Additional Elio Opportunities

[larryboy]

Mother Earth magazine has had several articles in past years that dealt with building your own econocar. As I recall they did not get much better mileage than the Elio gets and the parts and tools and labor amounted to much more than the Elio will cost. In addition, only a very few people have the skills to build that kind of project. Mother Earth readers are just the kind of people who would have the interest in and the financial resources to buy an Elio. They are having two "fairs" in the next few months. These fairs show all kinds of products that save energy, increase self reliance and a sustainable life style. These fairs are:

Seven Springs PA
23-25 September

Topeka KS
22-23 October

When Elio goes to a car show they are showing the Elio to a bunch of people. Many of them have no interest in a car that has less than 400HP. If Elio went to one of these fairs they would be showing the Elio to a bunch of people who are interested in exactly the virtues that Elio has in abundance.

 

[slinches]

Good suggestion, Larry. If you haven't already, it would be more likely for the right people to see it if you send this in to Elio Motors email (tellmemore@eliomotors.com).

 

[Frim]

Mother Earth magazine has had several articles in past years that dealt with building your own econocar. As I recall they did not get much better mileage than the Elio gets and the parts and tools and labor amounted to much more than the Elio will cost. In addition, only a very few people have the skills to build that kind of project. Mother Earth readers are just the kind of people who would have the interest in and the financial resources to buy an Elio. They are having two "fairs" in the next few months. These fairs show all kinds of products that save energy, increase self reliance and a sustainable life style. These fairs are:

Seven Springs PA
23-25 September

Topeka KS
22-23 October

When Elio goes to a car show they are showing the Elio to a bunch of people. Many of them have no interest in a car that has less than 400HP. If Elio went to one of these fairs they would be showing the Elio to a bunch of people who are interested in exactly the virtues that Elio has in abundance.

This is a great idea that needs to be presented to EM as a possible local for a display.

 

[larryboy]

Mother Earth magazine has had several articles in past years that dealt with building your own econocar. As I recall they did not get much better mileage than the Elio gets and the parts and tools and labor amounted to much more than the Elio will cost. In addition, only a very few people have the skills to build that kind of project. Mother Earth readers are just the kind of people who would have the interest in and the financial resources to buy an Elio. They are having two "fairs" in the next few months. These fairs show all kinds of products that save energy, increase self reliance and a sustainable life style. These fairs are:

Seven Springs PA
23-25 September

Topeka KS
22-23 October

When Elio goes to a car show they are showing the Elio to a bunch of people. Many of them have no interest in a car that has less than 400HP. If Elio went to one of these fairs they would be showing the Elio to a bunch of people who are interested in exactly the virtues that Elio has in abundance.

I went back to the Mother Earth magazine web site and looked at the articles related to the high MPG car project. The first thing I learned was that they have (at least in the past) a high mileage car show! I also found that the car cost $10,000 to build and you had to be able to weld and work in fiberglass and other skills were no doubt required It would take a skilled mechanic 100 hours to build and an novice would "have to work most Saturdays in a whole year" to finish a car. 40 Saturdays, working 8 hours would be 320 hours.
When you finished your car you would have a two passenger car with no air bags, AC, roll cage, radio, windshield wiper, warrantee, service centers or resale value. The chassis would be used and probably taken from a wreck.
It would get 100MPG at 52 MPH, 75MPG at 65MPH so it probably would not have any advantage over the Elio in mileage. The engine is a 32 HP Kubota diesel and the builder says you CAN go 90 MPH. He does not say how long it takes to get to that speed ( or any other) and the implication is that 90 is max.
If you value your time at $10 per hour your homebuilt would cost a total of $14,000 and be inferior to an Elio that will cost 1/2 as much.

 

[xtspode]

I went back to the Mother Earth magazine web site and looked at the articles related to the high MPG car project. The first thing I learned was that they have (at least in the past) a high mileage car show! I also found that the car cost $10,000 to build and you had to be able to weld and work in fiberglass and other skills were no doubt required It would take a skilled mechanic 100 hours to build and an novice would "have to work most Saturdays in a whole year" to finish a car. 40 Saturdays, working 8 hours would be 320 hours.
When you finished your car you would have a two passenger car with no air bags, AC, roll cage, radio, windshield wiper, warrantee, service centers or resale value. The chassis would be used and probably taken from a wreck.
It would get 100MPG at 52 MPH, 75MPG at 65MPH so it probably would not have any advantage over the Elio in mileage. The engine is a 32 HP Kubota diesel and the builder says you CAN go 90 MPH. He does not say how long it takes to get to that speed ( or any other) and the implication is that 90 is max.
If you value your time at $10 per hour your homebuilt would cost a total of $14,000 and be inferior to an Elio that will cost 1/2 as much.

Good post. I have followed Mother Earth News for a long time. They show you what it takes to be self sufficient, and that it is not easy. I like your take on the build your own, but I am really looking forward to having Paul build my new ride. I think it will be a great autocycle and much more refined than my motorcycle. I don't want to call it a car because I think it will be way more fun than a car. I expect that I am going to feel and hear the wind. I am going to feel the road, and the non power steering will provide tactile information back to me on how the wheels are reacting to the riding surface. I expect to feel the breaking, turning and acceleration in the seat of my pants. A car shields you from all that and lulls you to boredom and makes you want to scream "are we there yet"? I don't think the Elio is going to do that to you. Go Elio!

 

[W. WIllie]

I hope you don't feel any "breaking". That would be bad for the builder.

 

[skygazer6033]

In a panic stop, when you apply the breaks and the car slides to a stop, is it broken?

 

[John-b-gone]

In a panic stop, when you apply the breaks and the car slides to a stop, is it broken?

If it has ABS yes.

 

[W. WIllie]

If you use the "brakes" properly, you won't slide. In a panic stop.

 

[xtspode]

Thank you all for pointing out my mistake. I really hope I don't feel the breaking in the seat of the pants either. Love the participation in this forum. This is a serious bunch about the Elio. We all want the best looking three wheeler ready to hit the roads. I don't mean to "hit" the roads, just travelling like a big shot.