Thanks, Goofyone for that info. Now onto the "rubber meeting the road".The Elio panels are a much nicer material than the Saturn panels. The Saturn panels were in essence polymer reinforced ABS plastic which was cheap but really not very rigid so thanks to their flex actually contributed to interior noise. The Elio panels are fiberglass reinforced SMC composite, which is essentially what newer corvettes have used for the last 15 years, and this material is stiff enough to contribute a good bit to structural rigidity and also has some sound absorption properties while being about half the weight of steel panels.
Any ordinary car houses all four wheels within the shell so reducing that down to one should easily cut down on road noise. Plus as I said the floor pan is one piece, runs over the rear tire, and I am sure will be covered in sound/temperature insulation so it should provide a nice sound barrier preventing much road noise from entering the cabin. Also with such a small cabin owners should be able to add any extra insulation quite easily if they so choose.
Motor mounts are pretty well sorted out at this point as cars produced in the last decade plus very rarely wear out their motor mounts within the first 100,000 miles and as Elio is using off the shelf components I don't expect it to be any different. Suspension materials are also pretty well understood at this point and rarely create issues anymore so once again with off the shelf bushings and such I doubt there will be any major issues prior to whatever the whenever the shocks need to be replaced.
Having said all that this is all just theory based on what we know about the materials and EM's designs. We will have to see exactly what plays out when the rubber actually meets the road.
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Anyone Ask About Interior Noise?
- Thread starter ST13Fred
- Start date
BilgeRat
Elio Addict
No matter what, with the windows up, it will be quieter than my Miata with the top either up or down... :-)
When looking for a three wheel to purchase, I took a test ride in the Stallion made by Thoroughbred Motors in Tyler, Texas. Though it was a very nice vehicle in many aspects, one of the main reasons (other than price $33,000) I did not purchase it, was that while driving at road speeds, it felt like a kit car! The ride was smooth and handled well, however the body felt cheap and flemsey as it bounced and shifted with every bump and pothole. I was just wondering if anyone has had any feedback on the body at road speeds and or plans for noise suppression, both key factors in such a small confined space.
zelio
Elio Addict
Since the production Elio has not been released yet anything said on these issues is strictly speculative. You can use the search function and probably find something posted if you don't mind reading speculation. :-) Z
if I was going to buy a standard trike (one front tire, 2 rear tires) it would be a Stallion .... I've followed them for years and as you note, the price tag has a way of making one think long and hard .... I'm not an engineer nor do I play one on TV but I just can't see the road feel of the two being similar .... two very different configurations, very different suspensions, really two very different worlds
Jim
Jim
RKing
Elio Addict
Stallion is an open cockpit isn't it? Very hard to control airflow and therefore noise and vibration.
BillZ
Elio Addict
You make a very good point regarding noise. I ride a motorcycle and am continually amazed at people who complain about buffeting and noise while riding. You'll see many expensive modifications to touring bikes in an attempt to mitigate the wind and noise while riding; all foolish wastes of money, in my opinion. You're on a motorcycle and it's gonna be noisy!
All that being said, most of the noise on a motorcycle is from the wind and airflow, as you have stated. In a not so scientific experiment, I used duct tape to tape up the exposed seams on my helmet and almost all of the noise inside my helmet was eliminated. This was an over-simplified example that most of the noise on my bike was being created by the seams around my helmet as well as the air flow around the windscreen and mirrors on my fairing.
Most of these things that cause turbulence and the resulting noise may be controlled to a degree, but the seams around the door and windows, similar to any vehicle, will still be there creating openings for ingress/egress and can't be sealed for obvious reasons. There will be some noise, but I believe that the slick body panels, narrow design of the body, and overall aerodynamic shape of the Elio will create less noise as it slips through the air.
At least, that's what I'm telling myself as I dream about driving mine. YMMV...
zelio
Elio Addict
I have driven most of the length of I-5 in Oregon over the past 5 years and the main noise I am very aware of is pavement noise. If all the windows are up the pavement noise can be very loud. There is a noticeable difference when new pavement is enountered. It is always a very pleasant relief from the old, rough pavement, road noise. :-) Z
CompTrex
Elio Addict
I've owned enough old rattly cars to realize the solution to road / car noise is investment in a better stereo. Problem solved!