Bret McCarthy
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I am wondering why you don't just make the rear tire, 2 tires instead and then owners wouldn't need to get a motorcycle drivers license? Why not have that as an option?
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Two Rear Tire Instead Of One
- Thread starter Bret McCarthy
- Start date
zelio
Elio Addict
Then it wouldn't be an Elio. I am willing to bet that by the time the first Elio has rolled off the production line none of you will need a motorcycle endorsement. I have heard so many explanations by better qualified members than I that I could write a book. Trust Paul Elio to know what he is doing. He has a VP of Government Affairs contacting every state to make sure the Elio is licensed as a motorcycle without endorsements or helmet. We also weigh in on this issue and contact representatives where needed. This will happen. :-) Z
Bret, Welcome to the ElioOwners.com forum!
As Craig pointed out the single biggest reason for three wheels and not four is the additional costs involved in being classified as a car. If this were a four wheel vehicle it would then be classified as a car at the federal level and would be subject to a whole host of additional rules and regulations which would drive the cost up significantly.
Luckily, as Zelio pointed out, the drivers license rules are set at the state level and they have the option of exempting this vehicle from motorcycle license and helmet requirements. Elio motors is working very hard on the states and has had a lot of success to the point that I doubt this will be an issue for the vast majority of Elio owners by the time this vehicle goes on sale next year.
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Tomg3rd
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Reasonable question Bret, and welcome from Sachse TX.
Welcome to the forum and the legion of Elio enthusiasts. Here you will find the latest information, facts, rumors, and opinions about the Elio. There are plenty of friendly helpful people who will try to answer all your questions and you will find hours of entertainment. Enjoy the Elio experience
If you pay attention to interviews with Paul Elio he actually explains the reasoning. It's not about keeping it as a motorcycle, or else they wouldn't be working so hard to get a new classification so drivers don't need to meet motorcycle regulations. Nor is it about trying to keep it from being classified as car to keep costs down. If that were the case then they wouldn't be pursuing a 5-star crash test rating which drives car costs in the states up.
No, if you listen to him in numerous interviews, the 3-wheel design was used for the fuel economy goal. The single rear wheel allows for the narrow frame to lower the wind resistance. It also lowers the rolling resistance by having less friction with the ground than with 4-wheels.
If you scour the internet you will find that the top designs in efficiency these days are using the same 3-wheeled design. I will make a thread to share a link for this eco-marathon race sponsored by Shell. The winner this year was a school from Canada that also won last year. Their tear drop design (3-wheeled) achieved 2,824 miles per gallon. This was less than they did last year with 3,587 miles per gallon. Look for a different thread on that though.
No, if you listen to him in numerous interviews, the 3-wheel design was used for the fuel economy goal. The single rear wheel allows for the narrow frame to lower the wind resistance. It also lowers the rolling resistance by having less friction with the ground than with 4-wheels.
If you scour the internet you will find that the top designs in efficiency these days are using the same 3-wheeled design. I will make a thread to share a link for this eco-marathon race sponsored by Shell. The winner this year was a school from Canada that also won last year. Their tear drop design (3-wheeled) achieved 2,824 miles per gallon. This was less than they did last year with 3,587 miles per gallon. Look for a different thread on that though.
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KN16
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You can spin it any way you want but the fact is if the Elio was suddenly considered a car it would be subjected to a whole new set of government regulations and the cost would better than double. The number of people exited about paying 20 grand for one wouldn't be enough to keep the project alive.
And you can spin it anyway you want, but the two biggest reasons for the prices of cars these days is the name on car caused by executive greed, and federal safety regulations. In that order. Since the Elio executives aren't looking to squeeze every penny they can from their potential customers, the cost of the Elio is able to be low. They are still designing it to meet top safety regulations with the 5-star crash test rating while still meeting the price point.