Vw Xl1

[Greg Ellis]

I saw this the other day. Looks a LOT like the Elio but gets better MPG. BUT costs $60000!!!

https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motor...g-262-mpg-orb-motoramic-drives-172831276.html

 

[karl]

About the polar opposite of the Elio concept I believe. What they did was pour all the latest cutting edge tech into it regardless of cost to take the the target as far as the could. What I am waiting for is economical economy with fun stirred into the mix that most of us can afford. With enough quality that even a rich man would consider one for a toy...

I would love to have one of these but my redneck retirement plan hasn't payed out yet.

 

[Greg Ellis]

About the polar opposite of the Elio concept I believe. What they did was pour all the latest cutting edge tech into it regardless of cost to take the the target as far as the could. What I am waiting for is economical economy with fun stirred into the mix that most of us can afford. With enough quality that even a rich man would consider one for a toy...

I would love to have one of these but my redneck retirement plan hasn't payed out yet.

They claim to be using off the shelf and current technology. MY point is that if the technology is available to achieve 150 to 300 MPG, Elio should be able to achieve the 84 MPG "promised". THEY CAN DO IT!!

That being said, we are all getting screwed at the pumps.

 

[Rickb]

They claim to be using off the shelf and current technology. MY point is that if the technology is available to achieve 150 to 300 MPG, Elio should be able to achieve the 84 MPG "promised". THEY CAN DO IT!!

That being said, we are all getting screwed at the pumps.

Very high end off the shelf and current technology.

 

[Rickb]

This VW Tandem City Car Concept would have been a far more practical commuter option.

 

[karl]

This VW Tandem City Car Concept would have been a far more practical commuter option.
View attachment 2133

so why is Volkswagen not building it? Must be they don't think they can make money on it. Screwed at the pumps? The average US registered Camray makes more power than the average muscle car of my youth. And they can stop and go round corners with air bags...My biggest expense on my transport is not fuel but insurance. I hope the Elio will do well there as well. It should taking the replacement cost into account.

 

[Rickb]

so why is Volkswagen not building it? Must be they don't think they can make money on it. Screwed at the pumps? The average US registered Camray makes more power than the average muscle car of my youth. And they can stop and go round corners with air bags...My biggest expense on my transport is not fuel but insurance. I hope the Elio will do well there as well. It should taking the replacement cost into account.

They decided To build this for an elite market instead.

 

[Jim H]

so why is Volkswagen not building it? Must be they don't think they can make money on it. Screwed at the pumps? The average US registered Camray makes more power than the average muscle car of my youth. And they can stop and go round corners with air bags...My biggest expense on my transport is not fuel but insurance. I hope the Elio will do well there as well. It should taking the replacement cost into account.

Very small market for $60,000 cars of this type and that's why Elio is marketing theirs at $6800.

 

[goofyone]

Very small market for $60,000 cars of this type and that's why Elio is marketing theirs at $6800.

Even worse is that the XL1 does not actually cost $60,000 but instead it is €111,000 or about USD $148,000

 

[checho]

The volkswagen XL1 is a great concept car, it is very expensive at $150000 but part of the reason it is hand made, only a production of 250 units.
But it proves that hybrid and diesel are not exclusive technologies, but they can go together hand in hand, a diesel engine alone will give about 30% more miles per gallon then its gasoline equivalent, the XL1 was designed to give the most miles per gallon for a street vehicle.

The concept it is very good, forget the price most of us at $150000 will not buy it anyway, but the idea is great, just like Elio the idea is great.

Elio could use this idea for a future version and maybe not have a 240 MPG vehicle, but could easily be 150 MPG or more.
if a gasoline Elio gives you 84 MPG non hybrid, a diesel Elio non hybrid would give you 110 MPG with high torque at low RPMs, so a diesel hybrid would improve MPG mostly in the city, and on highway it would depend mostly on the size of the battery pack.

so if Elio could make the XL1 version of the Elio it would be a big success, but the cost would easily triple but even then it would still be far better than $150k.

With the spirit of simplicity and keeping prices down, a diesel non hybrid version of the Elio would be great, it would probably add $1k to the cost of the car, but it could be advertized as a 110MPG car, it would be simpler, and more robust, diesel engines last twice as long as gasoline engines and provide half the problems.

if the cost of a gasoline engine is $1k, the equivalent diesel engine could cost $2k, only about $1k difference, everything else would be the same.
If the diesel engine is turbo it that case it might be a little more than $1k more like $1500 ballpark.

A diesel engine would help Elio greatly with international sales.

Also it would be the only diesel 3 wheel car on the market, not counting the XL1 or the HMW freeway which both have been built under a very limited production.

Also modern diesel engines are very clean, and can run 100% on bio-diesel.

The difference between the XL1 is that is a concept car, and the Elio will be a massively produced car, so the Elio is more than just an idea, it will be a reality that we can enjoy, I just wish a diesel engine would be offered as an option.