Possible future daily driver

Lurch830

Lurch830

messin' with sasquatch
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Location
Wilton, NC
I remember posting something about this a while back and was just going to bump that thread, but can't find it...

I've been following this car (the Elio) for 1-2 years. They had it at Southpark mall over the weekend and I finally was able to go. I can fit at 6'6" (36" inseam & 280lbs) and have plenty of room. If they come out with their $7k price tag, 80 mpg & have a good safety rating, I will probably DD it. I spoke to some of the company reps there and asked a few questions:
~The weight is under 1,300 pounds
~They're thinking of offering a 6-8psi turbo system eventually that they estimate would cut the 0-60 time in half
~The motor is based on the old Geo Metro motor, but is sleeved to increase reliability and is a 3-cylinder 0.9 liter
~There is no standard to test a 3-wheel vehicle for safety, so they will be testing at independent companies and sending that data to the NHTSA for a rating and for them to develop standards
~They are planning on ramping up production this time next year (not the first time this has been said), but if it holds true they should start being released by 2016
~They are set-up to produce up to 300 per day once production begins

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That's a neat idea for a small little car like that. Would be great for a backroads commuter to work. You wouldn't catch me on I-85 or I-77 in one though.
 
I haven't made up my mind on interstates yet, but I would definitely use it to drive to/from work down highway 73.
 
I think a car that small would be safer if it had one of those tall fiberglass flagpoles used on sand buggies in the dunes. I'd be afraid somebody would change lanes in traffic and just not see the car close infront or behind a full sized car or truck. I don't see how they can make it safe if it is in a crash w a auto that weighs 3 or more times more.
 
Makes me wonder if I've been seeing the Elio, or What I thought were the 3 wheel motorcycles, with a body on them. Seen them with & with out doors.
As for size, I've seen the Smart car, & Four-two [whatever], on the Interstate, & Wondered, How Smart is That?:shaking:
 
Id be down. Be a perfect little around towner/ short hauler. If they're only 7k id be in.
 
mommucked said:
I think a car that small would be safer if it had one of those tall fiberglass flagpoles used on sand buggies in the dunes. I'd be afraid somebody would change lanes in traffic and just not see the car close infront or behind a full sized car or truck. I don't see how they can make it safe if it is in a crash w a auto that weighs 3 or more times more.
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I don't think that it would be any more or less likely to get hit than a motorcycle. At least with the Elio, you are surrounded by sheet metal instead of just thumping the pavement. From my understanding, the Elio has at least two airbags as well. The one in the picture is blaze orange as well. You hit that, and I'd have to wonder if it was on purpose.
 
Yeah I check up on this one every handful of months as well. They entered into an agreement a little while back with Pep Boys to do the "factory service" and repairs. Smart since it creates an instant service network. A little scary since I am not sure I really trust the Pep Boys service centers, but hopefully that will create an opportunity for training for those folks as well.

Hmm. Sadly in NC you will have to wear a helmet since it is classified as a motorcycle. As such it will also require a motorcycle endorsement on your license. Oh well.

https://eliomotors.zendesk.com/hc/e...oes-my-state-law-require-me-to-wear-a-helmet-
 
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It's basically a 3-wheeled motorcycle with a body added. To the extent that the MVA actually classifies it as such.

My nephew, who is 18 and in college, loves to drive and has been eyeing this. In a lot of ways it seems perfect, it's a decent cheap vehicle w/ good gas mileage that should, at least in theory, be inexpensive to maintain.

Here's a fun question - since it's classified as a motorcycle, do you have to get motorcycle tags, and have a cycle license to drive it? And wear a helmet?
It's be pretty entertaining to show up to take the riders test intending to drive that.
 
OnlyOneDR said:
Yeah I check up on this one every handful of months as well. They entered into an agreement a little while back with Pep Boys to do the "factory service" and repairs. Smart since it creates an instant service network. A little scary since I am not sure I really trust the Pep Boys service centers, but hopefully that will create an opportunity for training for those folks as well.
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They way I see it, if any old tech at Pep Boys can service it, then chances are, you can too...
 
Yeah, I'm not too crazy about the Pep-Boys warranty myself, but I think I'd take it to them for oil changes & easy stuff if that keeps any warranty work/disputes easier to get through. As far as any accidents, my guess is it would be similar to getting hit on a motorcycle except it should minimize the road rash, but as said in a car that bright orange or their neon green, I think it will almost glow in the dark!

And yes, you'd have to wear a helmet & it would be tagged/titled as a motorcycle so you'd need the endorsement too. Supposedly, they are trying to get it passed that it wouldn't require a helmet, but I don't see that going through.
 
I wouldn't be able to commute in it for the same reason I don't already commute on the motorcycle. No back seat for dropping off the kids at school.
Wearing a helmet inside a vehicle seems silly. I guess that's how they are keeping the costs down, classifying as a motorcycle so not having to meet the safety requirements of a car.
 
I saw it as well. It was closing time and the sales folk left. I popped the hood and did a fair bit of snooping on it. The engine was definitely lacking in technology. Neat idea. Just not sure how long they'll last. Has me interested though.
 
TARider said:
I guess that's how they are keeping the costs down, classifying as a motorcycle so not having to meet the safety requirements of a car.
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From what I understand, they cannot classify it as a car since it doesn't have 4 tires. The guy who came up with the idea has basically said they're just cutting a car in half lengthwise to double the mileage and a 4th tire would just increase friction/drag.

broncosbybart said:
I saw it as well. It was closing time and the sales folk left. I popped the hood and did a fair bit of snooping on it. The engine was definitely lacking in technology. Neat idea. Just not sure how long they'll last. Has me interested though.
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The engine that was in the car is definitely old technology. It is literally a Geo Metro motor so they can drive the thing around for the shows, but not what will be put into them during production. From what the lady told me, they are redesigning their own motor based off the Geo Metro design but will be upgrading it in certain areas (steel sleeved) and optimizing for their design. They had a mock-up on the stand next to it (pictured) that looked like it should be easy to work on.
 
TARider said:
I guess that's how they are keeping the costs down, classifying as a motorcycle so not having to meet the safety requirements of a car.
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The claim is they aim to meet auto requirements for safety anyway, even though not required. Based on the timeline left between now and the release date, I don't see how its possible they'll make it through all the NHTSA testing etc beforehand though. Maybe its just "theoretically" comparable.
And yest the motorcycle regs is b/c in most states, to get auto tags these days you have to have 4 wheels, and the NHTSA automatically classifies anything less as a motorcycle.

TARider said:
I wouldn't be able to commute in it for the same reason I don't already commute on the motorcycle. No back seat for dropping off the kids at school.
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It does actually have a back seat. So at least in theory you could take 1 kid to school. Any more may have to ride in a trailer on the back...
 
I think the price is what will get people interested in this over the T-rex. I could see me cruising the parkway, but wouldn't want to daily it on the interstate. Does it have heat/air?
 
strange1 said:
I think the price is what will get people interested in this over the T-rex. I could see me cruising the parkway, but wouldn't want to daily it on the interstate. Does it have heat/air?
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Comes with a bunch of stuff..."Every Elio will come off the line with a whole lot of standard stuff like AC, heat, power windows and lock, AM/FM, safety management system and more"
http://www.eliomotors.com/features/#customization

The one lady there told me I should not upgrade to electric seats (wouldn't want to anyway) because the manual seats can slide back further. The guy that explained where everything was while you were sitting in it said the front seats are from a Ford Mustang & the steering wheel is from a Chevy Camaro so it looks like they're using COTS products instead of re-inventing the wheel.
 
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