if I'll ever buy a car from them since my commuter days are done, but I'm rooting for them to succeed. I'll take evolution over revolution as long as some badly needed changes can be brought to bear. Car dealers can generally be characterized as smug and shifty. That's a B&M enterprise I wouldn't miss.

[DaveC113]

A car like this will make a lot of sense for many people, mostly as a 2nd car. For commuting, it may actually be cheaper to purchase one than drive someones current vehicle depending on what it is.

I used to have a boss that commuted in a Chevy Tahoe. I did the math for him and he would SAVE money purchasing something like a Hinda Fit just for commuting, not even considering the cost of service, tires, etc for his Chevy truck. Just the savings in gasoline would have more than paid the monthly payment on a typical economy car. At around $7k the Elio should be a good investment for a lot of people.

[RDavidson]

With less than 30,000 units ordered so far I can't imagine they'll last very long as a company.

.......and your reasoning is based on........?

[BobM]

The picture on their website of the car driving along the West Coast highway with a cliff just to the right makes me think that a strong wind will tilt it over ... and down you go.

Don't see this in my future, unless they make a version for the golf course.

[MaxCast]

With less than 30,000 units ordered so far I can't imagine they'll last very long as a company.

Maybe they need a kick stand, I mean a kick starter program.

Actually, it's not that bad.  Better than those three wheeled motorcycles.

[R_burke]

It's perfect for me, I drive ~100 miles a day and mostly freeway.  I calculated my savings based on a conservative 65 mpg, and this will save me about $233.00 a month.  I currently drive a VW GTI and although I like it I like the extra $233/month even more.

[RDavidson]

Yeah, owning an Elio opens the doors to owning a fun weekend driver. This car will burn through a full tank of gas in 13 minutes at full throttle. So frikkin' awesome.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/08/13/dodge-charger-hellcat/14007391/

[WGH]

This car will burn through a full tank of gas in 13 minutes at full throttle. So frikkin' awesome.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/08/13/dodge-charger-hellcat/14007391/

Nothing special about that, my '77 Jeep Wagoneer with the 360 engine and Quadra-Trac full time 4-wheel drive uses about the same amount of gas... and it can climb too.

The Elio is looking real good right now.

[geowak]

Some previous comments:

So what about the Elio

Steve

My apology to mr. Burke, I did not see this post. To update, Elio has secured a factory and has some green lights. I do not know if they have enough $100 preorders to start production. Looks like a great commuter car to work, but I have my reservations about the safety. It seems about the same as a motorcycle, but you might be more visible to other motorists in an Elio than say... a two wheeled motorcycle. BTW in Ohio, it would be classified as a motorcycle and to own and drive one, you would have to get a motorcycle license/permit. I would think that would apply in other states in the USA as well.

[srb]

From CleanTechnica.com
Op-Ed: The Elio Motors 3-wheeler Won’t Sell

The author brings up an interesting possible point of contention:

"Because Elios are motorcycles and no one in their right mind would want to wear a motorcycle helmet inside one of these “cars,” Elio won’t be able to sell any of these “cars” in states that require motorcycle riders to wear helmets."

Hmmmm .....

Steve

[RDavidson]

Nothing special about that, my '77 Jeep Wagoneer with the 360 engine and Quadra-Trac full time 4-wheel drive uses about the same amount of gas... and it can climb too.

The Elio is looking real good right now.

Horses for courses. The difference is your horse wasn't built at a time when gas was $4.00 average.
Wagoneers are classic. Very nice, purpose built, machines.

[RDavidson]

From CleanTechnica.com
Op-Ed: The Elio Motors 3-wheeler Won’t Sell

The author brings up an interesting possible point of contention:  "Because Elios are motorcycles and no one in their right mind would want to wear a motorcycle helmet inside one of these “cars,” Elio won’t be able to sell any of these “cars” in states that require motorcycle riders to wear helmets."

Hmmmm .....

Steve

Of course Elio is trying to make sure this is just a temporary hurdle. Who knows how long it will take to classify these vehicles as "cars" in all 50 states. I think if they catch on and prove safe in the states where they are classified as "cars," I'm betting others will follow.