Where Do You Stand Now?

[Edward]

Too small to meet my needs is not going to be an argument against Elio but rather reinforce the fact that it is what it's design to be.........an affordable high mpg commuter/city vehicle that meets the needs as a second vehicle for families, for students, and for retirees living on a budget or wanting to have some fun. Elio covers a wide range of demographics.

And it's the idea of the second vehicle which will be the biggest hurdle. The statistics shown above show a full third of American households only own one vehicle. And I bet a large majority of the two vehicle households have one vehicle for each adult. In that case, the Elio probably needs to be a third vehicle.

The largest number of buyers will use it as you plan on using it..........it will be a fun ride, so I suppose it's an RV for me.

You realize that means that Elio is betting the farm on hyper-commuters. If my commute was half as far as it is, I'd probably wouldn't be sold.

 

[pj rogers]

Blackbird my friend, you are 100% correct..i have tried to make the cost of an elio a real issue... I guess when the NATIONAL SALES MANAGER says we are trying to keep the cost of the AMT under $1000 and the cruise $200-$300 and the destination charge will be $750, i just have to believe they are close to the real numbers, not assumptions? Maybe can just ignore those numbers and worry about just the tax, license and doc fees..
I will try to ignore the fact that 40,000 people will have reserved their elio based on a $6800 advertised number and when they get the true option numbers, assumptions or not, they will have to make a decision and say yes I will still get one or just forget it..
We are owners but the majority of folks on facebook need to know at least an ball park estimate. For heavens sakes, the facebook people are avoiding that like the plague. The elio will still be a great deal for many folks but it does have its limitations and believe me the salepeople who work at Toyota, mazda, ford, Hyundai, Nissan and a few others will do their best to point out every one of those limitations. including the brand new never been made before german engine and a worked over Japanese tranny.
Sorry I preach on price so much blackbird, I sat in that chair and talked price to over 1200 folks, had to look them in they eye and here is the price, sometimes I lost because they could go 25 miles away and find another dealer of the same brand. With EM they ill have to probably GO TO ANOTHER STATE! Just hope no one goes to their state attorney general and complains...it's a bait and switch, then the boogy man will really kick some ass..
EM still has time to make a few adjustments and I for one, will say this, the final elio will be at least 30% different that the P4..that blackbird is my assumption..to find out, we have to just wait...but I am going to really enjoy my primed only a/c, auto, tinted glass, and cruise elio and wrap it with alsa colored chrome wrap! thinking a chrome black or blue.....Check out hgarts.com great videos!
Have a great week-end blackbird and keep safe.

 

[Rickb]

And it's the idea of the second vehicle which will be the biggest hurdle. The statistics shown above show a full third of American households only own one vehicle. And I bet a large majority of the two vehicle households have one vehicle for each adult. In that case, the Elio probably needs to be a third vehicle.
You realize that means that Elio is betting the farm on hyper-commuters. If my commute was half as far as it is, I'd probably wouldn't be sold.

Elio's biggest hurdle is that it is a three wheeler. Most 2-car families will be able to dump one of their gas guzzlers to pay for the Elio........Go Elio. Also, a large percentage of those one vehicle families will now be able to afford that second vehicle for Mom to drive for groceries........or to her New part time job in order to pay for the New Elio. LOL

Yep, Eco-friendly, hyper-commuters wanting to save a lot of money just in fuel costs alone and our environment. Also, the fact that they can afford a new and hopefully reliable vehicle over the old gas guzzling beater. Elio will succeed with that commuter demographic alone..........and then there is my demographic.........funville.......not such a huge market share.......but a fun market share.

You and I both bring a lot of plain common sense to this conversation.

 

[Joshua Caldwell]

You realize that means that Elio is betting the farm on hyper-commuters.

I don't think so, I think they're betting the farm on people who can only afford buying a used car buying their new Elio instead for the same price.

 

[zelio]

I don't think so, I think they're betting the farm on people who can only afford buying a used car buying their new Elio instead for the same price.

Or all of the above. All you have to do is look at the diversity of the people on this website. The one thing I have in common with the majority is age. I have never been in the military, never ridden or wanted to ride a mc, know nothing or at least very little about motors and all the other components of a vehicle. I do know what tires are and that they need to be rotated, do know I have to have the oil changed on schedule, know when to buy gas - all important but rather mundane compared to the knowledge of many of the people here. I do know I love the Elio and I will do everything in my power to be able to buy it and use it. It will be my only vehicle. Oh, since this thread is technically about where I stand? I am still a 20 out of 10. And please don't tell me that is impossible because I simply will ignore your advice on that issue. LOL :-) Z

BTW I did know that that string of rubber hanging from my windshield wiper meant I needed to get new ones. However I kept forgetting to do so until the next time I needed to use them. I had them replaced yesterday. You will notice I did not replace them, I had them replaced. LOL Another advantage of the Elio - I might be able to replace the wiper myself because it isn't as big as my Camry. I will at least try. Maybe. :-)

 

[CheeseheadEarl]

Received a nice e-mail from EM today thanking me for my suggestions. What were they? Same as always. Now that we have about 15 months before an elio is ready for the public. Now is the time to make the changes the engineers should have made at the beginning.
1. move the gear shift lever from the right door and put it on the right dash.. Many cars have that now.
2.widen the frame from right behind the driver by 1 ft on either side reinforcing the roll cage if necessary.
3. Replace the rear bucket with a bench seat..I drive a mazda 2 and my rear bench seat is 48" across with two seat belts.. snug for adults but great for kids. I am thinking world wide distribution and it would be perfect for the rest of the world.
4. a small right rear passenger door on the curb side for safe entry and exit..plus a 3 person elio would sell millions more.
5. Yellow
6. the widening of the elio at the rear would increase the trunk hatch space and a rear window could be installed at low cost.


Volkswagen made millions of bugs without changing year to year and I think a 3 person elio would do the same..

Elf, Just realize the elio will be closer to $9000-$10,000 than $6800...in 15 more months...

If we go your route, it'll be $20K after a full redesign, weigh almost twice as nuch, need more power to drag it's now fat ass around, and get 40 MPG.

3 tiny seats is no more practical than 2 for many out there.

 

[BlioKart]

1. move the gear shift lever from the right door and put it on the right dash.. Many cars have that now.
.

Like this?

 

[Jeff Miller]

Like this?

I believe this is a preference thing that will illicit as much diametrically opposed conversation as the elgin dash did. For the record, I'd pay the upcharge for the AMT before having that thing sticking out of my dash.

 

[Edward]

Like this?

I thought he was referring to paddle shifters on the steering column like many luxury and performance vehicles have these days.

 

[Edward]

Elio's biggest hurdle is that it is a three wheeler. Most 2-car families will be able to dump one of their gas guzzlers to pay for the Elio........Go Elio. Also, a large percentage of those one vehicle families will now be able to afford that second vehicle for Mom to drive for groceries........or to her New part time job in order to pay for the New Elio. LOL

Yep, Eco-friendly, hyper-commuters wanting to save a lot of money just in fuel costs alone and our environment. Also, the fact that they can afford a new and hopefully reliable vehicle over the old gas guzzling beater. Elio will succeed with that commuter demographic alone..........and then there is my demographic.........funville.......not such a huge market share.......but a fun market share.

You and I both bring a lot of plain common sense to this conversation.

Okay, the three wheeler aspect is also a major hurdle. Which reinforces the point that they have a major uphill battle in selling this in major quantities.And that still isn't getting to the elephant in the room that small vehicles are poor sellers. There are people who will refuse to believe that a small car can be safe, regardless of crash test ratings.