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It's not that simple. Clearances are tighter but metal is still imperfect and piston rings need to seat. This quote from Popular Mechanics is interesting, but drag racing is not wise during break-in. http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/saturday-mechanic-blog/how-to-break-in-a-new-car...

I'd treat it like I do any engine. Start it up, idle as little as possible, drive modestly until it's warm, then keep driving modestly to get good MPG. I don't BIRG over speed because I'm not doing the actual work, the engine is. Engineers say one of the worst things you can do to any engine is...

Apparently fuel efficiency is already a secondary goal in the tuner market. I'd want a more robust rear tire for potential blowouts, maybe.

I hope the price of oil rises soon, or the Peak-Oil-denying public will curb momentum for anything sold on a fuel efficiency basis. Then again, the low initial cost of the vehicle might override that. I'm no business guru but you'd think it could have started off as a smaller operation instead...

I signed when it showed 999 but a refresh didn't make it 1,000. I imagine it's not precise.

Here's a brief sequence of why oil has gotten so much cheaper lately. Keep late 2008 in mind while reading this. Attention spans are apparently short when it comes to black gold. Global conventional crude oil peaked in 2005/2006 (a geological phenomenon, not reversible) U.S. oil-bearing shale...

Using the word "so..." to answer a question has long been an irritant in modern interviews. It implies previous context in the dialog that hadn't existed. I read that academics were the ones who first started doing it. It makes it seem like the speaker had their train of thought interrupted...

Yes, I don't think it was ever a conspiracy, nor was the Aptera (though I doubted its MPG claims). There are people who simply want to do good in the world and a lot of cynical types can't grasp that concept. But Elio should have been ultra-realistic about production times, as that alone can...

I'm on the fence with pessimism and would be disappointed if at least several thousand aren't produced, which would increase chances for a similar concept later. Seeing a decent number of cabined 3-wheelers on American roads could sway people who barely get the concept. I put down an Elio...

Once the illusion of U.S. shale-aplenty ends (especially the confusion between fracked oil-bearing shale and kerogen) we may see the biggest Peak Oil price fears realized. I personally think it's crazy to not buy a vehicle for high MPG, but many people remain shortsighted gluttons who don't...

When you embed a URL behind text, it's only noticeable if you happen to hover over the text. This applies to Chrome, I.E. and Opera in my brief tests. Why no colored links? Thanks.

How would a single occupant pull that off for self-serve in any car? Keep in mind the narrowness of the Elio. When you step out, the front left wheel can act as a visual barrier while you walk around back. You have an unusual safety zone if drivers are mindful. Anyone driving one of these is...

Yes, though too many people still idle their engines at the pump despite warning signs. General gratuitous idling is wasting too much fuel in Glutmerica. If the Elio could have an engine stop/start feature (like some current gas-only cars) I'd pay extra. If often do that manually during...

I agree about the freeway angle, though there's a convenience factor in doing all your business on the driver's side at gas stations. Repeated audible low fuel alerts would be a good feature vs. only a dash warning light.

You definitely can, at least for regular vehicles. It would be a major blunder to not have some locking cap option on this CarTrike.

Surely you jest? Even 5 gallons would be plenty for a thief in a pinch. I doubt many have time to drain the entire tank, anyhow. After the Bakken and Eagle Ford shale-plays peak and/or world demand resumes upward, people may steal a half gallon at high enough prices.

It's not. I sure hope it locks or can be fitted with an aftermarket locking cap. I still see some new cars w/o locking gas caps and it makes no sense. I'd invent something myself.

It still depends on the quality of roads, since there's a finite amount of pothole dodging one can do, especially at night. I would get used to driving something more fragile and lower slung. Pluses still greatly outweigh minuses.

Many full-sized pickup trucks use big engines to haul around cargo-less steel 80% of the time, or loads that could be handled with smaller trucks or cars. Major fuel wasters. I see a lot of them driven for ego more than anything; too shiny to have seen real duty. A good sign of "conservatism"...

Regarding ride quality, it occurs to me that a 3-wheeler has a much greater chance of hitting potholes. With 4 wheels you can often straddle a pothole and a motorcycle could swerve around one, but a 3-wheeler trails down the middle so straddling a pothole may not help. In general, a trailing...