Grayfox72
Elio Aficionado
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2014
- Messages
- 50
- Reaction score
- 138
I found this site in which a member of the E team addressed many questions. What I found interesting was the quote that Elio will get 84MPG on the highway with the A/C "ON" and 95mpg on a flat road at 65 mph....Read below the full content:
Q: Where can I find more info?
A: Lots of info can be found on the Elio Motors Web page at http://www.eliomotors.com
Q: Will it handle in the snow?
A: It's front engine and FWD so 70% of your mass and all of your traction action happen over the front 2 wheels. In snow performance, it doesn't matter if you drag 1 or 2 wheels.... The Elio will do well in all kinds of weather! The front engine, low center of gravity, front wheel drive and ABS will create some great traction action to help pull the Elio through the snow or other bad weather. Word of caution though, we are not a 4-wheel drive urban assault vehicle, so if there are 5′ snow drifts, stay home and wait until the plows come through!
Q: Why not stop showing it and just build it?
A: No one is more impatient than Elio Motors to get this vehicle done. The team that is showing the Elio around are part of the sales and marketing group... the rest of the team are in meetings working on prototyping design, prototyping, meeting with suppliers, Factory setup and workflow, Tooling requirements, working to get the regulations changed so you don't have to wear a helmet or get a MC license...and the list goes on. Elio Motors is doing in 2yrs what it takes the big guys 5-6 years to do to bring a new model out. And we get to see the new prototype Jan 14th, 2014... do you just want it or do you want it done right?
Q: What is the speed and performance of the Elio?
A: It goes from 0-60 in 9.6 seconds and accelerates faster than most of the segment B vehicles.Top speed is in excess of 100 MPH.
Q: What are "segment B" vehicles?
A: The big players in this category include the Chevy Aveo, Honda Fit, MINI Cooper, Nissan Versa, Scion xD, Scion xB, Smart fortwo, Suzuki SX4 and Toyota Yaris. Also included are the Kia Soul and Nissan cube.
Q: What about maintenance repairs and what is the warranty?
A: The Elio comes standard with a 3 year/36000 mile warranty!We're in discussions with several large service providers to provide maintenance, repairs and warranty work and we'll hopefully be able to announce a partnership soon.....FYI since it is made of standard car parts any competent mechanic can work on it... It is being designed so that it is easy to do if you have mechanic skills.... parts will be available at your normal autoparts store.
Q: Will the interior be cramped? (Front and back seat)
A: We designed the vehicle to fit a 6’1” 220 person and have had many larger and smaller people try it out and loved it! Tallest so far… 6’8”, largest so far … 6’3” 365, smallest … under 5’ (weight not asked!).
Q: Where's the luggage space?
A: The trunk opens from the back like on a regular car. It will have enough space for an airline carry-on. However, the rear seat back folds down to the front, which allows enough extended space for a golf bag to fit in it.
Q: Does it lean like a motorcycle?
A: It doesn't! It will remain completely upright like a car. The vehicle is very stable. Look at our aggressive handling maneuver simulation on our website. Many vehicles on the road today would roll over in a similar scenario that ours did not.
Q: It looks tiny! Is it?
A: The Elio is about half the weight of a "normal" car (about 1200 lbs), so it is light. However, the length of the vehicle is about the same as a Cadillac CTS. It is also narrow, like a bullet, for aerodynamics and increased fuel economy. However, the interior has been designed to be very spacious, even in the back. Remember it is like half a car inside so it isn't like you have to wear it.
Q: Is it safe?
A: In a word, yes. Each Elio comes equipped with a Safety Management System that includes three airbags – a reinforced roll-cage frame, Anti-Lock Braking System, and 50% larger crush zones than similar vehicles. Preliminary safety tests on computer models anticipate a 5-Star safety rating.
Q: How fuel efficient IS the Elio?
A: 84mpg with the (A/C on) on the highway and 49 MPG in the city! It can go 672 miles, or thereabouts, because it has an 8-gallon tank and 8X84=672. Of course, other factors will affect your mileage but you get the point. BTW: To achieve a 84 mpg EPA sticker rating, the Elio will get over 95 mpg on a flat highway at 65 mph.
Q: Can a 2 seater car be that useful? My other car/truck/suv can seat "x"!
A: If you think about it, how often do you drive your vehicle and you're the only one in it, or maybe you have one other person with you? Most people can benefit from an Elio because they normally don't need all those extra seats and extra space. Basically, these huge vehicles on the road are mostly wasted space. So, instead of driving a large SUV and getting 15mpg when you could get 84mpg in an Elio? Or, you could have an Elio for all the times you don't need the space and use your larger vehicle if you need more than 2 seats.
Q: How does it ride?
A: The first cousin of cool is smooth. So we've built Elio on an independent suspension with unequal length control arms, coil-over-spring and shock in the front and mono-shock with coil-over-spring and shock in the rear. The ground clearance is 5.75″ — similar to most of the passenger vehicles you see on the road today. The seat has height adjust and it feels more like a mid-size sedan inside, than a Corvette
Q: so it has a motorcycle engine or is it Battery Powered?
A: Nope on both questions - the Elio is powered by an gasoline engine desiged by IAV ( Co originated in Germany) engine is expected to be a detuned 3 cylinder engine based upon the Geo Metro engine - An aluminum engine with a improved cylinder head and a flame spray surface process rather than cylinder sleeves... this results in the cylinder walls still holding up great after 250,000 miles. The Engine will be a Derated Engine which is an engine whose maximum HP has been reduced to lower than design value.. often this is done by adjusting the fuel / air ratio and the timing... the result is high fuel savings and lower emissions with a side effect of increasing longevity. it is a .9 liter with a 5speed manual transmission. It will have a AMT (automated manual transmission) as an option.... the AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) will auto shift gears but you can also manually shift if you choose to do so. 84 mpg on the highway and 49 mpg in the city is expected to be accomplished with the AC on and the AMT shifting the gears. BTW we will look at other possible drive trains and fuel options in future models
Q: What is the body made of?
A: The body shell which is a composite will be made from the same process as the corvette/viper, military containers and the predator drone skin. A liquid plastic is formed into a sheet where chopped fiberglass it sprayed into it. It is stamped into shape similar to sheetmetal stamping under low temp and compression. Supposed to be superior to traditional fiberglass and more easily repaired because it does not craze when impacted or penetrated can be repaired with a fiberglass screen and a bondo kind of filler. The body is made via Sheet Molding Compound process. The body panels will be manufactured inside of the factory. Sorta like 'stamping sheetmetal' equivalent for plastics; while it's fiberglass reinforced, it's not sprayed on as in the traditional Fiberglass manufacturing process that is laid on top of a mold, then cured.
Q: where is the spare tire?
A: like all motorcycles and a large segment of the main stream market do not come with spare tires. The spare tire adds significant weight and an additional cost of over $100
Q: Can you put in a trailer hitch? or other options like GPS and retro like options?
A:The tow option is one of the more requested options we're looking at, but have not committed to it. We are sure the after-market will accommodate that desire. Part of the beauty of Elio Motors is the simplicity of only offering standard and automatic (AMT transmission) and limited options. Unfortunately, it doesn't allow for a lot of cool options - there's always the after-market and we are looking at what can be offered as POS (point of sale) options! A lot of after-market companies are as excited as we are about this vehicle.
Q: Where can I find more info?
A: Lots of info can be found on the Elio Motors Web page at http://www.eliomotors.com
Q: Will it handle in the snow?
A: It's front engine and FWD so 70% of your mass and all of your traction action happen over the front 2 wheels. In snow performance, it doesn't matter if you drag 1 or 2 wheels.... The Elio will do well in all kinds of weather! The front engine, low center of gravity, front wheel drive and ABS will create some great traction action to help pull the Elio through the snow or other bad weather. Word of caution though, we are not a 4-wheel drive urban assault vehicle, so if there are 5′ snow drifts, stay home and wait until the plows come through!
Q: Why not stop showing it and just build it?
A: No one is more impatient than Elio Motors to get this vehicle done. The team that is showing the Elio around are part of the sales and marketing group... the rest of the team are in meetings working on prototyping design, prototyping, meeting with suppliers, Factory setup and workflow, Tooling requirements, working to get the regulations changed so you don't have to wear a helmet or get a MC license...and the list goes on. Elio Motors is doing in 2yrs what it takes the big guys 5-6 years to do to bring a new model out. And we get to see the new prototype Jan 14th, 2014... do you just want it or do you want it done right?
Q: What is the speed and performance of the Elio?
A: It goes from 0-60 in 9.6 seconds and accelerates faster than most of the segment B vehicles.Top speed is in excess of 100 MPH.
Q: What are "segment B" vehicles?
A: The big players in this category include the Chevy Aveo, Honda Fit, MINI Cooper, Nissan Versa, Scion xD, Scion xB, Smart fortwo, Suzuki SX4 and Toyota Yaris. Also included are the Kia Soul and Nissan cube.
Q: What about maintenance repairs and what is the warranty?
A: The Elio comes standard with a 3 year/36000 mile warranty!We're in discussions with several large service providers to provide maintenance, repairs and warranty work and we'll hopefully be able to announce a partnership soon.....FYI since it is made of standard car parts any competent mechanic can work on it... It is being designed so that it is easy to do if you have mechanic skills.... parts will be available at your normal autoparts store.
Q: Will the interior be cramped? (Front and back seat)
A: We designed the vehicle to fit a 6’1” 220 person and have had many larger and smaller people try it out and loved it! Tallest so far… 6’8”, largest so far … 6’3” 365, smallest … under 5’ (weight not asked!).
Q: Where's the luggage space?
A: The trunk opens from the back like on a regular car. It will have enough space for an airline carry-on. However, the rear seat back folds down to the front, which allows enough extended space for a golf bag to fit in it.
Q: Does it lean like a motorcycle?
A: It doesn't! It will remain completely upright like a car. The vehicle is very stable. Look at our aggressive handling maneuver simulation on our website. Many vehicles on the road today would roll over in a similar scenario that ours did not.
Q: It looks tiny! Is it?
A: The Elio is about half the weight of a "normal" car (about 1200 lbs), so it is light. However, the length of the vehicle is about the same as a Cadillac CTS. It is also narrow, like a bullet, for aerodynamics and increased fuel economy. However, the interior has been designed to be very spacious, even in the back. Remember it is like half a car inside so it isn't like you have to wear it.
Q: Is it safe?
A: In a word, yes. Each Elio comes equipped with a Safety Management System that includes three airbags – a reinforced roll-cage frame, Anti-Lock Braking System, and 50% larger crush zones than similar vehicles. Preliminary safety tests on computer models anticipate a 5-Star safety rating.
Q: How fuel efficient IS the Elio?
A: 84mpg with the (A/C on) on the highway and 49 MPG in the city! It can go 672 miles, or thereabouts, because it has an 8-gallon tank and 8X84=672. Of course, other factors will affect your mileage but you get the point. BTW: To achieve a 84 mpg EPA sticker rating, the Elio will get over 95 mpg on a flat highway at 65 mph.
Q: Can a 2 seater car be that useful? My other car/truck/suv can seat "x"!
A: If you think about it, how often do you drive your vehicle and you're the only one in it, or maybe you have one other person with you? Most people can benefit from an Elio because they normally don't need all those extra seats and extra space. Basically, these huge vehicles on the road are mostly wasted space. So, instead of driving a large SUV and getting 15mpg when you could get 84mpg in an Elio? Or, you could have an Elio for all the times you don't need the space and use your larger vehicle if you need more than 2 seats.
Q: How does it ride?
A: The first cousin of cool is smooth. So we've built Elio on an independent suspension with unequal length control arms, coil-over-spring and shock in the front and mono-shock with coil-over-spring and shock in the rear. The ground clearance is 5.75″ — similar to most of the passenger vehicles you see on the road today. The seat has height adjust and it feels more like a mid-size sedan inside, than a Corvette
Q: so it has a motorcycle engine or is it Battery Powered?
A: Nope on both questions - the Elio is powered by an gasoline engine desiged by IAV ( Co originated in Germany) engine is expected to be a detuned 3 cylinder engine based upon the Geo Metro engine - An aluminum engine with a improved cylinder head and a flame spray surface process rather than cylinder sleeves... this results in the cylinder walls still holding up great after 250,000 miles. The Engine will be a Derated Engine which is an engine whose maximum HP has been reduced to lower than design value.. often this is done by adjusting the fuel / air ratio and the timing... the result is high fuel savings and lower emissions with a side effect of increasing longevity. it is a .9 liter with a 5speed manual transmission. It will have a AMT (automated manual transmission) as an option.... the AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) will auto shift gears but you can also manually shift if you choose to do so. 84 mpg on the highway and 49 mpg in the city is expected to be accomplished with the AC on and the AMT shifting the gears. BTW we will look at other possible drive trains and fuel options in future models
Q: What is the body made of?
A: The body shell which is a composite will be made from the same process as the corvette/viper, military containers and the predator drone skin. A liquid plastic is formed into a sheet where chopped fiberglass it sprayed into it. It is stamped into shape similar to sheetmetal stamping under low temp and compression. Supposed to be superior to traditional fiberglass and more easily repaired because it does not craze when impacted or penetrated can be repaired with a fiberglass screen and a bondo kind of filler. The body is made via Sheet Molding Compound process. The body panels will be manufactured inside of the factory. Sorta like 'stamping sheetmetal' equivalent for plastics; while it's fiberglass reinforced, it's not sprayed on as in the traditional Fiberglass manufacturing process that is laid on top of a mold, then cured.
Q: where is the spare tire?
A: like all motorcycles and a large segment of the main stream market do not come with spare tires. The spare tire adds significant weight and an additional cost of over $100
Q: Can you put in a trailer hitch? or other options like GPS and retro like options?
A:The tow option is one of the more requested options we're looking at, but have not committed to it. We are sure the after-market will accommodate that desire. Part of the beauty of Elio Motors is the simplicity of only offering standard and automatic (AMT transmission) and limited options. Unfortunately, it doesn't allow for a lot of cool options - there's always the after-market and we are looking at what can be offered as POS (point of sale) options! A lot of after-market companies are as excited as we are about this vehicle.
