84 MPG American Made new car for $6,800

[B Calm]

http://www.eliomotors.com/?gclid=CL2_vIivzL0CFWxp7AodQVYA3Q

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. Perfect for an -

urban/suburban driver. Better if it were electric and powered off a solar panel.

[polichick]

8. Yes, on all counts. I'd like one.

[IDemo]

15. A different company, and nearly $30,000 (but still no solar panel) -

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/09/myers_motors_of_tallmadge_unve.html

[doxydad]

37. Gonna be a while I'm guessing...

Until you see solar to power these things that is compatible weight wise.

[belcffub]

91. There is so little roof area on these

that the solar panel would mostly be for marketing...

You also need to account for the additional weight of the charge controller, panel and wiring...

[IDemo]

94. No vehicle mounted solar will ever serve as the primary energy source

The solar insolation that falls on a vehicle is far below the amount required to power said vehicle, even if solar panels took a giant leap in efficiency.

[BlueStreak]

127. Elon Musk has dumbified America about solar

He hyped up his superchargers, implying that you could charge a Tesla from solar power using the little solar panels that are on top of each charger station.

In fact, it would take a solar array the size of a football field on a very bright day to supply enough power to run that supercharger station.

The best you could hope for from a solar panel on a car is to do a trickle charge while the thing is parked. And considering that cars are parked a lot, that is probably worth doing.

[kardonb]

36. perfect ?

perfectly useless for everyday business . You could not even buy groceries , there is no room for anything but one person .

[doxydad]

39. useless? NOPE.

You can fold the rear seat for a quick run for a few items, and obviously it's worthless if you have kids, etc. We're retired and we will get at LEAST one when it becomes available.

[frylock]

41. i carry groceries on my motorcycle

[11 Bravo]

60. When I rode I routinely did the same.

[AtheistCrusader]

72. +1

Tail bag, saddle bags, backpack, lap.

Lots of room.

[LuvNewcastle]

76. Same here. I can put $80 worth of groceries on my scooter.

[haele]

114. I used to have a 125 cc Buddy Scooter. About 4 1/2 ft. long and 4 ft high, weighed about 225 lbs.

Used it to commute 18 miles a day and do "during the week" shopping when gas would become hella-expensive.

I could fit six full bags of groceries (including boxes of cereal and a gallon of milk) and a half-bag (or a six-pack) at the commissary and still get home three miles away just fine. I had a "book rack" in the front that could fit one sturdy insulated frozen food bag or two stacked six-packs of soda, floor area for my purse and another bag, a 3 gallon trunk case (2 bags of groceries or a gallon of milk and one bag), under the seat storage (big enough for a full-face helmet or one and a half bag of groceries), and the passenger seat (which was great for up to two bags of boxed or canned goods).

The only requirement was to carry recycled bags (re-purposed plastic, insulated) and about half-a-dozen 12" and 14" bungee cords.

I would regularly transport $100 or so worth of fabric or craft items, or go shopping for gifts and bring home clothes from the cleaner on my little Buddy.

If it can fit in a cart or in a regular back seat, it can usually fit on a motor cycle or scooter, certainly on the vehicle in the OP.

It all depends on how well you can pack.

Haele

[BlueStreak]

129. I have a motorcycle trike. I have been watching Elio for awhile.

I doubt it will ever make it to market. But if it does, I might be interested in selling my trike and buying the Elio instead for a little better safety and all weather driving. ANd ironically, the trike cost about about 4 times as much as the Elio is supposed to go for.

I will say they are improving the styling. The first generation prototype was just horrendously ugly. This one is a little better. The guy seriously nee3ds to hire a good artist to give this thing a much better look. It would cost him under $100 per unit to make this a really cute thing that people would want to buy.

[mindwalker_i]

61. Uhm, do you ever go to work?

I would love that car to go to work in - it would cut my gas usage WAY the fuck down.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

66. I drove nothing but a scooter --

here in SF for years. As a single woman in an urban environment something like this would suit me 99% of the time.

[AtheistCrusader]

71. Plenty of room for stuff.

perfect for commuting.

Looks like it has at least as much cargo cap as the bike trailer I haul behind my 10 speed.

[LynneSin]

105. There's a foldable backseat in the car

So I could use it to carry another person. According to the website there is a small trunk available or I could fold the rear seat down if I needed more room.

I think this is a great car idea and hope it is successful.

[greytdemocrat]

2. Not a primary car

Unless you live/work in some area like "The Villages" here in FL.
or a big city.

I would not trust that on a major interstate.

[B Calm]

3. I think it would be safer than a motorcycle

and more comfortable too. .

[B Calm]

6. It can do 100 mph so it will keep up with interstate speeds.

[greytdemocrat]

10. No argument there.

I don't trust getting hit or even tapped while in one.

Like someone else said, it's just a fancy 3 wheeled motorcycle.
But it looks like it would be fun to ride.

[B Calm]

11. I drove 18 wheelers all my life. From my windshield even

SUV's looked like VW's. This little car has three airbags and has a 5 star crash rating. It's probably safer than my 4 wd Chevrolet pickup.

[AtheistCrusader]

21. Ahem, *Anticipated* 5 Star Crash Test Rating

Also, there's no fucking way in hell this thing costs less to make than my 52mpg single-cylinder motorcycle. No way. Composite sound deadening panels?

Nope. Not at that price point.

[Logical]

38. How do you know what the motorcycle costs vs. what they sell it for? nt

[AtheistCrusader]

69. Kawasaki usually pulls about an 11-13% markup between factory and dealer floor.

Doesn't seem to matter which model you look at. (A beemer it ain't.)

The KLR650 is a low-tech tank too. Hell, it still has a carb.

[Logical]

74. So you think they will have to raise the price from $6800? Or maybe a scam? nt

[AtheistCrusader]

81. I expect a higher price, and licensing it as a trike, not a car.

So the crashworthiness issue might be off the table. The vehicle is technically feasible, but the cost and crash standards claimed seem massively inflated. The CanAM trike would be a good comparison, and they cost a LOT more with the 995cc rotax engine developing that sort of power, at half the gas mileage.

I think they'll be doing good to get it around 12-16 thousand, and it'll have to be licensed as a trike, not a car. That's my prediction anyway. Keeping an open mind about the gas mileage claim.

[Logical]

82. It does sound way to low to be the real deal. n-t

[BlueStreak]

130. It is a niche. I don't see a problem with that concept

This is the problem I have with the Tesla enthusiasts. Tesla (EVs in general) is a niche, but the advocates can't help themselves for lecturing everybody about how that is going to take over everything. No, it isn't. It is a niche.

I think there is definitely room for a sub-$10,000 car that gets great mileage. Basic transportation and fun to drive, Easy to get around in cities. I think the MPG is not unrealistic. remember, 40 years ago, a Honda Civic could get 50 MPG before they loaded it up with all the stuff that makes cars $30,000 and up.

I couldn't see taking a cross-country trip in this thing, but if I had one, I'd drive it more than my car.

I think the concept is solid. I am just not so convinced that Elio will be the one that really capitalizes on it. There is Tata. Toyota has something similar under development called the iRoad (that is all electric, definitely an in-town vehicle. And there are several Chinese companies that could go for the same niche. I hope Elio is successful because I'd rather see it produced here -- albeit in a "right to work cheap" state.

[csziggy]

16. Don't "Village" residents use pimped out golf carts?

Tricked-Out Golf Carts Swarm Florida Communities
By David Kushner

It’s a brutally hot morning here at the Villages, one of the biggest retirement communities on the planet. But the saunalike central Florida weather doesn’t slow down the 77,000 seniors who call this place home.

On the nine softball fields around the development, smack-talking eighty-somethings try to leg out a base hit. Graceful swimmers slice through the water in glittering pools. Near the Bait Shop bar in one of the immaculate town squares, line dancers shimmy in unison.

Villagers play hard. And they drive … well, they drive kinda slow. Because the ride of choice at the Villages isn’t a Lincoln or a Cadillac. It’s a golf cart.

The diminutive vehicles are the primary mode of transportation for daily life here. Residents can drive them just about everywhere they need to go. They whiz along 87 miles of trails, from the Walmart to the town squares, from the hospital to the archery range. When they have to cross the six-lane US 27/US 441 highway, no sweat—they take the specially built golf cart overpass. “We don’t like to call them our golf carts,” a retiree named Warren Cromer tells me. “They’re our second car.”


http://www.sandlinggolfcars.com/tricked-golf-carts-swarm-florida-communities/

A slide show of some fancy ones: http://www.wftv.com/gallery/news/local/photos-luxurious-golf-carts-villages/g7q6/#3091584

[darkangel218]

20. Yes, and tons of them. and they dont pay attentions to traffic or pedestrians

I don't like the Villages at all.

[Aerows]

24. I've been there before

That has to be the last place in Florida I'd like to retire to.

[csziggy]

63. I hate driving through there!

Sometimes when coming home from Orlando, we take US 441 north and it goes right through the Villages. If we go that way, we try NOT to stop there!

We did once for dinner. While the restaurant was fine and the food and service good, the weird looks we got were disturbing. I'm not sure if it was that we were strangers eating at a local favorite place or if they didn't like our casual attire and my husband's pony tail but I was really uncomfortable the entire time we were there.

A group I am a member of has their state wide meetings there on occasion - I refuse to attend when they are at The Villages.

[OriginalGeek]

88. lol! My company has a branch there

so I have to go up there several times a year. Even in my business casual work clothes (polo shirt, khaki pants, nice shoes) my pony-tail gets the stink-eye at most lunch places I've stopped. It's become my favorite part of those trips - judging by the number of Romney and Bush bumper stickers I figure the odds are good it's a repub getting tweaked so it doesn't hurt my feelings at all.

But yeah, those maniacs in the golf carts are a terror.

[NCTraveler]

100. They like their fun.

"In Central Florida, where The Villages and other retirement communities sprawl across several counties, reported cases of syphilis and chlamydia increased 71 percent among those 55 and older in that same period."

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-05-16/health/os-seniors-stds-national-20110516_1_std-cases-syphilis-and-chlamydia-older-adults

[darkangel218]

19. They drive more golf carts than regular cars in the Vilages

[doxydad]

40. Villages?

Yeah we thought about going there but really have little info. Got a decent real link where you can see both pros and cons about the Villages? I don't rely on their website, it's going to not tell the entire Villages story. thanks!

[Raine1967]

93. Here is a link:

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/florida/features/2013/oh_florida/the_villages_scandals_irs_stds_golf_carts_and_made_up_history.html

I've been there, it's a very strange place.

[doxydad]

112. Thanks.

Yeah, I'll pass. Not much for 'socializing unless it's with dogs. Appreciate the link.

[Raine1967]

113. No Problem! Welcome to DU. eom

[NightWatcher]

4. that's not a car, that's an enclosed tricycle

[CFLDem]

28. Lol

Yep. Wouldn't see me anywhere near that thing, you know being an adult and all.

[dipsydoodle]

92. Don't think the owners of Morgan 3 wheelers look at it that way.

[SevenSixtyTwo]

5. Pretty cool looking!

I decided to hedge against the possibility of a spike in gas prices with our union built F250 and union built Escape that we will keep. The smallest I could feel comfortable with is the standard Prius. It's union built but by JAW, not UAW. At least they were paid a decent wage to build it. So far at six weeks and just over 5k miles, I'm happy with it. I put between 50 and 100 miles a day on it as a route work vehicle. 50-53mpg city and 47~ interstate.

[d_r]

141. We have a ford cmax

We love it.

[SevenSixtyTwo]

145. The Cmax

gets great reviews! Good choice!

[Orrex]

7. Better than the POS I recently got from a local used lot

[TBF]

9. Fancy go-cart -

No way would I drive that on our Houston highways.

BUT I am in favor of a sharp increase in taxes in order to fund fast trains and other mass transportation that will help everyone get around more easily.

[doxydad]

35. Agreed, BUT...

For instance, I live 10 miles between 2 different towns, so there's no possible way i can take mass transit. This is a very good alternative...at least for us semi-suburbanites

[kentauros]

121. The nice thing about driving here in Houston,

is that you can still get all across town without having to get on the freeways, especially if you want to avoid the ones perpetually under construction

[TBF]

122. Yes in the immediate downtown area

but not in the suburbs. Although you still have the potholes to deal with.

[kentauros]

126. Depends on what you call "suburbs" ;)

I'm only barely outside the loop in neighborhoods that were the suburbs only a few decades ago. And I can still get anywhere I need to go in town without using the freeways. Sure, it takes a little longer, but I don't have to put up with motor vehicle operators driving at high speed.

[TBF]

144. I wish I still lived down there -

we moved to the suburbs for the schools but I really miss the Heights. I don't blame you at all for avoiding the big freeways ... and as I said I would love to see more mass transportation. There are railroad tracks all over this city (both inner and outer limits) but the subway is very limited at this point.

[kentauros]

146. The only "subway" we have are the walking tunnels downtown.

The water table pretty much prevents subways here, not to mention the massive floods we get semi-regularly. It's bad enough when cars and trucks are submerged in the lower freeways like 288, I-10 and 59 past Shepherd

Hopefully, Metro will use the old r.o.w. alongside Westpark for their westbound lightrail. They've extended the first line to the north, I think to Greenspoint. Haven't yet ridden it that way, but maybe I will sometime soon. I always enjoy riding the rail to places downtown or just to the parks and museums

[TBF]

147. True -

I meant the metro train but couldn't remember what it was called. I have never been on it. I know it goes from Reliant up through Medical Center. I hope it is helpful for some folks but it doesn't seem very extensive. I am south of town and would love to see something built along 288 (whether similar to current metro or perhaps an elevated train ala Chicago).

[kentauros]

149. Well, the light rail starts at Fannin South,

(south side of 610, where their storage and repair center is located.) That goes all the way to UH-Downtown. That was always the "first leg" of the line, only recently extended further north.

It's a great train, great for people that work downtown, have to go to jury duty, and for events. The Continental Club is right on Main with a rail stop almost right in front of it

[TBF]

150. I've seen the Reliant area

near Rover Oaks but no idea what the Continental Club is (probably involves culture for adults & I am in the suburbs with kids/dogs - ha!). But I'm glad some people are using it. Sounds like it is a system that needs more expansion

[kentauros]

151. Continental Club is just a small bar and music venue.

I would have liked to have seen The Shoulders when they were here recently as they also played there. There are a lot of younger-crowd clubs in that area, too, and some acting theaters. Once you get past the two stops for the Medical Center, then you get into the cultural stops for a while

My biggest critique of Metro is that they love to spend our money on studies without doing much building

[eShirl]

12. can you have a passenger? (like a regular motorcycle)

I'm glancing through the site and can't see evidence whether or not there is room for a passenger

[B Calm]

13. Yes it has two seats. The rear seat will

fold down making room for groceries or etc.

[B Calm]

18. Picture of rear seat

?1389196760

[jmowreader]

14. It reminds me of the one person cars in Demolition Man

This would be great to have as a second car. Lots of people drive to work alone.

[DeSwiss]

55. And yet John Spartan still can't figure out how to use the ''shells.''

[jmowreader]

77. Can you think of anything more fucked-up than the three seashells?

They put three seashells, which get covered in ass germs after the first person uses them, in a public restroom for hundreds of people a day to use? Not only would that cause lots of diseases (the ass can't take being scraped with seashells for long, and the open cuts from doing this would just let the ass germs walk right on in) but the water you'd need to use to wash them would have a greater impact on the environment than just using the handfuls of wadded paper from the Twentieth.

With all the regimentation in society, plus the banning of real sex (although that seems to be one of the more widely ignored laws) and food with flavor, I wonder why they had to thaw out all the 20th Century Scumbags before someone thought of killing Cocteau.

[d_r]

142. you're not using them right nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

17. America has some really rough freways in spots....

There WAS a spot along the 15 between LA and Vegas where the road went up and down enough to act as a launch ramp at 70 and send a lighter vehicle unexpectedly airborne. Landing was a real test of the ol' alignment.

[PeoViejo]

22. Messerschmitt KR175

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR175


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR20

[B Calm]

29. American Pickers found a guy that had 12 or 13 of them. They are

worth a fortune!

[frylock]

42. a mess of Messerschmitts!

[paleotn]

49. I'd rather have a ....

...P-51 Mustang. D model, thank you very much. Cadillac of the sky!



?e8184b

[abelenkpe]

102. Me too nt.

[LibertyLover]

108. I'd prefer a P-47

workhorse of the skies.

[beevul]

153. I'll take the overpowered hotrod...

A lot of folks think they're ugly, but I love em.

[demwing]

56. Schultz!

[pangaia]

48. Oh, man !! Look at that R-50 with the sidecar !!

My first 'long term' bike was an R-50. Took my first 10 week summer trip on it with GF. Memphis to LA to Portland to Detroit and back to Memphis. Camped all the way!
And what did we do the morning after we got back to Memphis, after a LONG all day ride in the rain from Detroit?

Went for a ride, what else...?

[pipoman]

73. Exactly my thought

Then I went to enclosed Can Am...

[BlueStreak]

131. One of my favorites was the BMW Isetta

A local collector has 3 of these. Imagine a head-on collision in one of those.

[Omaha Steve]

23. Probably not for me, or I'd jump on it

http://www.eliomotors.com/?gclid=CL2_vIivzL0CFWxp7AodQVYA3Q


Will I fit in the vehicle?

Yes! Most everyone will fit in the Elio. We designed the vehicle to fit a 6’1” 220 person and have had many larger and smaller people try it out and loved it! Tallest so far… 6’8”, largest so far … 6’3” 365, smallest … under 5’ (weight not asked!).

[ChazInAz]

25. Nice vehicle.

Bears an amazing resemblance to the Aptera: a company that was the victim of a hostile takeover a few years ago.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

26. The Fonz?

[House of Roberts]

27. Steve Urkel had a BMW Isetta.

Same layout.

[IDemo]

62. We had one of those when I was a child in Turin, Italy

This color, if I recall:

[Codeine]

119. First time I ever saw one of those was in a Depeche Mode video.

Thought it was the coolest thing ever, but impossible to find.

[doxydad]

30. How cool is this?

Even tho they're saying that it may not be ready to go in 2015....I'm eyeballin' this practical little gem! Will buy one when they come out!

[Beartracks]

33. Same. I'm interested in this car. Gonna keep my eye on this. n/t

[Live and Learn]

64. I've been waiting for this gem since they first began looking for investors.

They have a cool new way to pay too:

Payment Options: This is the Coupe de Gras. Along with the traditional methods of paying for vehicles, we wanted to add something else unique; a credit card payment plan. It will allow you to drive off with your new Elio with no money down. You simply sign an agreement to use the Elio credit card for all of your gas purchases. We, in turn, charge your credit card three times the amount of the fuel (most likely less than what you were paying for fuel on your existing vehicle). The simplicity is the difference. Two-thirds of the bill is your car payment the remaining third of the bill is the original fuel cost.

Let’s give an example: You put $50 worth of fuel in your new Elio. Your credit card will be billed for three times the amount, or $150 due in full. The breakdown is simple; two-thirds ($100) is the Elio payment, one-third ($50) is the fuel. Details on minimums and the like are being worked out with several banking institutions, but the reality is simple. Drive off with a new Elio for no money down and pay for it with the massive fuel savings you have over your existing vehicle!

[TygrBright]

31. Can I fit a load of groceries in the back? If so, where do I order one? n/t

[Beartracks]

34. The back seat folds down to access an additional storage area. n/t

[jeff47]

96. Post #18 has a pic. (nt)

[Warpy]

32. Spiffy, but it won't catch on these days

You can't move the family into it when the job goes south.

[Control-Z]

50. I suffer such financial insecurity

that I've thought of saving up for a small RV or van, big enough to live in, if I had to at some point. I'm afraid if I don't one day it might come down to a sturdy cardboard box.

[Warpy]

54. When I read the financial writing on the wall

I invested in an old Ford Ranger with a small camper cap on it. I kept that thing until I inherited enough to live on. It was old enough to vote by then.

I had my dumpsters all picked out, too. Yes, I cruised the alleys and looked to see which ones had the best stuff and when it was dumped.

Marginal workers here can live in campers on cinderblocks and consider themselves luckier than the ones who live in shelters at night.

[Flatpicker]

43. for 7k

It could be worth having as a to work and back car.


I'm not quite sure why this can't have a small battery and electric motor.

[Strelnikov_]

45. What I was thinking

Maybe their idea is to keep the cost down with a gasser version, then roll out the electric which will be higher cost (batteries).

[Strelnikov_]

44. Maybe these guys are on to something

Work out the 'form factor' issues with a gasser version.

Then move on to the electric (or hybrid) variant, which is really where the niche is for vehicles like this.

TSHTF, gas jumps to $8/gal . . . which is going to happen, someday.

[Vincardog]

46. Did anyone see the specs of such things as heating/AC /sterio/ cruise control?

[B Calm]

47. On their website it says all vehicles standard equipment include AC

heating and am fm stereo. I think an automatic transmission is optional.

[Vincardog]

51. I like cruise

[llmart]

52. That wouldn't be practical in Michigan....

We have potholes that are bigger than that

[Siwsan]

53. Too right!!

This is the worst pot hole year I've ever experienced, and I've experienced a lot of Winters.

[tokenlib]

132. All Elio's development and prototype work has been done in Michigan...n/t

[llmart]

133. Yeah!

We need good news in Michigan.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

57. I rented a new Hyundai Sonata last Friday

to drive a very long distance to take my ailing tortoise to a vet who specializes in reptiles. I have only old cars and wouldn't risk having a possible breakdown with my 94 year old mother along for the ride. I was amazed to discover that I got just barely above 20 miles per gallon of all freeway driving. I haven't driven a newer car in years and I was surprised to discover that gas mileage is so bad on these newer vehicles. My old Renault 4CV gets well over 40 miles per gallon and it's from 1961. My 1973 Saab gets just below 30 mpg. Of course they only weigh about half of what these newer cars weigh.

[customerserviceguy]

86. Too bad they didn't have the hybrid version

I've had my Hyundai Sonata hybrid for over a year, and the very worst gas milege I ever got was about 28-29 MPG during the worst part of air conditioning season. I routinely get quite a bit over thirty MPG, and when its right between winter and summer, I max out at about 38 MPG.

[jeff47]

97. It's a problem caused by safety

They've got to add a lot more structure to withstand things like offset crash tests. That adds weight, which cuts fuel economy.

So your older cars do get better milage, but are significantly less safe in a crash.

[jtuck004]

58. Handy. Yank the wheels off and we could bury you in it after the wreck. n/t

[Niceguy1]

59. pretty and good to look at

But nothing more than a toy...not many people can have just that and no other cars

[IDemo]

67. If I ever wanted a 3-wheeler instead of a standard motorcycle:

[newcriminal]

68. That will be my next toy.

[AtheistCrusader]

70. Those things are great.

My mom has the RT, because we couldn't find a motorcycle small enough she wouldn't fall over at red lights.

[n2doc]

78. 4x the price

Fun toys for retired rich folks, around here at least. Those are the only ones I see driving them.

[IDemo]

80. I've seen mainly 30-somethings on them

Just a couple of older folks. Motorcycle prices in general have risen to the point where they are mainly expensive toys, though. I'll be keeping my $4995 used road bike for some time to come.

[Lizzie Poppet]

101. They run from $15k to $23k...about normal for touring bikes.

The Can-Am Spyder is most comparable to a touring bike like a Gold Wing or Harley Dresser (although you could argue that the higher performance models are more like the more long-distance-oriented sport-tourers...like a BMW K1300GT or a VFR1200). Inn either case, the prices are about the same. Higher-end bikes are not cheap these days...

[Codeine]

120. I want one of those so bad.

You can even get them with semi-auto trans and power steering.

[Larry the Cable Dude]

75. The catch: Insurance would be higher for this vehicle than a regular car

Because motorcycles pay higher insurance than cars, and this vehicle would be technically a motorcycle.

[B Calm]

79. My insurance was always cheaper for my motorcycles than

my automobiles. That said, I don't know where you are coming from, because this is clearly an automobile!

[Lancero]

83. Mentions that in the faq actually...

According to the laws, that is a motorcycle.

When it comes out, it's proably going to force some changes to how vehicles are classified.

[IDemo]

84. This is far from the first enclosed 3-wheeler

And yes, they have generally been classified as motorcycles.

[Heidi]

95. Dumb question, I guess, but does that mean everyone who buys one

will have to get a motorcycle license? That would make such a vehicle a no-go for me.

[jeff47]

98. Yes, but most states make it pretty easy to add motorcycle to a 'normal' license.

A lot of states have a mechanism to relatively easily add a "motorcycle endorsement" or other similar thing to a "normal" driver's license.

[Heidi]

109. With no practical exam (i.e., driving test)?

I got 100 percent on the notoriously difficult Swiss practical driving exam, primarily because I was allowed to take it in English. The written theory exam (which can have any of up to 800 questions) would have been a nightmare for me, as I would have had to take it in Italian. Obviouly, I wouldn't buy a car that required a motorcycle driving exam. If that were the case, I'd just buy a smart car. It's only a little smaller than my Fiat, anyway, and no further testing involved.

[jeff47]

110. Depends on the state. (nt)

[haele]

118. Motorcycle licenses are not hard to get.

Especially if you don't try and just go down to the DMV and pass the driving test, but go to an approved motorcycle safety and testing school, who will only test you if you can pass their safety course - which is the way to go.
Because they will teach you how to ride a small motorcycle or scooter (150cc - 250cc) in a safe environment, and you will take the test on the same cycle or scooter you learned to ride on the same course you were taught on in the afternoon after they're sure you can take the test.
The only thing you have to deal with at most DMVs is to take the written test and to get another picture taken for the new license.
I got the "M" addition to my driver's license a few years ago having only ridden bicycles all my life - my advice - if they have one, use the scooter to train on if you don't think you're coordinated enough for toe shifting.

(Disclaimer - this is based off experience with the CA Motorcycle license regulations; YMMV in other states)

Haele

[tokenlib]

135. No motorcycle license needed in most states..

Elio has been working on "autocycle" exemptions where needed in most of the country. In many states the legislation necessary passed unanimously. So no motorcycle license in most of the US needed for the driver. The "vehicle" plate may be a motorcycle plate..

[Glassunion]

107. My motorcycle insurance has always been way cheaper than my car.

I've been riding since I was 16. The bike has always been about 3 to 5 times cheaper than my cars. In fact I've never heard of a motorcycle being more expensive.

Not sure where you're getting the "motorcycles pay higher insurance than cars".

[haele]

116. It shouldn't; my scooter was $185 a year for full insurance.

I just ran a Can-Am through Progressive for a quote (the closest type of vehicle to the Elio) as if I were to use it like I used my scooter as a commuter vehicle, and it's around $350 a year if you park your Can-Am in a garage. (I figured that would also be close to what it would cost for an enclosed vehicle.

The question is if they can get an insurance company involved; you'll probably see eSurance or Progressive teaming up with them, as they were the first companies to cover the Can Am as a brand. I suspect Elio will have the same baseline.

Haele

[TlalocW]

85. Husband of a friend mentioned this car to me a month ago

I've been looking at their website more and more. I'm in my early 40s with very little likelihood I'll get married, and if I do, there won't be any kids. 90% of the time I drive alone. I currently have two vehicles - an E250 van - that runs on CNG - and then my mom's car, which my sisters told me to "borrow indefinitely" from her (because they don't want her driving because of her age and health) after I got rid of my 1994 Nissan Sentra, even though I was prepared to buy something else. It's a boat of a Buick, and I'm looking either at this or getting a used Honda Fit (one that has been heavily discounted because of repaired hail damage - which you can't see) because I have an issue paying more than $10,000 for a car. I look at vehicles as tools, and if they can save me money in one way or another, I can pretty much live with anything.

TlalocW

[ecstatic]

87. really cool

I'm not going to be a guinea pig though. I'll observe how things go over the next five years or so.

Also, the pitch made on YouTube was a little over the top, like they're aiming for rush limbo's audience or something. Reserve now and "Help your country...." etc

&feature=youtube_gdata_please

[B Calm]

89. Like you I want one

but, l'll wait a couple years and let them get the bugs out of it. Then they'll probably want too much for one.

[badtoworse]

90. Thanks, but I'll stick with my SUV.

[dilby]

103. It's not a car, because it has 3 wheels it's classified the same as a motorcycle.

And because it's classified as a motorcycle it only has to meet the same safety regulations as one. Although it looks really nice I wont be riding around in one for the same reasons I wont ride around in a motorcycle even though they get better gas mileage.

[whistler162]

104. Might be a interesting spring/summer/early fall car....

[B Calm]

125. There are pictures and video of it driving in snow. They say it

gets really good traction. I think it would be okay if the snow is not too deep, but that's true for a lot of small cars.

[riqster]

106. It is now on my list of next cars.

[Glassunion]

111. Subject is misleading. It's not a car.

[B Calm]

124. It has a windshield, steering wheel, gas and brake pedal, a car engine,

electric windows and a rear seat, I sure as hell wouldn't call it motorcycle

[Glassunion]

134. Then why is it classified as a motorcycle?

Motorcycles have windshields and rear seats.

It's a trike. Basically a Can-Am with a roof, fewer options and less storage space.

[B Calm]

137. Good question. It's clearly a car, even has a Chevy motor.

[Glassunion]

139. Where did you see that Chevy supplied the engine.

From browsing around I figured IAV made the engine and gearbox.

[B Calm]

140. My mistake. It reads it resembles a Geo 3 cyl.

[tokenlib]

148. It's a Geo Metro engine in the "mule"..the IAV engine is based on it..

The engine should be ready by June for the prototypes they are building for pre-production testing. The engine is based on the Metro motor...updated, modernized, and designed by IAV..to be built by Elio.

[lumberjack_jeff]

115. If I'm going somewhere, I'm always either carrying stuff or passenger(s).

I'm not sure what advantage this has over an electric assist velomobile.

[Ms. Toad]

136. Capability of going 100 mph, for one thing.

Safety (3 air bags & anticipated 5-star crash rating).

We have 2 aging cars, and not much extra money at the moment. Most of the time, each of the three of us drive in a separate car at least a 9 mile round trip - no public transportation, and most of where we go is that far away).

We're looking at at least one, perhaps two of them - keeping one of the old boats (Civic and Accord) for when all 3 of need to go somewhere together, and my Insight.

[Sheepshank]

117. totally thinking out of the box.

Did you read one of the financing options? Get and elio credit card, and every time you fill up, the card is charged 3x the amount of the gas. 1/3 goes to the gas the other 2/3 goes to the car payment. Apparently the thinking is that what you normally would have spent on gas will pay off the vehicle. Who thinks that way?

[kentauros]

128. At least they put the single wheel in the back.

[d_r]

138. I've been wanting one

but I can't convince my wife I could drop off our two kids at school.

[Warren DeMontague]

143. Does it come with the grimacing Michael Shannon look-alike guy?

or is he extra?

[BlueStreak]

152. Now they are talking 2017

The video implied this would be shipping in 2005. Their new PR template has this paragraph:

About Elio Motors: Founded by car enthusiast Paul Elio in 2008, Elio Motors Inc. represents a revolutionary approach to manufacturing an ultra-high-mileage vehicle. The 3-wheeled Elio will attain a highway mileage rating of 84 mpg while providing the comfort of amenities such as power windows, power door lock and air conditioning, accompanied by the safety of multiple air bags and an aerodynamic, enclosed vehicle body. Elio's first manufacturing site will be in Shreveport, La., with plans for the first production vehicle to roll off the assembly line in 2015 and significant production, sales and distribution during the next two years.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elio-motors-names-flame-spray-industries-as-supplier-of-cylinder-coating-technology-254394241.html

Mr. Elio really, really needs to spend a few bucks employing a competent stylist.