Standard Equipment And Options

[Trusting]

I happened to think about it so I took a look at the Elio web site's "customization" page. First time in months. Really lame.... both the options offered and the site itself. As to the site, doesn't seem to be data base driven and not designed to attract the search engines, plus hard to read text, links that don't give you any info.... etc., etc..... Elio would be smart to scrap the whole site and have it redone by someone who knows what the hell he's doing.

As to the options and accessories (which is why I took a look in the first place...) I don't see anything new. It seems that Elio came up with some ideas early on and shot their creative bolt. The best ideas for options and accessories are conspicuous by their absence. In stead we are offered silly junk to stick on the outside of our Elio to make it look like a prop from SPACE BALLS.

Options and accessories can be a big money maker for the company and they're dropping the ball. The sooner we buyers can see all the goodies available the sooner we'll start dreaming about what we want to make "our" Elio special and the more money Paul and company will make.

Where are the leather seats, upgraded sound system, Elgin alternative dash, custom fenders and custom front wheels to go with them, rear hatch with a window, P3 style rear panel, rain shields, air scoop for the hood, luggage rack, turbo charger and on and on. Some exec at Elio must have decided they didn't have time for this. If Elio doesn't put someone to work on it now they are serving up a lucrative business to the after market on a silver platter. What an opportunity they're missing!

 

[Coss]

I happened to think about it so I took a look at the Elio web site's "customization" page. First time in months. Really lame.... both the options offered and the site itself. As to the site, doesn't seem to be data base driven and not designed to attract the search engines, plus hard to read text, links that don't give you any info.... etc., etc..... Elio would be smart to scrap the whole site and have it redone by someone who knows what the hell he's doing.

As to the options and accessories (which is why I took a look in the first place...) I don't see anything new. It seems that Elio came up with some ideas early on and shot their creative bolt. The best ideas for options and accessories are conspicuous by their absence. In stead we are offered silly junk to stick on the outside of our Elio to make it look like a prop from SPACE BALLS.

Options and accessories can be a big money maker for the company and they're dropping the ball. The sooner we buyers can see all the goodies available the sooner we'll start dreaming about what we want to make "our" Elio special and the more money Paul and company will make.

Where are the leather seats, upgraded sound system, Elgin alternative dash, custom fenders and custom front wheels to go with them, rear hatch with a window, P3 style rear panel, rain shields, air scoop for the hood, luggage rack, turbo charger and on and on. Some exec at Elio must have decided they didn't have time for this. If Elio doesn't put someone to work on it now they are serving up a lucrative business to the after market on a silver platter. What an opportunity they're missing!

Sound like you need to contact them and voice your concerns; you can also go to their Facebook page and ask about it; they are very active there.
Since Elio Owners is not affiliated with Elio Motors, preaching about it here won't have very much affect for getting it changed or fixed.

 

[Trusting]

Sound like you need to contact them and voice your concerns; you can also go to their Facebook page and ask about it; they are very active there.
Since Elio Owners is not affiliated with Elio Motors, preaching about it here won't have very much affect for getting it changed or fixed.

I appreciate your comment and you may very well be right. However, if the people at EM don't read this forum then that's just one more mistake they're making...

 

[LGilbert]

The Elgin, er, The Magoo, is a travesty of poor design, tinsy gauges, mostly wasted space. The industry standard of dash design is to give a gauge area depending on the importance of its use and the frequency of data acquisition. Moving numbers is a NO-NO, they require being read. No serious tach or speedo forces the driver to read moving numbers, rather the angle of the pointer is sufficient, easily determinable without actually having to move your eye off the road constantly to read it. For those who opt for a stick shift, the tach, in first gear, will move so rapidly it will be useless. This dash has the smallest tach and speedo I have ever seen by a factor of at least 4. Squinting will not be optional. It's an accident waiting to happen, equally as dangerous as reading a cell phone while driving.

I have already purchased my curved SHIFT-I, progressive shift light system to overlay the puny tach window. You don't really need to know the tach speed except to not exceed the red-line or to choose a rev range suitable for mileage (distance driving) or performance (spirited driving). In that vein, a range from about 2500 to 6500 (probable red line for the Elio engine) is needed. The Shift-I is programmable. I'll make the left of its seven lights shine at 2500 (good mileage range), with progressive lights every 700 rpm up to the last of its two red lights at red-line and slightly above. Thus, without looking at all, I can run the engine in econo-mode or shift as I see fit without every having to take my eyes off the road. This will be the first mod I add.

Hopefully, Elio will get smart, before the automotive magazines have a field day laughing at the silly toy dash, and replace it with something functional and safer. The last thing Elio needs is to have its driver interface panned as the dysfunctional design it is.

 

[Frim]

Don't hold your breath; there's a long story behind it. What you see is what you will be getting.

I can live with it. I've got a bad knee that gives me more trouble that that dash will.

 

[Sethodine]

...If Elio doesn't put someone to work on it now they are serving up a lucrative business to the after market on a silver platter. What an opportunity they're missing!

Actually, I was under the impression that this was part-and-parcel with their entire strategy. From snippets I've gleaned from the blog and talking to the folks touring the prototype, EM is expecting/hoping for a large after-market industry to spring up around the Elio.

My impression of Paul and the rest of the people at EM is that they are laser-focused on delivering an inexpensive vehicle; the goal is to give mobility to the poor so we can better lift ourselves out of poverty. By limiting the number of factory-available options, they can keep engineering and production costs down while simultaneously opening up the field to small businesses, who will then fill in the "accessory gap". (I, for example, am looking at getting an industrial sewing machine to sew custom canvas car covers).

I wouldn't take the options listed on the web page as serious for now; I'm pretty sure those are just placeholders meant to give an idea of what the final options could be. As the vehicle nears production, I expect we'll get a more fleshed out options list from Elio's suppliers (audio options from MTX, seat options from Lear, etc). It makes sense that optional body panels would be produced in-house, but I don't expect any money or time will be spent on developing those until after the base model has gone into full production. Major mechanical upgrades (turbo et. al.) certainly won't be available in the first year. And I think it is better that way. Let's get $6,800 cars first!

 

[Coss]

Actually, I was under the impression that this was part-and-parcel with their entire strategy. From snippets I've gleaned from the blog and talking to the folks touring the prototype, EM is expecting/hoping for a large after-market industry to spring up around the Elio.

My impression of Paul and the rest of the people at EM is that they are laser-focused on delivering an inexpensive vehicle; the goal is to give mobility to the poor so we can better lift ourselves out of poverty. By limiting the number of factory-available options, they can keep engineering and production costs down while simultaneously opening up the field to small businesses, who will then fill in the "accessory gap". (I, for example, am looking at getting an industrial sewing machine to sew custom canvas car covers).

I wouldn't take the options listed on the web page as serious for now; I'm pretty sure those are just placeholders meant to give an idea of what the final options could be. As the vehicle nears production, I expect we'll get a more fleshed out options list from Elio's suppliers (audio options from MTX, seat options from Lear, etc). It makes sense that optional body panels would be produced in-house, but I don't expect any money or time will be spent on developing those until after the base model has gone into full production. Major mechanical upgrades (turbo et. al.) certainly won't be available in the first year. And I think it is better that way. Let's get $6,800 cars first!

Excellent observation and statement; I can agree with you completely.
Let's not worry about the accessories until we have something to put them on.

 

[ElioDigger]

Build it ...They will Come

 

[Coss]

Build it ...They will Come

You left off the last two words "............ and buy"

 

[Trusting]

"By limiting the number of factory-available options, they can keep engineering and production costs down"

Interesting logic. If they eliminated options all together (such as color, transmission, etc.) maybe they can reduce engineering and production costs down to zero... If they really work at it the engineers might even end up owing EM money....

Seriously.... With the amount of money at stake wouldn't it be worth it to pay one more employee's salary and have them devoted to creating a wide array of options that can be sold at a nice profit? Many buyers would be much more likely to choose (and pay for) optional items at the time of purchase than to shop for and buy them later. Wanting to see the Elio generate a lot of after market items is one thing, throwing away a gold mine is something else.