Elio Lighting (head, Tail, Brake, Signal, Fog, Auxiliary, Blinking,etc...)

[Horn]

In terms of headlights, I would pick the cheapest option and go with it. Assuming the LED is more expensive, you would think someone would make it as an aftermarket part.

Gotta remember that Elio doesn't have to be sole provider of all these luxury items.

 

[2.ooohhh]

I upgraded one of my classic cars standard 7" round sealed beams to LED headlights, cost was $1400, that type of expense would be a deal breaker for the elio's pricing goal. Even aftermarket LED auxiliary lights are $100 a piece to get acceptable light output and durability. Another was upgraded to HID(in the original projector housing) for around $60, they use less current but have more components to fail in the future. The cheapest and simplest headlights will no question be traditional incandescent which is why they are sill the industry standard for automotive illumination.

 

[Sam]

How about a single headlight smack dab in the center?

 

[zelio]

How about a single headlight smack dab in the center?

Should we also have it rotating like train engine lights do? LOL :-) Z

 

[ecdriver711]

At least the lights in the rear could be LED.

 

[carzes]

It seems to me that the alternator is pumping out 14V when it's running regardless of the electrical draw. Do you get worse fuel economy when your listening to the radio in the rain, than having it off on a clear, sunny day?

In short, YES. Weather aside, electric power is a function of both voltage AND current. The more current you draw from the alternator the harder it is for the engine to turn it, which means more gas. How much fuel it takes to produce a given amount of electric power via alternator would take me ages to figure out, but I'm sure there are engineers out there who could run the calculation in their head.

 

[carzes]

I upgraded one of my classic cars standard 7" round sealed beams to LED headlights, cost was $1400, that type of expense would be a deal breaker for the elio's pricing goal. Even aftermarket LED auxiliary lights are $100 a piece to get acceptable light output and durability. Another was upgraded to HID(in the original projector housing) for around $60, they use less current but have more components to fail in the future. The cheapest and simplest headlights will no question be traditional incandescent which is why they are sill the industry standard for automotive illumination.

Comparing anything to the production LED products that are on the market is going to mislead because they are just ridiculously priced. LED's are cheap, electronic components are cheap, but package them together in a finished product and they want a fortune. What gives? I've built a number of LED systems from scratch for a few percent of what it would cost to buy finished product. But I think your larger point is quite right, it's always cheaper NOT to reinvent the wheel and it's goign to be cheaper to use something that's already developed to be produced cheaply and today. I just thought it might be a small contribution to the fuel efficiency goal if it could be done cheap enough.

 

[PJ]

I'd like to see LED day lite running lights like they have on the Audi.

 

[Edward]

I'd like to see LED day lite running lights like they have on the Audi.

Oh, man, I hate the Audi' s headlamps.

 

[hippazoid]

I'd like to see LED day lite running lights like they have on the Audi.

I agree... LED DRL Brow lights would be great. I had mentioned in another thread that that could also be an aftermarket upgrade. Would be cheaper for EM but it'd be hard to pull off a factory look like the Audis or any number of other factory DRL Brows.

As far as headlamps, I do expect them to be HID. I saw mention that motorcycle regs allow for much brighter headlamps. I would think since most bikes do use them now, they'd be affordable for the Elio.

Hipp