Momentum V167

[Coss]

A review of the Elio's interior and exterior lighting

Elio Motors Momentum v167

A vehicle’s interior and exterior lighting is one of many aspects of a vehicle that we likely take for granted. While we have discussed several aspects of the Elio’s lighting systems in the past, today we will review the interior and exterior lighting of our vehicle.



*MSRP excludes destination/delivery charges, taxes, title, registration, and options/installation.

Certain statements in this email including, but not limited to, statements related to anticipated commencement of commercial production, targeted pricing and performance goals, and statements that otherwise relate to future periods are forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the SEC, specifically the most recent reports which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made and based on information available to the Company on the date of this email. Elio Motors assumes no obligation to update the information in this email.

Elio Motors 2942 North 24th Street Suite 114-700 Phoenix, AZ 85016 US

 

[Coss]

Page 2
Momentum v167

Seeing the Light
August 8, 2018



A vehicle’s interior and exterior lighting is one of many aspects of a vehicle that we likely take for granted. While we have discussed several aspects of the Elio’s lighting systems in the past, today we will review the interior and exterior lighting of our vehicle.

Headlights

The headlights of the Elio are flush with the body of the vehicle, which reduces drag and enhances our aerodynamics. We will use two headlights for obvious safety purposes. Our engineers have designed the Elio to maximize lighting coverage in the front of the vehicle.



There are several determining factors when it comes to the headlight design of the Elio, which include cost, electrical architecture, and energy budget (the amount of energy needed to run the headlights.) Other factors, from a more general standpoint, include aerodynamics, aesthetics, and weight. And, of course, optimum visibility is paramount when considering safety.

The current direction design utilizes a reflective-style headlight. We are using reflector-style headlights to keep costs down; however, these headlights do command a large segment of our energy budget. In the future, we are considering using a projector-style LED headlamp which would require significantly less electricity. The costs at the current time, however, do not fit in with our value proposition. If costs come down, we will strongly consider changing from our current reflector design to projector-style, LED headlights.

Rear Lighting

The rear exterior lighting is equally important when considering safety. We have one taillamp which reaches approximately 22 inches across. We are using a total of five incandescent bulbs. Two are located on the right, two on the left, and one is placed in the center. The outside lights are brake and turn signal lights, the two inside lights are running lights for visibility, and the center light is a backup light. Along with our suppliers, we are exploring the possibility of using LEDs for the rear exterior lighting. As with the front lights, the decision will depend on reasonable costs, as well as proper luminance.



Interior

In terms of interior lighting, the Elio will be comparable to many other vehicles on the road today. A dome light, which is located directly above the steering wheel, comes standard in the Elio. Both the standard instrument panel and stereo will provide auxiliary lighting to the cabin.

Additional Lighting

We have received a number of inquiries regarding additional lighting beyond the standard features we have outlined above. These questions have often included fog lights, daytime running lights, and lighting on the fenders. These features will not come standard in the Elio, however, if there is enough demand from Elio owners, they will become available either through our ePlus: My Elio, My Way option program or through the aftermarket.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

Incandescent bulbs? Why not LEDs?

 

[Johnny Acree]

They cost to much

 

[Ty]

LEDs have been shown to leak blinker fluid.

 

[Coss]

You had them in the wrong place, you use the ones with blinker fluid in your turn signals.
I know, I have them in mine, and they haven't leaked any fluid at all.
But they are only 1 1/2 years old; I read the warning on the package if you use them in the wrong place, they will leak.

 

[mkiker2089]

I kind of like incandescent because it lets me choose what LED bulbs to get. I have an old truck and instead of retrofit new LED circuits I've found bulbs to make the best use of each type of housing. I'm even good with the headlights as I can change them. Projectors are nice but reflectors are, I think, easier for oncoming traffic to see you. Not by a larger margin and I could be totally wrong as I've only seen a handful of comparisons. My car is full led circuit boards and I know that any little diode that fails means an expensive visit to the shop. They should not fail, but if they do...

I suspect the DRL issue is going to bite them soon and it seem that they are being a bit vague. The possibly of aftermarket fogs is nice. I wonder if someone will offer a new fender housing with the fogs integrated into the design?

 

[Johnny Cyclone]

You had them in the wrong place, you use the ones with blinker fluid in your turn signals.
I know, I have them in mine, and they haven't leaked any fluid at all.
But they are only 1 1/2 years old; I read the warning on the package if you use them in the wrong place, they will leak.

Try using replacement horn fluid. The viscosity is higher. I use it and have not had any leaks or seen any reduction in luminosity.

 

[RSchneider]

For the DRL I don't understand why they couldn't do this:

Position 0 - All off
Position 1 - Parking lights on
Position 2 - Headlights/Parking lights

For Position 2, it could be wired to where when you shut the car off, headlights and parking lights go off (as not to kill the battery). They go back on whenever you start the car. Only difference in my current car is Position 0 has the DRL's on. I just leave it in Position 2 and it runs all of the lights all of the time. If Elio just did this, it would give people the choice and all it would be is a wiring, switch or programming change in the lighting module. This is a zero cost design change and makes everyone happy.

 

[Ty]

For the DRL I don't understand why they couldn't do this:

Position 0 - All off
Position 1 - Parking lights on
Position 2 - Headlights/Parking lights

For Position 2, it could be wired to where when you shut the car off, headlights and parking lights go off (as not to kill the battery). They go back on whenever you start the car. Only difference in my current car is Position 0 has the DRL's on. I just leave it in Position 2 and it runs all of the lights all of the time. If Elio just did this, it would give people the choice and all it would be is a wiring, switch or programming change in the lighting module. This is a zero cost design change and makes everyone happy.

I believe it was her Hyundai (she's had a few vehicles) but the manual actually said that if you wanted daylight running lights to just leave the headlights on all the time. They'll automatically time out shortly after shutting down the car. Could it be that a simple delay circuit could be added to the Elio for minimal cost rather than change out the switch?