Elio Gauge Cluster - Lord Elgin? - Other Options?

[goofyone]

IT may be readable but it is still UGLY. Gauges for OIL pressure, WATER temperature, are the BLOOD of an engine; SPEED and FUEL level round out needed gauges.

Unfortunately that was likely never going to happen as idiot lights are less expensive than gauges.

Hopefully a lot of that information will be available via the multi-function center display.

 

[interloper07]

Thanks Joshua! This great video is further cementing my opinion that this controversy is all much ado about nothing.

I still like it. And I can't wait see what it looks like behind the wheel.

 

[JEBar]

though it may mean nothing, I find it interesting that EM's announced priority is to select off the shelf, proven components, that as much as is possible are American made, as inexpensive as possible, yet deliver maximum efficiency and sold performance .... like the P4 fenders or not, they evolved to enhance aerodynamics/ fuel mileage .... like the fuel port location or not, it was located to save $10 per vehicle .... like the windshield wiper location or not, it will be modified to improve aerodynamics .... the list goes on and on .... the only exception I've seen noted is the Elgin dash .... it was selected for none of the core reasons that continue to guide the develop of the Elio trike .... it is reported to be an emotional choice made by Paul Elio to honor his father and there is nothing wrong with a son wanting to honor his father .... from personal experience and from reading a wide range of post, it seems to me that when folks are presented with engineering, financial, or other concrete data that they can understand, they tend to go along with component decisions that may not be their first choice .... when presented by an emotional choice based on personal preference, such decisions can be harder to swallow .... like it or not, as things stand now, the Elgin is a reality .... once we get our Elio, I'll made a decision as to what, if anything, we will modify to better suit our preferences

Jim

 

[zelio]

Very nice. Thanks for posting it. :-) Z

 

[Rickb]

Yes, I agree when people see the Elio on the streets it's the last thing they will comment on until they walk up to the Elio and look thru the window then it will be the last thing they comment on. "This is a cool ride, but what's with the dash?"

 

[c0yote]

With MPH written on the face of the dash, I'm guessing there's no metric/standard toggle switch. So every time you drive up to Canada you have to convert your speed to KM/H in your head? Every car I've been with an analog dash in has had KM/H on the speedometer (granted in much smaller numbers), the few digital dashes have had metric/standard toggles.

 

[karl]

Reminds me of a road trip years ago when a back seater piped up with "gee sortie is a big town."

 

[goofyone]

though it may mean nothing, I find it interesting that EM's announced priority is to select off the shelf, proven components, that as much as is possible are American made, as inexpensive as possible, yet deliver maximum efficiency and sold performance .... like the P4 fenders or not, they evolved to enhance aerodynamics/ fuel mileage .... like the fuel port location or not, it was located to save $10 per vehicle .... like the windshield wiper location or not, it will be modified to improve aerodynamics .... the list goes on and on .... the only exception I've seen noted is the Elgin dash .... it was selected for none of the core reasons that continue to guide the develop of the Elio trike .... it is reported to be an emotional choice made by Paul Elio to honor his father and there is nothing wrong with a son wanting to honor his father .... from personal experience and from reading a wide range of post, it seems to me that when folks are presented with engineering, financial, or other concrete data that they can understand, they tend to go along with component decisions that may not be their first choice .... when presented by an emotional choice based on personal preference, such decisions can be harder to swallow .... like it or not, as things stand now, the Elgin is a reality .... once we get our Elio, I'll made a decision as to what, if anything, we will modify to better suit our preferences

Jim

What we have to understand is that, as far as I understand, the Elgin may look different but from a functional and cost standpoint it very likely does meet the off-the-shelf and low cost goals EM have set which is why it was included.

The gauge cluster is made by Dakkota which is an American company with American manufacturing capability and apparently those Elgin speedo and tach gauges are simply off-the-shelf analog gauges with a spinning dial which snaps into the same place the needle would normally go. Dakkota then calibrates the gauge with the necessary movement which they would do anyway to make their gauges fit the size, style and movement a vehicle manufacturer wants. This really is 'KISS' at work yet results in a completely different look.

The rest of the gauge cluster is merely idiot lights and that central multi-function display all of which would be there anyhow. So everything you see on that gauge cluster truly is off-the-shelf just like they said it would be and if there is any variance in price at all it is likely not measured in dollars but instead cents.

 

[goofyone]

With MPH written on the face of the dash, I'm guessing there's no metric/standard toggle switch. So every time you drive up to Canada you have to convert your speed to KM/H in your head? Every car I've been with an analog dash in has had KM/H on the speedometer (granted in much smaller numbers), the few digital dashes have had metric/standard toggles.

My guess is that this is another reason for making a speed readout available in the central display as this would be easy to change between MPH and KPH.

 

[SandyCWV]

I love your avatar. Is your goat jealous about being replaced? Z

Ha! No, she has twin boys to take care of and doesn't mind being out of the limelight.