Elio And Gas Prices

[elio_curious]

about $10... I carpool and my old Civic gets 33mpg almost always

I put about ~ 10k miles on it per year, so doing that with the Elio would save me $783 per year.

It would take 9 years to pay off the Elio at $7000 with gas @ $4.40 per gal

 

[Jayne Shelby]

Not that it's a fair comparison but I was driving my motorhome on a road trip from Maryland to Pennsylvania. Total cost of the gasoline was $201.00. Driving the Elio that distance would have cost me around $20.00. Savings around $181.00. Keep in mind that I didn't need a hotel for the 6 days I was gone and stealth camped (easy to do that in a class B motorhome) the entire time so there was no fees at a camp ground. That being said I don't even consider the gas savings. To me it's all about the experience of driving something unique and having fun doing it.

 

[Smitty901]

About 30%. I rode my motorcycle with the temps at 31-40 in the AM warm up time fuel mileage was down a bit . Over all if I had the ELIO it would has likely saved about 30% of the gas I used.

 

[zelio]

Not that it's a fair comparison but I was driving my motorhome on a road trip from Maryland to Pennsylvania. Total cost of the gasoline was $201.00. Driving the Elio that distance would have cost me around $20.00. Savings around $181.00. Keep in mind that I didn't need a hotel for the 6 days I was gone and stealth camped (easy to do that in a class B motorhome) the entire time so there was no fees at a camp ground. That being said I don't even consider the gas savings. To me it's all about the experience of driving something unique and having fun doing it.

Do I dare ask what "stealth camping" is? :-) Z

 

[Dustoff]

Do I dare ask what "stealth camping" is? Z

Parking for the night in a "public" area?

 

[Mike W]

In the last few days the gas prices have taken a notable dip and from what the news reports say will continue lower, with sub-$3/gal possible if not probable. The reports also say the price will again rise as summer gets close (think Memorial Day weekend). Do you think this will have an effect on reservation numbers in the coming months? Are peoples memories so short as to think gas conservation is a thing of the past?

 

[wayne kemp]

In the last few days the gas prices have taken a notable dip and from what the news reports say will continue lower, with sub-$3/gal possible if not probable. The reports also say the price will again rise as summer gets close (think Memorial Day weekend). Do you think this will have an effect on reservation numbers in the coming months? Are peoples memories so short as to think gas conservation is a thing of the past?

I believe that for the majority of the Elio (want-to-be owners) gas price as long as it is $3.50 or less doesn't matter if they get an Elio or not.
For the most part I think it's like a new iphone to most. Something they can do without but WANT.

 

[Craig]

In the last few days the gas prices have taken a notable dip and from what the news reports say will continue lower, with sub-$3/gal possible if not probable. The reports also say the price will again rise as summer gets close (think Memorial Day weekend). Do you think this will have an effect on reservation numbers in the coming months? Are peoples memories so short as to think gas conservation is a thing of the past?

Little if any.
The money I save on gas no mater how little, is still more money in my pocket, I mean my wife's pocket.

I think the price and 3 year 36K has more of a pull then the 84mpg. JMO

 

[AriLea]

There are a number of people 'doing the calculation'. How much do I save per month?
For that group, it will make some difference. But they also are calculating what 'could' gas cost through next year.
But relatively few of them have put any money down. They think more in the now than late next year.
For some number of people, it's the cost to obtain reliable transportation. Gas will have very little change for them,
unless the economy gets so good they don't worry about money, but in that case gas would go up again.
But again relatively few of them have put any money down. They think mostly in the now than early next year.

Just my opinion;
But on the mind set of the general population, that will take a sustained expectation of price to go under $3/gal before
it's affected. However, it's already affected in the sense we aren't much worried about $4/gal very soon.
Still, everyone has still got it in mind that we could go to 4. And that won't change though next year.
And if gas did go down too far, that makes everyone worry about 'deflation'. In that economy an inexpensive car is super desirable.

Gas up or gas down, the Elio in production looks pretty good to most everyone financially.

 

[Mike W]

You're both probably right. The Elio needs to stand on it's own merits mechanically and the logic of having a car for a specific purpose/audience (people wanting or needing a smaller vehicle for not too much $$). Saving gas is just one of its selling points.