Hinged Rear Roof?

[booboo]

I also agree with JEBar.
Personally, I'm uncomfortable in the rear seat of any two door car.
The plan for my Elio is to mount one of those escape hammers somewhere in the rear seat area.

With a sign saying:
"Do Not Argue With Driver
He's Got One Too"

 

[Ty]

I also agree with JEBar.
Personally, I'm uncomfortable in the rear seat of any two door car.
The plan for my Elio is to mount one of those escape hammers somewhere in the rear seat area.

Rather than having to try to swing a hammer, just get a spring loaded center punch. You just press it against the window with about 10 lbs of force and it pops the glass. My wife keeps one in her glove box because she's sure she'll end up in the car in the water somewhere... It was cheap and it makes her feel good.

The Elio weighs about 1,250 lbs... IF it should land on the left side, unless the left wheel was sheered off, it shouldn't be too hard to push over. AT 1,200 lbs, I don't see it being much of a problem moving it around enough to get someone out.

 

[Frim]

it is interesting to see concern for the safety of the rear seat passenger needing to exit the Elio in case of an accident.... the reality is, this area of concern is common to several lines of vehicles that have been produced in large numbers for decades .... as but one specific example, rear passanger(s) riding in a 2016 Camaro face exactly the same issue ..... as does every other similar line of vehicle on the market where they only have doors beside the front seat(s) and rear windows that don't open .... the fact is, an Elio has much more room for the rear passenger to move around in than rear seat passenger(s) have in my wife's Camaro .... if this is a major issue for a person, they should consider buying a vehicle that is designed differently[/QU

Mustangs have a similar design. No one is screaming because it's a STANG!

 

[Coss]

Rather than having to try to swing a hammer, just get a spring loaded center punch. You just press it against the window with about 10 lbs of force and it pops the glass. My wife keeps one in her glove box because she's sure she'll end up in the car in the water somewhere... It was cheap and it makes her feel good.

The Elio weighs about 1,250 lbs... IF it should land on the left side, unless the left wheel was sheered off, it shouldn't be too hard to push over. AT 1,200 lbs, I don't see it being much of a problem moving it around enough to get someone out.

Here Ty, visuals always help.

This is the one I carry, it has two tension settings on it.
It's designed as a center punch for metal or light weight stock like wood.
Either setting will shatter tempered glass. You just have to remember to click it near an edge of a corner.
There are times if you snap it in the middle of the window, it will just leave a chip in the glass

 

[Maurtis]

Rather than having to try to swing a hammer, just get a spring loaded center punch. You just press it against the window with about 10 lbs of force and it pops the glass. My wife keeps one in her glove box because she's sure she'll end up in the car in the water somewhere... It was cheap and it makes her feel good.

The Elio weighs about 1,250 lbs... IF it should land on the left side, unless the left wheel was sheered off, it shouldn't be too hard to push over. AT 1,200 lbs, I don't see it being much of a problem moving it around enough to get someone out.

I gave one to my wife to keep in her car too. It is in the glove compartment as well. I really hope she remembers that if the need arises. I think it would be very easy to panic and not remember where it is or struggle to find it in the dark, possibly upside down.

I think I will make a leather holster for it and velcro that under the steering wheel column or something.

 

[wizard of ahs]

My bride carries a small tool on her purse that is a glass shatterer (works like the center punch) and a seat belt cutter

 

[Coss]

I gave one to my wife to keep in her car too. It is in the glove compartment as well. I really hope she remembers that if the need arises. I think it would be very easy to panic and not remember where it is or struggle to find it in the dark, possibly upside down.
I think I will make a leather holster for it and Velcro that under the steering wheel column or something.

I think Maurtis brings up a good point; ".....would be very easy to panic and not remember where it is....."
Unless you practice, grabbing it, and using it when you're in a panic mode, it's not going to happen.
It will probably be one of the last things on your mind; why? Things like the instances that people are stressing over don't happen very often.
Oh they do happen, but in the almost 50 years that I've been driving; I've been in accidents; but never to the point that I was panicking to get out of the back seat.
So I just can't understand why this has become this much of a topic.

There are millions of possibilities that you can have happen to you, or someone you know; but you can't possibly prepare for them all.
How many people even know how they will react in a "panic" situation? Or how they will react with someone that is panicking and you're not?

 

[Build it RIGHT!]

It would also remove that part of the frame that acts as a roll cage above the passenger.
You would have to rework the unibody frame; the roof panel; the inner frame area around the opening, and the hatch.
and didn't we just end a conversation like this because there are so many other threads on here about this?
If you use the SEARCH function, and type in rear hatch you'll come up with over 200 pages of headings that start back in 2013 till present.

And still with all those people that have posted prior in the threads you mention ELIO MOTORS has not forseen the fact that if the driver has been incapacitated the rear passenger which is statistically most like to be a minor child is trapped to a much larger degree due to the tandem seating arrangement.

PS: Redesigning the roof isn't going to happen.

 

[JEBar]

And still with all those people that have posted prior in the threads you mention ELIO MOTORS has not forseen the fact that if the driver has been incapacitated the rear passenger which is statistically most like to be a minor child is trapped to a much larger degree due to the tandem seating arrangement.

PS: Redesigning the roof isn't going to happen.

if this issue is critical in your consideration, you'd be well served to move on to another vehicle .... in that search don't consider most 2 door sedans or sports cars as well .... as you note, redesigning the roof isn't going to happen .... its best to accept that and move on .... it serves no useful purpose to keep trying to make an issue out of this design feature

 

[Build it RIGHT!]

it is interesting to see concern for the safety of the rear seat passenger needing to exit the Elio in case of an accident.... the reality is, this area of concern is common to several lines of vehicles that have been produced in large numbers for decades .... as but one specific example, rear passanger(s) riding in a 2016 Camaro face exactly the same issue ..... as does every other similar line of vehicle on the market where they only have doors beside the front seat(s) and rear windows that don't open .... the fact is, an Elio has much more room for the rear passenger to move around in than rear seat passenger(s) have in my wife's Camaro .... if this is a major issue for a person, they should consider buying a vehicle that is designed differently

The difference is in regular 2-door cars, vs the ELIO is:
1: You have (2) doors to exit thru vs only (1)

2: In a wreck and especially with cars that are bigger and heavier than the ELIO statistically one of the adults would survive and be able to help child escape.

3: Spacing between seats is big enough to crawl thru even if both.persons in front seats are incapacitated

Seriously doubt spacing on SIDES of ELIO driver's seat would allow someone to crawl out if driver was incapacitated.

Regarding people considering another type of vehicle, the problem with that there will MINOR CHILDREN which will be riding in those back seats.

There will be people that are DIVORCED buying ELIO'S as that's the only thing they can afford that have heard or been told the ELIO HAS A 5-STAR SAFETY RATING.
Thinking the vehicle is "safe".