84MPG Elio Motors for $6800

[David]

G. David Felt
Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer
www.CheersandGears.com

Elio Motors Ultra High Mileage Auto / Trike?

 

 

Elio Motors is promising to have on the market next year an 84mpg $6800 2 person auto / Trike. This 3 wheel transportation has a configuration like most 3 wheel modern motorcycles with 2 steering wheels in front and a single drive wheel in back. Unlike Can-Am bikes where you still get wet, the Elio is fully enclosed auto. So what do you get for $6800?

 

Exterior measurements are as follows:

Overall Length: 160.5″
Overall Height: 54.2″

Front Wheel Track: 66.8″
(center rim to center rim)

Wheelbase: 110″
(center of front wheels to center of rear wheel)

 

Interior measurements are as follows:

Headroom: Driver 39.8 Passenger 36.4 in
Seat width: Driver 20.6 Passenger 25.3 in

Interior Shoulder Width: 26.8 in
Front seat Legroom: 42.7 in
Rear seat Legroom: 33.1 in

Elio has been designed to fit 95% of all men.

 

An inline, 3 cylinder, .9 liter, 55 HP, fuel-injected, SOHC gas-powered, liquid-cooled, automotive engine.

5-speed manual or automatic.

8 Gallon fuel tank with 84mpg highway and 49mpg city.

 

Elio Motors

 

So this begs the following questions:

 

Can Elio deliver on their promise of a $6800 2 person auto?

How or will the Big auto companies respond?

Being an enclosed auto with 3 wheels will it have to conform to all the regular 4 wheel auto safety requirements?

Would you be interested in driving this auto?

 

Yes there could be many more questions but these first four questions I believe are important to discuss. What do you think?

 

[SAmadei]

IMHO, the biggest hurdle is that this is not a car. Its a motorcycle, and getting a motorcycle license can be a hassle... not an overwhelming hassle, but enough.

[David]

 

Interesting to see that it is the same length as a CTS but half the width.

[Drew Dowdell]

I think it would be fun!

[ocnblu]

It's funny looking, but otherwise I do not see a problemo.

[§carlet §wordfish]

I prefer the looks of that one with the CTS... other than that, seems to tick most of my boxes. It'll be on my list of consideration when I'm finally ready for a new car.

[Drew Dowdell]

It would be a good car for Albert to run about town in.  His commute is only 7 miles each way, all suburban driving.  The price is certainly right.

[smk4565]

It is more like a 3 wheel trike, to me this isn't really a car.  What is a bit sad is the old Honda Insight from the early 2000s got 60 mpg city and 70 mpg highway, and it was car, and no car since has really topped that, that wasn't a plug in of some sort.   This seems like a Reliant Robin part 2, except the single wheel is in back not the front, so it probably doesn't roll over on every corner.

[§carlet §wordfish]

The Insight was also a hybrid and cost 3 times as much new. This is a trike in the eyes of the law (except Connecticut's) but for all practical purposes it is a car. It's got better amenities than my Sunfire. It would put a huge dent in the cost of my 48-mile work commute. An economical car should be about saving money, which is the opposite of what you do when you by a current hybrid. This is the high-MPG car for the rest of us. I'm excited for it.

[Drew Dowdell]

Excellent points scarlet

[A Horse With No Name]

I am with scarlet on this one....

[David]

I could see this also running on CNG or being pure electric. There is much potential here for an enclosed trike.

[67impss]

Been following it and me and a buddy both want one. I could see this with a turbo 2-3 cyl diesel (KUBOTA OR YANMAR) like the Israeli Tomcar

[David]

Reservation down payment changes Sept. 2nd. If you do the basic $100 down, you get a $150 credit towards your auto when produced. Starting Sept 2nd they are requiring 25% down payment of the purchase price.

[§carlet §wordfish]

Thanks for the update, dfelt.

[David]

Seems ELIO made a splash at the 2015 NY autoshow and we missed it!

 

Here is their Press Release.

 

[Drew Dowdell]

The Insight was also a hybrid and cost 3 times as much new. This is a trike in the eyes of the law (except Connecticut's) but for all practical purposes it is a car. It's got better amenities than my Sunfire. It would put a huge dent in the cost of my 48-mile work commute. An economical car should be about saving money, which is the opposite of what you do when you by a current hybrid. This is the high-MPG car for the rest of us. I'm excited for it.

it's interesting.  Elio has been going around to all of the states to get this classified as a car instead of a motorcycle. I would like to do an article about that.

[David]

 

The Insight was also a hybrid and cost 3 times as much new. This is a trike in the eyes of the law (except Connecticut's) but for all practical purposes it is a car. It's got better amenities than my Sunfire. It would put a huge dent in the cost of my 48-mile work commute. An economical car should be about saving money, which is the opposite of what you do when you by a current hybrid. This is the high-MPG car for the rest of us. I'm excited for it.

it's interesting.  Elio has been going around to all of the states to get this classified as a car instead of a motorcycle. I would like to do an article about that.

 

So what is gained by getting this classified as a car rather than a trike? I thought it was cheaper and easier to get on the road as a 3 wheeled trike than a car?

[Drew Dowdell]

 

 

The Insight was also a hybrid and cost 3 times as much new. This is a trike in the eyes of the law (except Connecticut's) but for all practical purposes it is a car. It's got better amenities than my Sunfire. It would put a huge dent in the cost of my 48-mile work commute. An economical car should be about saving money, which is the opposite of what you do when you by a current hybrid. This is the high-MPG car for the rest of us. I'm excited for it.

it's interesting.  Elio has been going around to all of the states to get this classified as a car instead of a motorcycle. I would like to do an article about that.

 

So what is gained by getting this classified as a car rather than a trike? I thought it was cheaper and easier to get on the road as a 3 wheeled trike than a car?

 

 

No helmet laws.

[Suaviloquent]

I see huge competition between this and other alternative forms of transportation such as transit, bicycles, car-pooling and car sharing services. It's priced right, but I think classification as a motor vehicle instead of a motorcycle may have to do with insurance costs for the consumer. I don't think it is a car though. In a perfect world, this would be city streets and HOV lane only; but restricting freedom may hurt this vehicle. Aside from the fact its styling is 10 years too late. 

[David]

 

 

 

The Insight was also a hybrid and cost 3 times as much new. This is a trike in the eyes of the law (except Connecticut's) but for all practical purposes it is a car. It's got better amenities than my Sunfire. It would put a huge dent in the cost of my 48-mile work commute. An economical car should be about saving money, which is the opposite of what you do when you by a current hybrid. This is the high-MPG car for the rest of us. I'm excited for it.

it's interesting.  Elio has been going around to all of the states to get this classified as a car instead of a motorcycle. I would like to do an article about that.

 

So what is gained by getting this classified as a car rather than a trike? I thought it was cheaper and easier to get on the road as a 3 wheeled trike than a car?

 

 

No helmet laws.

 

Good point, totally forgot just because it is enclosed as a motorcycle they would still require a helmet. Thanks for pointing it out.