Please Remember That The Elio Is An Exercise In Simplicity.

[Rickb]

Toyota has been making strides in moving their i-Road closer to Production. Cool little city vehicle but performance at 30 mph not feasible for the average commuter in the USA. Now if they increase performance standards and range (and they could do that) it would be a fun little tilter EV option. I read somewhere under $10K. Their will be many Elio's on the road before that ever happens...............if at all.

 

[bowers baldwin]

I think Toyota won't be the only one that tries. EM is really setting the bar high, tho. IMHO, The Elio really is a great VALUE for the money. All of the other companies are used to higher "profit margins". GO ELIO !

To be honest I have mixed feelings about Toyota or Honda jumping in, they might (gasp) make a better product the Elio. I think they will sit on the sideline and see what the market will bare. And who knows, in 5-7 years I might look into what they would have to offer. As for now Elio is the only game in town even though the whistle hasn't been blown yet, but they will be the first with a viable 3 wheel "car" with ac/airbags etc.

 

[bowers baldwin]

Toyota has been making strides in moving their i-Road closer to Production. Cool little city vehicle but performance at 30 mph not feasible for the average commuter in the USA. Now if they increase performance standards and range (and they could do that) it would be a fun little tilter EV option. I read somewhere under $10K. Their will be many Elio's on the road before that ever happens...............if at all. View attachment 1513

I would NOT buy that..I don't have the time to go into reasons....clocking out

 

[carzes]

I say they out sell Toyota in the middle of there 3rd year of production.

You may well be right Craig, and I hope you are. The US market is only a small percentage of the demand that exists for low-cost transportation. Most people in the world are not as "rich" as the average American, and $4 per gallon gas is a lot more expensive to someone who makes $20 per day. I hope to see many millions of these sold all over the world, made in America, and saving BILLIONS of barrels of oil for future generations, all while freeing up people's personal resources for making their lives better instead of feeding the pockets of oil companies and Saudi royalty. This concept is truely a potential world-changer, and if our govt. had a brain between the whole bunch of them there would be a project Elio initiative to MAKE IT HAPPEN.

 

[Ekh]

Well I certainly agree with these posts. To have any shot at doing this, it has to be rock bottom simple with the minimum threshold to tolerate driving it, in able to produce it for the advertised price.

With forums here and now, its the cart before the horse problem, and because of the ongoing delays and schedule push outs people here need something to do for the next year or two.

I agree -- mostly. The windshield washer solution, clarified by Paul Elio yesterday, is a good example -- a recess sized for a standard 1-gallon jug, and a flexible hose with a bottle cap to fit that leads to the washer pump. Saves $8.00 per car, and it's not even inconvenient.

That said, even the most basic cars sold in America now have power windows and AC, and most have power locks. If you want people to drive the car, you can't make it conspicuously more primitive than other cars. People wouldn't buy it, even with the fuel savings.

I think Elio is walking a fine line to get this car right, both for its intended market and for engineering integrity. He is determined to meet his goals, and I am certain from talking to Vassallo at length, that he WILL meet them to within one percent or so.

 

[Edward]

Yepper, with the flux capacitor we could go back to the 40' or 50's to buy our gas. Then we'd really be saving money !!

Yeah, but when you came back to the present, 60 years of interest on the gas credit card is going to be a killer!

 

[wizard of ahs]

Hey, keep the cost down and I'll "upgrade" it IF I want to

 

[imageon]

I like to personalize my vehicles any how. And I think the low initial cost and tons of add on options is smart.
There seems to be some really well thought out marketing going on here. Everyone benefits.
MK

 

[Lil4X]

And everyone (well, almost everyone) gets what he wants.

 

[carzes]

Its actually a perfect plan. sell the car at a low profit and make your money in options. whatever shortcomings somone might see in the car can be rectified with available options, now or down the road. Also I think a lot of people are willing to pay for leather seats for example when its rolled into a car loan for a couple thousand extra, but if they have to come up with the money as a seperate purchase they'll see it's really not so important after all.