Thanks to all the forum members who have responded to my postings...the Elio Vehicle certainly makes for spirited discussion...
So...let's play a little game called "what if"!
"What if" the Elio Vehicle actually comes to market in the next 12-18 months...and the base price stays close to $6,800...MPG rating are confirmed to be near the original estimates...and crash tests rating turn out to be acceptable to consumers...
"What if" consumers flock to Elio Showrooms...and within 2 years...Elio is selling the 250,000 yearly units that Paul Elio has projected...
250,000 unit is a huge number for any niche vehicle...I'm assuming the major players such as GM...Ford...Toyota...Honda...would quickly develop a Elio type vehicle so they could participate in that 250,000 unit niche market...
So..."what if" Elio is a huge success story...but in the end...the major automotive companies come to market with their own "Elio Spec" vehicles...and severely dilute Elio's own customer base...and build their own interpretation of the Elio concept...
The major automotive manufacturers are very competitive...and tend to build products to fill any large niche that a another competitor opens up...
250,000 annual units will not go unnoticed...
Any thoughts?