A Few Questions.

[zelio]

For a spare tire alternative, buy a can of Slime quick spare. It's what I plan on carrying

Personally I want those other tires by Bridgestone - the ones that are not pneumatic. But of course they would have to be in Creamsicle even if they don't show. Turquoise simply would not do. :-) Z

 

[DWR]

1. I DO NOT recommend anyone try this as it would not be a safe act. Popping it in reverse would likely just damage your transmission. What you would have to do is disable the ABS and rear brake, accelerate hard, and stomp on the front brakes which may, depending on vehicle speed and balance, bring the rear end up just like it would on a motorcycle/atv stoppie or endo.

2. Carry a can of fix-a-flat which should take care of you most of the time. Motorcyclists run without spares all the time without many issues. If you absolutely need one they will sell them as an option however you would pretty much give up all the space in the rear hatch.

3. The details on this have not been released however this would be a credit card so interest would likely be charged and I would also imagine a minimum monthly payment would be required. This sounds like an interesting idea however depending on the interest charged it may or may not be a good idea for some people.

Hey Goofy. Question #1 was just for fun. I was just asking if anyone thought it would be possible. Yeah, I know, sometimes the thoughts that go through my head scare me too. It was meant to give you a chuckle. nothing more. Your number 2 answer is a great idea. As for #3, if this card is like any other credit card, no interest is charge if paid off every month. If someone is getting 25mpg (me), no extra money is needed per month for a car payment. The car will be paid off eventually with your savings in gas. Think about that. The kid at the drive thru window asking you if "you want fries with that" could afford an Elio! On a side note, I ride a Triumph 900cc triple. NOTHING sounds like a triple. Have you heard anything about aftermarket exhaust? Nothing loud, just a little more noticeable. I love the exhaust note of a triple.

 

[DWR]

Oh yea backwards wheelie!! Put her in reverse and dump the clutch. I'll let you try it first.

I think you are one of the very few that gets my sense of humour. What a mental picture? An Elio going backwards with the rear tire pointing out cloud formations!

 

[goofyone]

Hey Goofy. Question #1 was just for fun. I was just asking if anyone thought it would be possible. Yeah, I know, sometimes the thoughts that go through my head scare me too. It was meant to give you a chuckle. nothing more. Your number 2 answer is a great idea. As for #3, if this card is like any other credit card, no interest is charge if paid off every month. If someone is getting 25mpg (me), no extra money is needed per month for a car payment. The car will be paid off eventually with your savings in gas. Think about that. The kid at the drive thru window asking you if "you want fries with that" could afford an Elio! On a side note, I ride a Triumph 900cc triple. NOTHING sounds like a triple. Have you heard anything about aftermarket exhaust? Nothing loud, just a little more noticeable. I love the exhaust note of a triple.

Not to worry as I did chuckle when I read it. Then the engineer in me started wondering if something similar were possible and what it would take to do it. I just had to add the disclaimer as you never know what some people may do. If someone does try it and wrecks their Elio I will definitely enjoy laughing at them.

I really liked the credit card concept when I first heard about it and also understood it working just the way you just described. I just don't trust credit card companies and large banks not to try to screw people over.

 

[lafrisbee]

1. I DO NOT recommend anyone try this as it would not be a safe act. Popping it in reverse would likely just damage your transmission. What you would have to do is disable the ABS and rear brake, accelerate hard, and stomp on the front brakes which may, depending on vehicle speed and balance, bring the rear end up just like it would on a motorcycle/atv stoppie or endo.

2. Carry a can of fix-a-flat which should take care of you most of the time. Motorcyclists run without spares all the time without many issues. If you absolutely need one they will sell them as an option however you would pretty much give up all the space in the rear hatch.

3. The details on this have not been released however this would be a credit card so interest would likely be charged and I would also imagine a minimum monthly payment would be required. This sounds like an interesting idea however depending on the interest charged it may or may not be a good idea for some people.

Your answer to Question #1 was not wasted on me. I found the humor.

 

[DWR]

Driving since 72, never had a flat. Rotated every 10K and drove till the wires were sticking out the side walls on all four tires.

Knock on wood brother! Not many can say that.

 

[DWR]

Not to worry as I did chuckle when I read it. Then the engineer in me started wondering if something similar were possible and what it would take to do it. I just had to add the disclaimer as you never know what some people may do. If someone does try it and wrecks their Elio I will definitely enjoy laughing at them.

I really liked the credit card concept when I first heard about it and also understood it working just the way you just described. I just don't trust credit card companies and large banks not to try to screw people over.

Well, as an engineer, don't you think the govt. would not let a vehicle on the road that could have this happen? we live in a highly regulated society,especially with transportation regulations to protect idiots from themselves. Seems like years of testing and safeguards are in store for the Elio. Someone out there could eventually try this, and when they get hurt, they will sue for thier own stupidity if Elio doesn't put some sort of safeguard in place. I really want an Elio, But if this is as far as they have gotten since 2008, I'll have to look much closer at this company before any money is invested. I value your opinion, as you have researched this vehicle much longer (two weeks) than I have.

 

[goofyone]

Well, as an engineer, don't you think the govt. would not let a vehicle on the road that could have this happen? we live in a highly regulated society,especially with transportation regulations to protect idiots from themselves. Seems like years of testing and safeguards are in store for the Elio. Someone out there could eventually try this, and when they get hurt, they will sue for thier own stupidity if Elio doesn't put some sort of safeguard in place. I really want an Elio, But if this is as far as they have gotten since 2008, I'll have to look much closer at this company before any money is invested. I value your opinion, as you have researched this vehicle much longer (two weeks) than I have.

I hope this comment was meant with at least some degree of sarcasm as excessive government red tape is exactly why it takes so much money and has taken since 2008 just to reach this point as Elio must not only design a vehicle which meets their own goals but must also meet a ton of government mandated regulations, safety and otherwise. The sad truth is that those regulations probably do little to actually prevent injury as the lawsuits you mentioned are really what scare companies into making products as safe as they reasonably can.

What made me laugh about your statement is that it is true some people in this country will definitely try and sue for any reason, real or imagined, so I can just imagine some idiot suing Elio after they were hurt performing that stunt even though it entails deliberately disabling the systems meant to prevent such an act in the first place.

How much, if any, you decide to put into Elio is a completely personal decision based on how you feel about this project and how much you are willing to risk. I encourage everyone to read all they can about Elio Motors before deciding what they want to do. I personally feel very good about my investment and believe next year I will be taking delivery of my new Elio. I do acknowledge there is risk in putting money into a project that is still at least a year away from completion and which currently does not even have a single vehicle which has been completed nor a working assembly line. There is also a chance they run out of money before they even get to production. Personally I am fortunate that, even if I may not be happy about it, I am in a good enough financial position that I can afford to lose the money I have put in without it affecting my lifestyle in the least bit.

By the way my feelings toward Elio Motors could change dramatically if they fail to hit the major milestones they have laid out. They have told us that they expect to have the final engine delivered to them in June and placed in the P5 shortly thereafter and that car should be very close to the what rolls of the assembly line. They have also told us that sometime late this year they expect to make a limited test production run of 18-25 Elios which will be used to for crash testing and test drives ahead of finalizing the full assembly line process. If they were to fail to reach these milestones I may become much more pessimistic about the entire project.