4 Wheel Elio???

[3 Card]

No but you can use logic. A 4 wheel Elio might be much like the 70's Vega.

Don't laugh. It was sporty looking. Useful as all get out, put the back seat down and you could haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood. You could reach down and change the spark plugs with one of those 49 cent stamped metal spark plug wrenches. and of course it got decent gas millage. I know poor sheet metal they rusted as you stood their watching, however everything else fit the concept of an affordable car that's not boring.

You would not be allowed to build that car today. A cheep camera not only increases material cost but R&D and labor as well. The cheep camera is only the tip of the iceberg and it all adds up. Emissions get way more complicated when you add that 4th wheel. I could go on and on and on but, the bottom line is the AFFORDABLE FUN concept and 4 wheels will never meet.

(Changed my mind) Actually we can prove it! Just start looking around at all the affordable fun cars that are allowed everywhere else in the wold but can't be imported to the U.S. Ever seen that 4 wheel amphibious motorcycle? I'd love to have that if there weren't an army of bureaucrats standing in the way!

From a first look a rear camera may seem necessary , I'll wait and see, Always add cheaply after purchase but when I go to Okaloma in 11 days I'll sit in it and probably form an opinion..

I could see a scenario where Elio added a 4th wheel sort of like the Tomahawk motorcycle had (two wheels very close together in the back. They could widen the back just a little to make it a little more grocery friendly and the extra wheel would make it a car. It would have to meet safety standards officially then but may attract the portion of the population who shunned the original because it "isn't as safe as a car". The second model would be a bit later though. I could see some people wanting to be able to put a weeks worth of groceries in the thing.

I think it would be do-able with a straight azel and fenders the same width as the front..It would be an axel only, no tie rods or steering arms..However, I want a 3 wheeler.. If it needs a fourth I'll find a way to do it..I've f..ked many cars in my life trying to make cool and failing at it..Also people keep asking how Elio is making this at a third of the cost of a traditional car.. It's a third of a 21,000 buck auto.. It's about half of a Chevy Spark which sells for about 14k.. so it ain't under priced, by the pound it's right there with the rest..

 

[Doni]

My guess is you won't find to many Elio customers who agree with that, and I've seen comments from 70+ year olds worried they won't make it to production. They aren't worried about function.

My point exactly. I'm 23 and studies have shown that we drive less than previous generations. It's not a pass-time like it used to be. It's just to expensive for it to be anything but a utility to get from point A to point B. The 70+ year olds may still care about looks and "fun" but generally people in my generation don't like paying that much for "fun".

 

[3 Card]

While I Like my Harley (13' FLHTK) it is a far cry from a technical marvel. I bought it to be part of the cult club of denial and status symbol. Glad to see this year they joined the 19th century and added liquid cooling and got rid of the CD player. Now it might be less like driving an Oven with a whooping 70hp. Good bike but my Honda Rune stock (as would any motorcycle Japanese or other) kill my Harley in speed, HP, technology, longevity, resale value, etc. Again, Like my Harley but anyone that claims this is a superior bike has never owned anything else. Also, having worked directly at the Harley plant WI, it's not as American made as you would think or be told. Just an opinion from a user of both.

I've had this DWG over 9 years.. no problems ..and still looks new.. find a metric car or bike that isn't rotting away after a year or two..Real Chrome.. not silver paint over plastic..

 

[3 Card]

So sell it more expensive. If people can afford it and need the space, let them buy it. They could get a different car altogether but Elio shouldn't close that door altogether. Again, this doesn't mean they would stop selling the "fun" 3 wheeled version.



Affordable changes from person to person. What is affordable to me may not be to you and vice versa. Also I never claimed it would be "fun".



I'd like clean air more than I'd like a "fun" ride. To me, vehicles are simple transportation. If they serve that purpose at an affordable price then I'll use it. My guess is I'm in a different generation than many people on this forum. Generally, we don't buy cars for fun or form but for function.

And what generation are you from/talking about ?

 

[Doni]

I'm 23 so technically generation "Y" or Millennial.

 

[KN16]

From a first look a rear camera may seem necessary , I'll wait and see, Always add cheaply after purchase but when I go to Okaloma in 11 days I'll sit in it and probably form an opinion....snip..

Not on an Elio! If someone is standing directly behind you you can see them in both rear view mirrors!

 

[H2odog]

Correct..I do not plan on giving up my "normal" vehicles ..Be nice not to wear them out and having to trade every 2 years I'll have a 7k beater for mox-nix driving that I won't be ashamed of being seen in..Nothing and I mean nothing stresses me out more thn arm wrestling and listening to a dealers bull-shit when trading in an automobile..If I can delay that task from 2 to 4 years I'd be one happy camper..

My answer to the dealer BS has always been "I don't have to trade. Either come back with an offer I will accept, or bring me my car, if you fail to bring either I will consider myself as being held here against my will and I will call the police. So far have never had to call and only once did I drive away in my old car.

 

[H2odog]

Not on an Elio! If someone is standing directly behind you you can see them in both rear view mirrors!

We often think in terms of what now is. (rectangular bodies) and not what will be with the Elio; a tapered somewhat triangular shape.

 

[Joshua Caldwell]

Not on an Elio! If someone is standing directly behind you you can see them in both rear view mirrors!

Yup, if they're standing a car length behind it.

 

[goofyone]

Yup, if they're standing a car length behind it.

The rear blind spot is not nearly as big as people think it is. This is another instance where the fact that the vehicle is so narrow really helps but it also makes it something you may have to see in person to really understand.
Remember the mirrors are already much closer together than any car so there is not possibility of a car sneaking in behind you without you seeing it. The rear blind spot is below the rear deck and is cone shaped starting as wide as the vehicle and extending back only about five feet. Elio drivers will really have better rear vision than most cars on the road.
This vehicle truly does not need any rear vision device other than the side mirrors. But if it makes people feel better I am sure they will have a camera option or you can add one yourself easily.