• Welcome to Elio Owners! Join today, registration is easy!

    You can register using your Google, Facebook, or Twitter account, just click here.

The Real P5 ?

AriLea

Elio Addict
Joined
Mar 20, 2014
Messages
3,862
Reaction score
9,876
Location
anywhere
I'm still a little confused...... does the turbo positively or negatively affect gas mileage? I remember some people saying it would go down, but I've also read some articles where they say a turbo will give you better gas mileage (as long as you're not constantly punching it into high boost) What's the EV option and what makes it faster 0-60 than a turbo?

So to answer the questions..

Getting good gas mileage relates to the whole vehicle. If you start with a selected engine and turbo-it, you'll get more power, for less weight than an equivalent larger engine. That extra power comes at a cost in complexity. So if you had 60% of the new Elio engine, then put a turbo on that, now you have the same power (maybe) for less total engine weight. Every pound of engine relates to 1 or 2 (or so) of total vehicle weight. It's possible you could then have better mileage, due to this reduced gross vehicle weight, but it is a more expensive configuration than the larger Elio engine without a turbo.
However, a smaller engine often has lower thermal efficiency, so a turbo on a 750cc may be a bit challenged to get high MPGs. Generally, tubo-ing is used to get better performance.
It took a lot of engineering trading off, like tandom seating vs sociable, to get that 80+ MPG. I wouldn't mess with it at this point.

EV vs turbo.. a faster Elio , isn't even on my radar at this point. No comment.
 
Last edited:

Ekh

Elio Addict
Joined
May 2, 2014
Messages
3,794
Reaction score
9,525
Location
Loveland OH
So to answer the questions..

Getting good gas mileage relates to the whole vehicle. If you start with a selected engine and turbo-it, you'll get more power, for less weight than an equivalent larger engine. That extra power comes at a cost in complexity. So if you had 60% of the new Elio engine, then put a turbo on that, now you have the same power (maybe) for less total engine weight. Every pound of engine relates to 1 or 2 (or so) of total vehicle weight. It's possible you could then have better mileage, due to this reduced gross vehicle weight, but it is a more expensive configuration than the larger Elio engine without a turbo.
However, a smaller engine often has lower thermal efficiency, so a turbo on a 750cc may be a bit challenged to get high MPGs. Generally, tubo-ing is used to get better performance.
It took a lot of engineering trading off, like tandom seating vs sociable, to get that 80+ MPG. I wouldn't mess with it at this point.

EV vs turbo.. a faster Elio , isn't even on my radar at this point. No comment.
If you're putting a turbo on it, you'll be putting your boot into it just for fun, and your gas mileage will plummet, say to 50 mpg on the highway. Damn! But what a hoot! I'm a sports car guy from as close to day 1 as I could pull it off. None, with the exception of my Marcos, were as safe as the Elio. But if you're not spinning up the turbo, the mileage should be pretty darn good. I wonder if it's possible to have a manual turbo cut-out, so that if you want to drive for mileage you can, and if you want to boogie, you can switch it on and dance.
 

AriLea

Elio Addict
Joined
Mar 20, 2014
Messages
3,862
Reaction score
9,876
Location
anywhere
If you're putting a turbo on it, you'll be putting your boot into it just for fun, and your gas mileage will plummet, say to 50 mpg on the highway. Damn! But what a hoot! I'm a sports car guy from as close to day 1 as I could pull it off. None, with the exception of my Marcos, were as safe as the Elio. But if you're not spinning up the turbo, the mileage should be pretty darn good. I wonder if it's possible to have a manual turbo cut-out, so that if you want to drive for mileage you can, and if you want to boogie, you can switch it on and dance.
I want to see a Turbo Elio Patrol car (with the EV booster rear wheel kit !)
 

Rickb

Elio Addict
Joined
Apr 20, 2014
Messages
7,082
Reaction score
13,959
If you're putting a turbo on it, you'll be putting your boot into it just for fun, and your gas mileage will plummet, say to 50 mpg on the highway. Damn! But what a hoot! I'm a sports car guy from as close to day 1 as I could pull it off. None, with the exception of my Marcos, were as safe as the Elio. But if you're not spinning up the turbo, the mileage should be pretty darn good. I wonder if it's possible to have a manual turbo cut-out, so that if you want to drive for mileage you can, and if you want to boogie, you can switch it on and dance.
There is a button for that:
image.jpeg
 

Muzhik

Elio Addict
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
751
Reaction score
1,162
Location
Iowa
Based on the latest P5 build photos, I thought I'd take a wild guess at the dash size opening ....for my planned replacement of 'you know what' ;)

One of my jobs involves working in a warehouse, and assuming the pallet in the picture is of typical design (sure looks so anyway) the side fork opening is roughly 9 inches. This translates the possible opening in the dash cowell to roughly an oblong dimension of 7" x 14" which would be perfect for my replacement choice......
View attachment 7474

:boink:
I will admit -- those sure look purty!
 

Adamant

Elio Addict
Joined
Aug 11, 2015
Messages
316
Reaction score
322
Location
West Coast
If you're putting a turbo on it, you'll be putting your boot into it just for fun, and your gas mileage will plummet, say to 50 mpg on the highway. Damn! But what a hoot! I'm a sports car guy from as close to day 1 as I could pull it off. None, with the exception of my Marcos, were as safe as the Elio. But if you're not spinning up the turbo, the mileage should be pretty darn good. I wonder if it's possible to have a manual turbo cut-out, so that if you want to drive for mileage you can, and if you want to boogie, you can switch it on and dance.

Either way, I'm getting an Auto (plus, PE himself says the Auto gets the best gas mileage because it "shifts perfectly") but say I get an auto with a turbo and drive it gently on the highway, any chance of still reaching 84mpg? Or is even driving conservatively with a turbo still gonna net less mpg than without? (assuming the engine is the same size either way)

Usually on the freeway I try to maintain the speed limit of 70mph. Sometimes I'll to 75, but that's about it.
 

archer5013

Elio Aficionado
Joined
May 18, 2014
Messages
87
Reaction score
222
Location
Earth
You may be right. But if you are in the position where the best you can afford is a 10 year old clunker with 150K miles on it you may not care about 0-60 as much as you do about something that gets you from home to work and back Monday thru Friday without any major problems.
I think some people are stuck on the legal definition in regards to the number of wheels. The Elio is a motorcycle just as much as my wheelbarrow is a unicycle.

Front wheel drive. Enclosed cabin. Airbags. Air conditioning. Windshield wiper. Steering wheel. Seat belts. Yeah... Sounds just like a motorcycle to me.
 
Top Bottom