Elio Motors

for the last 10 years we have spent 6 - 7 months a year traveling in our camper .... not long ago I came across the Elio project and have been following it closely .... they continue to have a $6,800 target price which they say is doable because with the exception of the motor and transmission it will be made of off the self parts .... they are anticipating a 5-Star crash rating and are still aiming at 64+ mpg rating .... I believe that once it goes into production next year that it won't be long until we see them being towed behind motor homes and in some cased behind 5ers .... they continue to say it will be able to be flat towed but they are still working out the engineering needed to determine if it is best for the tow bar to attached to the front or rear .... I've found the Elio Owners' Forum is a wealth of info .... they have a good group of folks who are happy to exchange info and ideas .... we are strongly considering ordering one to use at home and, where legal, to tow behind our 5er ... as of yesterday they report having 33791 vehicles that are have been ordered and reserved with cash

Jim

Here is a new Translogic video review.

I just checked the legislation calander, and the bill was signed into law on 31 May 14. I think Illinois also has similar legislation in work. I really think this vehicle will become the "VW of the 2020s". There are similar vehicles, but this is the first to head for mass producition - 250,00o Elios a year.

Cheers - Terry (36' Itasca Horizon to pull my Elio!)

Colorad has already addredssed the situation - I am not sure if the bill has beem signed into law yet, but you caan read the bill here:

http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2014a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/C4F6FFD7957A18B887257CAC0059DE2B?Open&file=1367_rer.pdf

Major points are NO "M" endorsement needed, NO motorcycle safety gear (helmet. gloves, etc). For the vehicle the major point is if the vehicle were turned vover, will it still protect the occupants. The Elio has a roll cage structure and a roof, other could qualify, I guess, if they had just roll bars (ie - like convertables sports cars?).

It's not clear yet on what happens if you drive it in other states (we want it for our RV dinghy), but Elio is actively pursuing this - check into their blog to follow what's going on,.

Cheers - Terry (#4387!!)

Good, I hope they're successful.

Yes by federal law it is a motorcycle, but Elio is working with the states to get it classed as an autocycle. Therefore not needing a cycle endorsement or helmet.

In some states it's classed as a motorcycle requiring appropriate license.

I apologize for necroing a thread, but I did ask the Elio guys about towing this four-down, and the response was positive. I'm sure it will take the usual brake and other equipment, but if it does go into mass production, this would make a great toad for one person or a couple. The price makes it tempting to have it repainted with a Line-X bedliner to minimize damage due to rock chips.

Queens Carriage wrote:
to mowermech. (LA) Louisiana and (AL)Alabama are not far apart.

I have heard it said that "LA" really means "Lower Alabama"!


"...although it may not need brakes, based on weight, in many states..."
Since it probably does NOT meet the legal definition of a "trailer" in many states, the weight may be meaningless. In fact, Many states (and the FMVSS) have Braking Performance Laws, which may well be the only law that must be complied with when towing a vehicle.

I do most of the shop work on a wide range of equipment (we own a ranch near Colorado Springs). I did buy an El Cheapo 50cc bike for my wife to tool around the ranch - they put it together but couldn't get it started until I mentioned the altitude - they had no clue. I have bought parts there - they had what I needed at a fair price. Normally I go on-line to find the best prices, but those were parts I needed to get back to work. The Elio is supposed to be back-yard mechanic freindly - no fancy computer systems - that'll help. My HHR you open the hood and can't even tell it's an engine - covers over everything, probably on purpose to scare away tinkerers.