Elio Vs Spark Ev

[Truett Collins]

Once one rides in a Elio on a long trip feeling the bumps and hearing the noise they will go back to long trips in their 50K SUV'S.

When did you go for a long ride in, or even hear the sound of the Elio, or even seen one with the updated suspension the Elio engine installed, or the exhaust system? Till then you are simply making uneducated guesses.

 

[Craig]

Come on Wayne, I'll give you that the Elio will not be a gliding sofa cruiser but you really don't know how comfortable it will be. Plus the Elio should excel in back road travel encouraging a stop and smell the roses big travel cruisers miss. I'd prefer to think the Elio will encourage more exploration than just travel.

Maybe there will be an air ride option.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...ci_sku=26918&gclid=CI7h8K6I7MACFTOZMgodn0gA6Q

 

[tazairforce]

Once one rides in a Elio on a long trip feeling the bumps and hearing the noise they will go back to long trips in their 50K SUV'S.

Wayne,
If your 'Candy Ass' can't handle the 'Bumps and Noise' the Elio produces, Don't buy one.
My Elio will not have either.

 

[outsydthebox]

Once one rides in a Elio on a long trip feeling the bumps and hearing the noise they will go back to long trips in their 50K SUV'S.

I like those people...They be willing to sell me their Elio cheap!

 

[Chaz]

Once again all I have to say is if electric cars were so good why do they need a subsidy for people to buy them. Also, they are not as green as people think. Unless they are driven a lot they are not greener than the Elio.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324128504578346913994914472

 

[Charlie G]

If the elio gets 60 mpg combined compared to 119 mpg for the spark, whats the better deal? Lets say the spark costs 20k after tax incentive and you drive 12k miles a year. After 3 years, what do you guys think it cost to drive them, when you count depreciation and gas savings.Elio wins in depreciation, but the spark wins in gas savings.

Based solely on the hypothetical numbers you provided (and assuming a fuel cost of $3.5 per gallon):

• The Elio would cost roughly .058 per mile to drive while the spark would cost .029 per mile
• At 12k miles a year of driving, the spark would save you $347.06 per year in fuel.
• However, because the initial cost of the spark is $13,200 higher than the elio, it would take you 38 years to start saving money. And that's disregarding the potential gains if you invested that 13k instead.

 

[outsydthebox]

Based solely on the hypothetical numbers you provided (and assuming a fuel cost of $3.5 per gallon):

• The Elio would cost roughly .058 per mile to drive while the spark would cost .029 per mile
• At 12k miles a year of driving, the spark would save you $347.06 per year in fuel.
• However, because the initial cost of the spark is $13,200 higher than the elio, it would take you 38 years to start saving money. And that's disregarding the potential gains if you invested that 13k instead.

Excellent! Now, what happens when you factor in battery replacement?

 

[Mark Zieser]

I work at a Chevy dealer. We haven't seen an Electric Spark yet. Not American made (if that matters to you) and realize you can't even buy a decent Polaris quad and make it street legal for this money

 

[Charlie G]

Excellent! Now, what happens when you factor in battery replacement?

Who knows.

MPG is only critical when comparing like-priced vehicles. It takes a LONG time to make up a difference with most cars. Shoot, I drive over 24000 miles a year in my 30 mpg subaru and even the Elio will take me over 5 years to break even and it's both crazy cheap and crazy efficient - and that's if I drive it to work every day, saving 1.4k/year on fuel.

 

[Charlie G]

Not to beat a dead horse, but here's another scenario (because I still have the spreadsheet open).
Again take your 20k spark at 119mpg and an old used Crown Victoria at 19mpg that you could buy around here for about 2k.

Using the same $3.5/gal and 12k mi/yr as before:

• The spark would save you $1,857.59/yr in fuel, sure
• but with a price difference of $18000, it would be close to 10 years before the spark becomes the more economical choice.