Other Technologies That Will Need To Adapt

[Ralphe]

I've been considering the fact that the rear tire will be constantly traveling in "no man's land" that is not swept clear of road debris nearly as much as the traditional tire paths, therefore it is the most likely of the 3 wheels to be punctured and also the most difficult to change, If it is even possible to do so on the road side. Not the best situation. I think they should look into a non-pneumatic rear tire if there is anything at all that will give close to an acceptable ride and tune the rear suspension to deal with it. The rear tire does not need as much traction as the front tires, like in most FWD cars it's just supporting weight and "along for the ride". Not entirely of course, it has to have some lateral traction for cornering but compared to the fronts it's pretty much just getting towed around.

Good Thought!

 

[Brainmatter]

I wonder how many people will forget about the outrigger front wheels and accidentally clip off part of their suspension on a protective barrier at the gas station . Hope they are easy to see from the drivers seat and not too out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

 

[Jerry Greif]

I've been considering the fact that the rear tire will be constantly traveling in "no man's land" that is not swept clear of road debris nearly as much as the traditional tire paths, therefore it is the most likely of the 3 wheels to be punctured and also the most difficult to change, If it is even possible to do so on the road side. Not the best situation. I think they should look into a non-pneumatic rear tire if there is anything at all that will give close to an acceptable ride and tune the rear suspension to deal with it. The rear tire does not need as much traction as the front tires, like in most FWD cars it's just supporting weight and "along for the ride". Not entirely of course, it has to have some lateral traction for cornering but compared to the fronts it's pretty much just getting towed around.

You have a good point, I didn't think about this. This may be a good application for one of those tires.

 

[Brainmatter]

I've been considering the fact that the rear tire will be constantly traveling in "no man's land" that is not swept clear of road debris nearly as much as the traditional tire paths, therefore it is the most likely of the 3 wheels to be punctured and also the most difficult to change, If it is even possible to do so on the road side. Not the best situation. I think they should look into a non-pneumatic rear tire if there is anything at all that will give close to an acceptable ride and tune the rear suspension to deal with it. The rear tire does not need as much traction as the front tires, like in most FWD cars it's just supporting weight and "along for the ride". Not entirely of course, it has to have some lateral traction for cornering but compared to the fronts it's pretty much just getting towed around.

Perfect application for one of these: http://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/news/2013112101.html?ref=rss
Cooper, get to work!

 

[Jerry Greif]

Perfect application for one of these: http://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/news/2013112101.html?ref=rss
Cooper, get to work!

Brainmatter, I checked out the link, pretty cool tire for the Elio.

 

[Brainmatter]

Brainmatter, I checked out the link, pretty cool tire for the Elio.

There are quite a few other "tweels" in the works and in fact Cooper has been developing one (joint development, forget who else) for a while now but I've heard nothing about it recently. This tech is coming, just around the corner. Road feel, wear, etc just like a normal tire. I'm not sure how it would handle ice and snow build-up though. Might self clear and be better somehow?

 

[zelio]

Brainmatter, I checked out the link, pretty cool tire for the Elio.

Wow! That is an amazing tire. Do you think they will make it in orange? :-) Z

 

[Jerry Greif]

Wow! That is an amazing tire. Do you think they will make it in orange? Z

Excellent Idea, color matched tire.

 

[Craig]

I wonder how many people will forget about the outrigger front wheels and accidentally clip off part of their suspension on a protective barrier at the gas station . Hope they are easy to see from the drivers seat and not too out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

My wife just did that at the bank with our van.

 

[Zipper]

Zipper ! What was your overall impression of the Elio ? Did you see the P3 or P4 ? Do you feel this is going to be a reality ?

Overall, I liked it a lot. I saw the P4. There were a few things that gave away the fact that it's a prototype, but most of those are easily addressed. Actually, it was quite a bit more 'finished' than I expected almost a year before official production is scheduled to begin. I can tell you that tooling up to build the engine and transmission won't be trivial. When you hear of that happening, the reality of full production will be very likely.