Elgin Poll Reality Check

[Jambe]

[QUOTE="Coss, post: 150903, member: 3188"
How do you plan on turn signal indicators, warning lights and Hi-beam indicator?[/QUOTE]

I would LIKE to replace the Elio instruments. That doesn't mean I know how, but maybe someone will come along who does have the skills to do it.

 

[msmith5150]

I'm still in the "OK as is" camp!

 

[Jim H]

I still don't like the "silver boobs" Elgin dash but will have to live with it. Having said that I would certainly favor a more traditional dash.

 

[Ty]

You brain would have to translate that number to what you're used to seeing. It's that lag that can cause a problem.
There are so many subconscious decisions we make while driving that a change can be hard to adapt to.


And these Apps that are out now should be tested with what you drive now.
If you want to have a "real" test; put a piece of cardboard over your existing gauge cluster; set up the App and put your phone where you can see it comfortably. Drive with just the App for 3 to 5 days and see how you are with it.
That will tell you 10x more then any discussion could.

Brilliant! I didn't think about doing that. I could "preview" the Elio's dash now.

 

[Marshall]

It seems to me the big issue that people have is being able to see the speedo and tach numbers, with only a small number of people who ONLY dislike the Elgin for it's aesthetics.

It seems to me that a digital Speedo would be a super simple device to create, that can pull speed info from the Elio and display it alone in a large, easy-to-read manner. Get two, and the other one can read the Tach data. Why replace the whole dash, when technology is so available today? It's nothing a Raspberry Pi and a couple simple digital gauges couldn't handle.

I'm driving a loaner which has both gauges and a digital readout. Perhaps simply adding a digital readout rather than replacing the Elgin will prove to be more cost effective.

 

[Coss]

I'm driving a loaner which has both gauges and a digital readout. Perhaps simply adding a digital readout rather than replacing the Elgin will prove to be more cost effective.

Write to EM and Paul and tell them that.
Want to guess what their answer will be?

It has been stated so many times that the Elgin gauge cluster is staying the way it is; it's a non-negotiable item.
The Elgin dash is a tribute to Paul's father, and it reminds him of good memories with his Dad; end of subject.
If you want something different, change it after you own it is their stance on it.

 

[Inigo93]

Having read much of this thread (including all the ideas for a bailing wire and duct tape fixes) I think I have actually changed my mind.

The Elgin is a show-stopper for me.

More to the point: Elio has drug this whole thing out so long that it's advantages are quickly being eaten away by the competition (yes, I'm looking at Arcimoto). If the Elio hits the market and it looks like the Arcimoto is going to happen too? Elio lost my business if for no other reason than that asinine Elgin cluster. The Elgin represents mission creep and ego in the worst possible ways and having to look at it every time I drive will just piss me off.

 

[Sethodine]

Having read much of this thread (including all the ideas for a bailing wire and duct tape fixes) I think I have actually changed my mind.

The Elgin is a show-stopper for me.

More to the point: Elio has drug this whole thing out so long that it's advantages are quickly being eaten away by the competition (yes, I'm looking at Arcimoto). If the Elio hits the market and it looks like the Arcimoto is going to happen too? Elio lost my business if for no other reason than that asinine Elgin cluster. The Elgin represents mission creep and ego in the worst possible ways and having to look at it every time I drive will just piss me off.

Bummer.

But I think the Elgin is cool And for a stock car that doesn't even come with carpet, I think having that little bit of uniqueness is very important. It's the sort of thing that will be remembered (for better or for worse) long after trikes become commonplace in personal transportation. "Oh, you got an Elio? That's the one with the crazy dash, right?"

But Arcimoto and Elio are not rivals at all, and in all public mentions of the two they each applaud and support each other's efforts. Because they are two very different vehicles targeted at different markets. If anything, Arcimoto's rival is Zero Motorcycles (makers of electric motorcycles) and Elio's rival is Smart and the other two-place economy cars on the market.

 

[HonestTex]

I will drive my my base model Elio as is. If the Elgin becomes unbearable, I will look into a low cost HUD. I will envy those of you with the skills/cash to change it.

 

[Maurtis]

My father passed away from heart failure at an early age but I have many fond memories of him. He did not leave behind much in material possessions, but one thing I do have is his watch. He was a flight engineer in the Marines when he was younger and sported a 24 hour analog Glycine Airman. I wore the heck out of it and cracked the crystal when I was in college, still need to have it restored some day.

So if I were to design a car using as many off-the-shelf parts as possible, would I opt to have custom made gauges with way too many numbers and dashes on them that make it hard for most people to read as an homage to my dad? Of course not. If I need something to remind me of my dad, I will pull out his watch. Or pictures. Or call my mom and say "hey mom, tell me a story about dad."

What good would it do me if thousands of people who I do not know and who never met my father have to use a gauge cluster they hate? Or at least dislike? Certainly using the Elgin gauges is not cheaper than using off-the-shelf gauges already available.