Latest On Production Date: Q4 2016

[Hotscoots]

To counter the objection that many families need more than 2 seats and a larger than knapsack trunk , the "and vehicle" talking point emerged . It certainly can be the primary driver under the right circumstances . At a sub $8000 price point and exceptional MPG , the Elio should appeal to teens , millennials, retirees, solo drivers , urban commuters , aging bikers , unique car enthusiasts, small business fleet owners , municipal fleets and me.

 

[Elio Amazed]

As I said in another thread, I'm selling my 2001 AWD Safari Cargo Van.
I figured out that the thing had cost me an average of $1.38 per mile to drive.
However, I bought a 5' x 8' 1200lb. GVW trailer and will be getting a hitch for a car.

I tried "just cars" for a few years.
Not being able to haul things on a whim drove me nuts.
I'm really wary of hooking anything to the back of my future Elio.
I'm thinking that the little beast just isn't designed with that in mind.

So for me, the Elio is going to be an "and" car.
But then, I've had a back-up vehicle most of my life.
I'm just about ready to do a serious house make-over.
And I've got two bikes that occasionally like to hitch a ride.

If I were an apartment dweller with limited parking...
Or were comfortable with a lessened sense of independence...
I could do the Elio as "the" car.

I haven't tried it, but there's just gotta be something wrong in taking a date out via tandem seating.

The van is on CL, but I've already got my winter beater ready.
I just picked up a 2000 Malibu for $650, had two brake lines put on it for $100.
I also picked up four Firestone Winterforce tires with about 300 miles on them for $150.

 

[CheeseheadEarl]

As I said in another thread, I'm selling my 2001 AWD Safari Cargo Van.
I figured out that the thing had cost me an average of $1.38 per mile to drive.
However, I bought a 5' x 8' 1200lb. GVW trailer and will be getting a hitch for a car.

I tried "just cars" for a few years.
Not being able to haul things on a whim drove me nuts.
I'm really wary of hooking anything to the back of my future Elio.
I'm thinking that the little beast just isn't designed with that in mind.

So for me, the Elio is going to be an "and" car.
But then, I've had a back-up vehicle most of my life.
I'm just about ready to do a serious house make-over.
And I've got two bikes that occasionally like to hitch a ride

If I were an apartment dweller with limited parking...
Or were comfortable with a lessened sense of independence...
I could do the Elio as "the" car.

I haven't tried it, but there's just gotta be something wrong in taking a date out via tandem seating.

The van is on CL, but I've already got my winter beater ready.
I just picked up a 2000 Malibu for $650, had two brake lines put on it for $100.
I also picked up four Firestone Winterforce tires with about 300 miles on them for $150.

Any car is an "&" for me. I've had at least 1 truck, often 2, for as long as I can remember.

Thanks to 4 door trucks, the only thing that keeps me a car owner is fuel cost.

I have a hitch on my commuter car, never been used by me. The original owner pulled a small boat.

The E could be "the" car for me. (As long as we don't count trucks)

 

[Sethodine]

My "and" car will be the 1996 Toyota Rav4 that I'm currently commuting to work in. It has four seats, could tow a utility trailer if I needed to, and has all the gas-powered range that our EV lacks. So it will be the "road trip" car, for those rare times when my wife and I need to go long-distance with more than just two seats and a lunchbox.

For the most part, the Elio will be my daily driver.

 

[Smitty901]

I could with out a doubt even here have an ELIO as my only enclose vehicle . I ride between 20-60,000 miles a year. I have no intentions of cutting back for a long time. An ELIO could replace the Ford I have sitting there just incase with no problem.
Lot of people out here run back and forth to town 1 maybe 2 in the car. ELIO could be a 1 vehicle option for many of them.

 

[Rickb]

Having the Ford standing by in case you need more seats is what makes Elio the and vehicle or maybe the Ford is the and vehicle. I'll have 2 vehicles........drive the Elio for daily solo errands or shorter commutes, but when I need a larger vehicle it's standing by to tow the boat, haul the friends and family, or drive in comfort on long trips. I agree that the Elio can/will be an only vehicle for some that can or are forced financially to make it work and way more affordable/reliable transportation than having an old beater as the only vehicle.

If your preferred transportation is a motorcycle, then the Elio seems to be the "&" enclosed motorcycle when the weather conditions demand it. I'm not debating if it can be a primary vehicle or the only vehicle other than a previous poster was critical of the Elio being advertised as an and vehicle. That's how EM was marketing the Elio and had determined to officially badge the Elio...............&. I wonder what the status is on that one?

I could make the Elio my only vehicle too, but my friends and family would be driving on the group adventures and may get weary of picking me up all the time. I could rent a pickup for hauling or to tow the boat, if I had a boat.

The Elio will be my actual motorcycle.

 

[Smitty901]

I will have at least one foot in the grave before The ELIO will replace any of my motorcycles. The only thing that makes an ELIO a motorcycle is a regulation/law

 

[Coss]

I will have at least one foot in the grave before The ELIO will replace any of my motorcycles. The only thing that makes an ELIO a motorcycle is a regulation/law

I started riding when I was 12; at 17 I was racing long course speedway (flat track on 3/4 and 1 mile dirt tracks); race speedway on ice for a year; then raced off road trucks for 2 years; then it was choppers and other hard tails; then into long distance touring; you would never see me without a bike.
I used to say the same thing about when I would stop riding; that is until I blew out 3 disks in my lower back, and broke my neck at C2 & C3.
I've tried riding since then, and just physically can no longer do it.
Bikes take more body movement (balance) than you're aware of until doing that movement becomes limited and extremely painful. I've even tried switching to trikes and using the handle bars to steer involve that lower back twisting again, so those are out.
The Elio will give me the ability to be close to riding again.

 

[Rickb]

I will have at least one foot in the grave before The ELIO will replace any of my motorcycles. The only thing that makes an ELIO a motorcycle is a regulation/law

What makes the Elio a motorcycle is it's classification as an enclosed trike, unless you don't feel a trike is a motorcycle. I will finally be able to ride a cycle, or drive a cycle with a degree of safety. I came so close to buying a Harley Trike a few years back, but just couldn't pull the trigger and write the check.

Own and ride motorcycles as looooong as you are able. The best connection of man and machine except for operating a skidsteer loader or an Ironman Suit.

 

[Rickb]

I started riding when I was 12; at 17 I was racing long course speedway (flat track on 3/4 and 1 mile dirt tracks); race speedway on ice for a year; then raced off road trucks for 2 years; then it was choppers and other hard tails; then into long distance touring; you would never see me without a bike.
I used to say the same thing about when I would stop riding; that is until I blew out 3 disks in my lower back, and broke my neck at C2 & C3.
I've tried riding since then, and just physically can no longer do it.
Bikes take more body movement (balance) than you're aware of until doing that movement becomes limited and extremely painful. I've even tried switching to trikes and using the handle bars to steer involve that lower back twisting again, so those are out.
The Elio will give me the ability to be close to riding again.

That's why so many motocycle enthusiasts find the Elio so appealing. The Elio will give me a relatively close first time riding experience. Maybe the Lit Motors C-1 enclosed self-balancing motorcycle will make it to production so more people can experience for the first time or get back to the real deal motorcycle riding experience.