Friday Blog Is Out

[Ty]

I still like going under the car but in the winter when it cold and snowy, I really don't want to be crawling under the car. It has a heavy duty bellypan on it with about 10 bolts holding it on. Plus, I can tell that in typical German fashion, they were bored and decided that that a threaded drain plug was just not good enough, so they redesigned it with a 1/4 turn, spring loaded, detent and o-ring unit. It's an overly complex design. It is easy to remove and replace with a flat blade screwdriver but in another typical German fashion example, they even have a special tool for it. Like anything else, you are supposed to replace it I just bought a pack of 6 and figured they would last the life of the car. Here it is:

Oh, don't get me wrong. I go to the base Auto Hobby Shop and put my truck up on the lift and drain it into the sliding oil tray they have. It's heated in there (but not cooled and it's like 95 degrees out). But, it still gives me a good chance to give it a good look over.

 

[Johnny Acree]

Elio and the Sunshine State
June 8, 2018



Happy Friday Elio’ers! For many of us, the opportunity to soak in the sunshine has only begun. In other locales, however, warm temperatures are pretty much ho-hum. Past blogs have focused on a handful of states in a series that we call “Bloglights.” As summer approaches, it seems only appropriate to take a close look at a state that enjoys perpetual rays, the Sunshine State.

Florida is a state that the Elio Motors team knows quite well. The Tour Team has made appearances in Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Destin, West Palm Beach, Daytona Beach, among others. We have enjoyed tremendous crowds at Florida malls and at events like Bike Week and Barrett Jackson. Florida remains high on the list for future visits based on the reception we’ve received. Note- if you want to know where the next Elio event will take place, we strongly recommend that you either sign up for our emails and like us on Facebook.



The state of Florida has been an early and active supporter of Elio Motors. As a matter of fact, without naming names, reservation holder number 52 resides in the Sunshine State. Out of all 50 states, Florida ranks 3rd in terms of overall reservation holders. Reservation holders span the entire state, from Walnut Hill to Yulee all the way to Key West. Can you guess the top three cities of Elio Motors reservation holders?

We’ll wait…

Number 3…Miami!

Number 2…Jacksonville!

And, in somewhat of an upset, Number 1 is…Orlando!

Florida has been a tremendous state for Elio Motors, both in terms of turnout for events and the volume of reservation holders.

Speaking of Florida, we have recently made legislative progress in the area. While Elio owners were already good to go in the state, an autocycle definition was recently signed into law. Below you’ll find the definition of autocycle in Florida:

A three-wheeled motorcycle that has two -wheels in the front and one wheel in the back; is equipped with a roll cage or roll hoops, a seat belt for each occupant, antilock brakes, a steering wheel, and seating that does not require the operator to straddle or sit astride it; and is manufactured in accordance with the applicable federal 60 motorcycle safety standards in 49 C.F.R. part 571 by a 61 manufacturer registered with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration

While we didn’t necessarily need an autocycle definition in Florida, it’s great to see that states are continuing to understand our vehicle and what we’re about.

Thank you, Florida, for all of your support!

 

[KenK]

Good to see the Elio is still having some legislative wins for autocycles if nothing else. I'm ok with my deposit/stock losses going towards a t-shirt, a sticker, and this.

 

[Johnny Acree]

Friday came a little early!
Hitting the Open Road With Elio
June 15, 2018



Happy Friday Elio’ers! While soccer, or “futbol” as some seem insistent on calling it, isn’t exactly America’s pastime, the World Cup has officially begun. While it’s undoubtedly a bummer that the United States is not a participant in the proceedings, it’s still something to watch during the slow summer sports season. If “futbol” isn’t exactly your bag, the College World Series is also taking this place in Omaha. Regardless, this weekend is also Father’s Day, and we’d like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank dads and father figures for all they do. Happy Father’s Day!

In past blogs, we’ve looked at different segments of the population that are drawn to the Elio and explored the reasons why. As we’re entering the part of the year that millions of Americans are enjoying a vacation, it seems fitting to look at how the Elio is an attractive vehicle for travelers.



First, let’s state the obvious. As our vehicle is a two-seater, it isn’t the “ultimate vacation vehicle,” nor does it pretend to be. If you’re a family of 6, you’ll probably want to keep the Elio in your garage during your road trip. If you’re traveling solo or with a companion, however, the Elio can fit perfectly into your summer plans. We’ve heard from countless reservation holders who have shared with us their planned jaunts around the country after they receive their Elio. The trunk space is enough for a carry-on bag and the rear seat folds forward for additional storage space if you’re traveling solo. If two are in transit and need more luggage space, we plan on offering options like luggage racks. If nothing else, taking the Elio on a road trip is an incentive to pack light!

The first and most obvious advantage of taking your Elio on a road trip is obvious: the savings. As gas prices continue to tick upward, every penny counts, and at up to 84 MPG on the highway, we’re talking about some serious savings. You can also save time by traveling in the Elio. With our fuel economy, your gas tank is almost assuredly going to outlast your bladder. Additionally, if you hit a congested stretch of highway with an HOV lane, you’ll be able to smartly cruise past nightmarish summer traffic.

Our vehicle has also garnered quite a bit of respect from the ultimate traveling community, RV’ers. Many want to know if they will be able to tow the Elio with their RV. The Elio will be a great vehicle for RV’ers. The vehicle will be flat towable behind your RV and all of these details will be rolled out as we get closer to the start of production. Together, the RV and the Elio make for a formidable travel duo.

As always, we appreciate your support and have a great Father’s Day!

 

[Johnny Acree]

An Easy, Fun Process…
June 22, 2018



Happy Friday Elio’ers! Have you caught World Cup fever yet? The games start pretty early for our friends on the West Coast, but if you’ve had a chance to tune in, you know that it’s been an entertaining tournament thus far. Also, yesterday was the Summer Solstice, and we hope that you enjoyed the longest day of the year. It’s officially summer and we plan on making it a summer to remember!

In today’s Three Wheeling Blog from the archives, we are going to outline how the ordering process will work for reservation holders leading up to production which is targeted to begin in 2019. We hear from quite a few reservation holders wondering how exactly the process will go. Our goal is to make the process not only stress-free but fun! Below is an overview.



If you’ve perused our website, you’ve probably spent some time playing with the configurator (which, by the way, works best using either Google Chrome or Firefox, and we are working on fixing slow load times with other operating systems.) The configurator is by no means the final version and we will continue to make improvements, but really, it’s just a tool to give you a feel for how you will customize your vehicle and help you get a jump on picking the right color and options as we know from experience that the color choice is not an easy one!

The final Elio ordering process will start about 90 days before your Elio is scheduled to be built. At that point, we will email each reservation holder (via the original email address used for your reservation) and provide you with a unique link that will take you to your personal Elio order page. Once you open your page, you will then be directed through a streamlined process that will start with what type of transmission you want (manual or AMT), then choose your color from our seven choices and finally through the available options that you may want to add. The details are still being finalized and certain tools will also be available such as a running total of your vehicle cost, an idea of taxes and other fees in your specific area and other similar items that will make the process as simple as possible.

Also, after you’ve customized and finalized your Elio, we expect to have available the option to get a head start on other aspects of the buying process. Potential valuable steps you can complete at this point includes the paperwork for financing (whether you plan on using one of our traditional financing options or our unique gas card) delivery preference and anything else to smooth out the final delivery. Once you hit submit, the logistics and manufacturing people will receive the information and start your vehicle towards production

If you have any feedback on how you think the process can be improved, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to send along your thoughts to tellmemore@eliomotors.com

Thanks and have a great weekend!

 

[I want a Elio]

It's nice to take about the Elio and what it's like, but I have yet to see one or see any info on it's "real" production date.
I'm sure it will be a great seller, "if" it goes into production, but it's been almost 10 years since the announcement and the production date keeps slipping.

 

[raptor213]

Whenever Elio Motors' official communications offer up a new digital rendering of the vehicle, I find myself studying it carefully to spot any updates or changes.

- that grey/beige color doesn't appear to be any of the base seven colors slated to be offered;
- the unsightly exhaust 'hump' that previously protruded along the right-side lower rocker panel(s) appears to have been removed and smoothed out;
- the gas tank filler door is still on the curb-side of the vehicle.

Any other takeaways?

Edit: I downloaded the image file to see what the file was named, and it appears to have been created and sized for Facebook upload back in 09/2017 judging by their file-naming nomenclature.

 

[mkiker2089]

Whenever Elio Motors' official communications offer up a new digital rendering of the vehicle, I find myself studying it carefully to spot any updates or changes.

- that grey/beige color doesn't appear to be any of the base seven colors slated to be offered;
- the unsightly exhaust 'hump' that previously protruded along the right-side lower rocker panel(s) appears to have been removed and smoothed out;
- the gas tank filler door is still on the curb-side of the vehicle.

Any other takeaways?

Edit: I downloaded the image file to see what the file was named, and it appears to have been created and sized for Facebook upload back in 09/2017 judging by their file-naming nomenclature.

I am hoping the scrap the myelio renderings and start over. The digital colors aren't realistic enough and the interior colors need names instead of just hex codes. Other car companies can do digital rendering so the software is out there. I think it comes down to having a good base photo to alter. Am I the only one having problems getting it to work sometimes as well? I'm on gig internet so it's not my speed. I don't think it's computing power either but it could be. My laptop is aged a bit.

 

[Trusting]

For those newbies who haven't seen these yet, here are a couple of ideas for changes that I think would be an improvement. Top: Enlarged trunk. Bottom: License plate lowered and name plate added.

 

[mkiker2089]

I'm not sure I'm feeling the larger trunk. I wonder if the design will lend itself to aftermarket conversions though. I remember people converting Camaro and Firebird rear glass. The idea of the Elio seems to be commuting only but with people in the US downsizing to tiny homes I could see people using an Elio for more.