Friday Blog Is Out

[booboo]

I'm glad they posted the video of the Elio arriving. I've seen a lot of the nay-sayers making these wild claims that Elio's prototypes are non-working and that they don't have a completed engine. I bet a lot of them had smoke coming out of their ears when they saw that video.

I found the video rather weird and uninspiring. hehehe
hehehe sound? Turn signal or braking for a stop sign? hehehe

I had sent Elio Motors several emails asking for new videos, all with nice replies from Elio. hehehe
I was hoping for a little more than this. hehehe

 

[Johnny Acree]

Memorial Day 2018
May 25, 2018

Happy Friday Elio’ers! This week’s Friday Blog has nothing to do with Elio Motors or our vehicle. This Monday is Memorial Day, and we want to take this opportunity to offer our solemn gratitude for all of the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of our freedom. From everyone on the Elio Motors team: Thank you.

 

[Johnny Acree]

DIY With Elio
June 1, 2018



Happy Friday Elio’ers! We hope that you had an enjoyable extended weekend and reached the finish line of a protracted work week with gusto. Today is the first day of June, a date that feels like the unofficial start of the summer. Even though summer doesn’t officially start for several weeks, there’s something about the month of June that feels much more like summer than spring. Whatever you have planned on this first “summer” weekend, enjoy!

There are many different segments of Americans that are interested in the Elio. A prominent Elio demographic are the Do It Yourselfers or DIYers. This segment of Elio Motors aficionados and reservation holders are the kind of people that feel like letting a mechanic change their oil is a wasted opportunity for a fun afternoon. The DIYers are fiercely independent and roll up their sleeves with delight. This week’s Friday Blog will look at several ways the Elio is a perfect vehicle for DIYers.

Maintenance

One of the more frequent questions fielded by the Elio Team pertains to the vehicle as a platform for DIY mechanics. As the Elio is utilizing many proven and existing components, skilled Elio owners will be able to perform routine maintenance on their vehicles. While changing flat tires has become something of a lost art, Elio owners can easily change the tires of their vehicles. Yes, even the rear tire. The rear wheel cover comes off with several clips which will reveal the rear tire and swing arm. Then, jack up the vehicle, remove the tire and repeat the steps in reverse. The Elio is a perfect vehicle for folks that enjoy working on their own vehicle.



“Building” The Vehicle

One of the great things about taking the DIY approach to things is the accompanying freedom. Thus, DIYers like to have options and to not be forced to pick between different cookie cutter vehicle trims. We think there is a better way. Instead, Elio owners will be able to “build” their own vehicles by selecting the options they want a la carte through our ePlus: My Elio, My Way option program. By “building” the vehicles themselves, DIYers will have freedom and control.

Storage Space

Of course, many DIY projects extend well beyond the automotive sphere. For Elio owners with a DIY bent for other projects, there will be more than ample space for tools and materials. The trunk space is 27″ x 14″ x 10″, which is equivalent to a carry-on bag. With the back seat folded forward, you can fit a set of golf clubs in the Elio. Not only that, we plan on offering other storage options, like roof and luggage racks. Regardless of your DIY passion project, the Elio will likely accommodate.

Thanks for your support and have a stupendous weekend!

 

[Ace]

I kind of expected I might have to DIY my oil changes. I certainly won't be driving it into one of the typical express places with the standard oil changing pit. I don't see how it would work all that well with the usual car lift either.

 

[RSchneider]

I kind of expected I might have to DIY my oil changes. I certainly won't be driving it into one of the typical express places with the standard oil changing pit. I don't see how it would work all that well with the usual car lift either.

You bring up something I never thought about. How do you lift up an Elio on a 2 post lift. you know, the really popular ones that most repair shops have. I can see the two front arms would be fine but I just don't see the rear. Even at full extension they are still a few feet apart. A single post would work but I wonder where you'd put both rear arms.

I don't really understand the point of the DIY either. There are lots of auto part stores and they are full of air, oil and fuel filters. So someone out there is a DIY and working on current cars. Even my VW is pretty easy to change oil. I use an extractor, while that's going I take off the filter cap (which is right on top of the engine) and change the filter inside. When I'm done, the oil is sucked out, then I put 6 quarts back in it. In 10 minutes, it's done and it never has to be off the ground. The air filter take like 2 minutes to change. I have no idea where the fuel filter is but the spark plugs are on top and easy to get to. I'd expect that the Elio would be on the level of complexity of my VW and not like an air cooled Porsche 911 where unless you know what you are doing, you can get yourself into a heap of trouble.

I assume the Elio would be like my Fiat Abarth I had. No spare tire or tools. Just an airpump with a sealant can all under the drivers seat. If that can't fix it, then you better call a tow truck. And from reading what Elio states, it looks like changing a tire will be more complex than a regular car, plus the rear tire is different from the front.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Nose up to the oil pit, stop when the rear wheel is 3 feet away from the pit with the front end over the pit.
Change oil, back out.

As for the 2 post lifts, there are extensions for 2 wheeled vehicles and the arms on most will extend to the elio's frame.

Many cars have difficult oil changes and spark plug changes. More than one requires an intake or exhaust manifold removal.

 

[RSchneider]

Many cars have difficult oil changes and spark plug changes. More than one requires an intake or exhaust manifold removal.

On the others hand, most have really easy oil and spark plug changes. I guess Elio could compare themselves to a Ferrari or McLaren where on some of them you got to remove the motor for spark plug changes and thus not easy to work on. If you are comparing regular cheap cars you can buy today, they are pretty easy to do regular service which can be accomplished by a DIY. In this day of age, many cars have 10K mile oil changes, 20K air filter and 60K mile spark plug and fuel filter changes. Many others go 80K on spark plugs. This is not like the good old days where you had 3K mile oil changes, 15K for spark plugs, air and fuel filter. I'd expect the Elio to go the 10K oil, 20K air, 80K, plugs, fuel route, which will mean Elio owners will be changing the plugs every 2.6 years.

 

[W. WIllie]

The "average" driver goes app. 12,000 miles a year so most "experts" say.
I've put 420,000 miles on my G1 in 17 years.
The longest time it hasn't been driven was 5 days when I was installing an engine at 334K miles.
I've saved a LOT of $$$$ by being a DIY person.
Everything makes CENTS.

 

[Ty]

You bring up something I never thought about. How do you lift up an Elio on a 2 post lift. you know, the really popular ones that most repair shops have. I can see the two front arms would be fine but I just don't see the rear. Even at full extension they are still a few feet apart. A single post would work but I wonder where you'd put both rear arms.

I don't really understand the point of the DIY either. There are lots of auto part stores and they are full of air, oil and fuel filters. So someone out there is a DIY and working on current cars. Even my VW is pretty easy to change oil. I use an extractor, while that's going I take off the filter cap (which is right on top of the engine) and change the filter inside. When I'm done, the oil is sucked out, then I put 6 quarts back in it. In 10 minutes, it's done and it never has to be off the ground. The air filter take like 2 minutes to change. I have no idea where the fuel filter is but the spark plugs are on top and easy to get to. I'd expect that the Elio would be on the level of complexity of my VW and not like an air cooled Porsche 911 where unless you know what you are doing, you can get yourself into a heap of trouble.

I assume the Elio would be like my Fiat Abarth I had. No spare tire or tools. Just an airpump with a sealant can all under the drivers seat. If that can't fix it, then you better call a tow truck. And from reading what Elio states, it looks like changing a tire will be more complex than a regular car, plus the rear tire is different from the front.

I save about $50 every time I change my own oil. Plus, it gives me a chance to check out my truck's underside which is something I don't get if I let someone else do it.

 

[RSchneider]

I save about $50 every time I change my own oil. Plus, it gives me a chance to check out my truck's underside which is something I don't get if I let someone else do it.

I still like going under the car but in the winter when it cold and snowy, I really don't want to be crawling under the car. It has a heavy duty bellypan on it with about 10 bolts holding it on. Plus, I can tell that in typical German fashion, they were bored and decided that that a threaded drain plug was just not good enough, so they redesigned it with a 1/4 turn, spring loaded, detent and o-ring unit. It's an overly complex design. It is easy to remove and replace with a flat blade screwdriver but in another typical German fashion example, they even have a special tool for it. Like anything else, you are supposed to replace it I just bought a pack of 6 and figured they would last the life of the car. Here it is: