There absolutely needs to be a new classification for these types of vehicles. By forcing them to be classified as a motorcycle they are setting people up for failure. Imagine if you are a young kid who is looking for their first vehicle and you don't have your license yet. You find this type of vehicle, love everything about it, and decide to get it. You're told that you need a motorcycle endorsement for it. In most states you can get a motorcycle endorsement w/o having automobile first. Now if you go to the MSF course and get your motorcycle license there, and get this type of vehicle, you will have absolutely no clue what you're doing. This vehicle has nothing in common with a motorcycle (I should know, I ride motorcycle). It sits like a car, it drives like a car, it's operated like a car, it has the typical safety standards and creature comforts of a car. The ONLY thing keeping it from being a car is one missing wheel.
We should not only help them on a state by state level, but should also work on getting a federal ruling on the issue to have an official new class of vehicle be made - the autocycle. This way, federal standards can be drawn up for guidelines as well as the ones from the AAMVA. Elio is not the first of it's kind, nor will it be the last. We are seeing more and more 'autocycles' being designed for the future and it's time for them to have their own classification and set of standards that local governments can understand and utilize.