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| Elio Car/Motorcycle/Prototype While small and narrow it's as long as most cars. |
I've been following the Elio's development for a couple of years now. Production has been moved to mid 2015. One of the guys told me that Paul Elio said, "Had he known how hard it would be to get a car into production, he'd have just forgotten the whole thing."
The goal is a $6,800 base price which should include radio, power steering, power windows, heater, air conditioner... The other big goal is 84 mpg on the highway and probably around 50 mpg in the city.
Will this car happen and will they meet their goals? Production is being set up in the old GM plant in Shreveport, Louisiana. I don't have any inside info, but everything I've seen certainly indicates, yes. I feel about 95% certain there will be an Elio Car. But, I'm guessing the $6,800 price will be a short lived price at best. (I haven't signed up and put down $100 to $1000 deposit like many have, but I did buy the domain name "Elio-Car.com".)
Pushing air is what burns gas on the highway and 84 mpg is plausible because the car is about half as wide as most cars and will be very aerodynamic. The car should weigh around 1200 pounds which is another key factor in getting better mpg. Most small and midsize cars weigh two or three times that.
The power plant will be a tiny three cylinder, 55 hp engine which should give the car a decent or average power-to-weight ratio something like 1hp to 22 pounds. They say over 100 mph top speed and I would expect it to feel pretty "peppy". You don't actually need 300 hp unless you're moving a couple of tons around.
Pep Boys has signed on to maintain this simple vehicle which is said to use mostly off-the-shelf parts and also be user friendly for maintenance. That all sounds like good, smart moves to me.
What did I think? Well, I'd studied the Elio online enough to know what to expect, but I was still a little disappointed in a few things.
- I'd expected a more panoramic view from the cockpit than the long sloping windshield and thick side pillars give. It's not bad, maybe my expectations were too high.
- I'm most often alone and the I'd hoped the space behind the seat would be more usable than it appeared. It would be great to be able to remove the rear seat to utilize all the available space; we'll have to wait and see what they do.
- The "trunk or turtle" is over the rear tire so it's shallow and similar to the under seat storage on some motor scooters. If two people take a trip they will need saddlebags or a trailer.
- The prototype appears very low with little ground clearance, good for handling, but not the best for comfort, entry/exit, or any off-pavement dirt road driving. I read that the ground clearance will be around 5.5 inches or about average car clearance.
Overall I like the Elio. I think it will make a great second vehicle for many people and may serve as the primary vehicle for some people.
