It’s only a con for those that believe, put a deposit down, and invest….assuming the new startup can bring a fully enclosed certified production three wheeler concept to market with the mass production market appeal/demand needed to make it affordable. Two of my favorite enclosed three wheeler concepts actually certied a production model, started manufacturing vehicles, delivered a few hundred vehicles, and failed within a year or 2 due to the limited USA market demand for a fully enclosed motorcycle classified vehicle. Those customers currently have no service and or parts availabIlity for their vehicles. The few limited niche market three wheelers/‘autocycles‘ currently available are simply too expensive for the average guy with no fully enclosed options that I’m aware of.
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JohnJ
Elio Addict
You make some good points, but, "times they are a changin". Maybe Elio's time has truly come. As of today the tariffs on import cars is going way up and higher prices will follow. I can't help but think that if people saw some Elios running around town and they found out about them and that they could be bought for a much lower price that an imported econo box, there would be a rush to buy them. I can see a snowball effect. Or, am I just dreamin?
Being a paranoid at heart, I think the problem with it happening is that powerful interest don't want us buying 12 or 15 thousand dollar cars. They want us to have to pay 30 or 40 grand. And others don't want us getting 80 mpg, they want us getting 20 or maybe 30 so they can continue selling us lots of gas.
Sonoran Sam
Elio Addict
If I were still working, I'd be commuting on a Honda XR150L. MSRP is $3,099 and it gets 70-90 mpg. I can't imagine the insurance is too expensive on it, either.
I commuted back and forth to work on various motorcycles for many years. Yes, I did have to plan a bit for the weather, but it was cheap economical transportation.
My current motorcycle was only $5.5K (back in 2010) and it gets 52-55 mpg. It is starting to show its age, so if I had to go back to work, I'd trade it in on the Honda.
That was my logic when the Arcimoto FUV rolled off the production line. However what happened was amazing excitement when people saw the preproduction prototypes on the street, thousands of pre-order excitement with the marketed $11,900 MSRP, but the initial 100+ roll out production FUVs retailed for $19,900 required for them to not lose money on every FUV sold. As it turned out $8K more than to many pre-order customers were willing to pay. Arcimoto re-stated their target price of $11,900 with scaled production numbers needed to bring their materials and manufacturing costs down In order to be profitable. Apparently tooling a manufacturing plant requires millions of dollars and that simply didn’t happen to include lousy management decisions and lost focus on production scale after the production start. The same higher than marketed MSRP scenario would have happened had Elio or BEX for that matter, crossed the production finish line…….simply to expensive for the average 68,000 Elio pre-order customers attracted to the marketed low price/high MPG, 5 star safety rated fully enclosed motorcycle classified vehicle.
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RSchneider
Elio Addict
I will give my opinion. How about make it for the DIY and people that have old cars crowd. There have been lots of good info when it comes to the DIY and I suspect a few would like to show off their old cars. I do suggest to not go into the Aptera abyss. I check into that once in a while ad it looks like another Elio and extremely toxic.
Interested
Elio Aficionado
Expanding on the DIY. Perhaps different forums for projects done, projects needing help/suggestions. Where to find supplies. The projects could be further defined as to type (IE: home improvement, cars, tools, electrical, gardening, etc.)
Oh, and there must be a jokes section. Thats an absolute.
RSchneider
Elio Addict
Maybe that since this is the only thing left out there with the Elio name (except for that Disney movie) that Paul will come on and come clean. Would be nice to just hear from the dude as he seems to have dropped his die hard fans like a hot potato.
JohnJ
Elio Addict
But what can he say?.....
Interested
Elio Aficionado
A public apology to those that put a deposit on Elio. An apology to the shareholders. Why the Elio website is still active. Lots he could say.
RSchneider
Elio Addict
You do realize that Paul Elio or Elio Motors doesn't own that website anymore. It''s held by a company that buys up domains and sits on them all in hopes someone pays them a bunch of money for them. Plus Paul told the world that Elio Motors is a failed business. I figured that was not enough and people needed to hear from him personally. The truth is, he could care less about the people that put their money and time into his cause. He walked away as a millionaire and we all know what he's on to.
He could just say, "Elio just didn't raise the money needed to make the business work. We needed $641M and only raised $110. So, not enough to get it to production. I appreciate that you all believed in the next big thing but the markets were broken at the time and I did the best I could."