Right-side Door?

[Rob Croson]

Assuming the shoulder harness for the driver's seat will be mounted over the right shoulder from what is now the right wall of the vehicle, that ought to free up any hardware from being installed on the interior of the B-pillar on the left-hand side. I'd rather see a smaller suicide door that opens in opposition to the traditional door, yielding a large opening for accessing the rear seat area.

No, the seat belt will NOT buckle on the left. It will be the standard "driver's side' seat belt: Over the left shoulder, buckling at the right hip. There is apparently some regulation that requires the should portion to go over the door-side shoulder.

However, a suicide door on the driver's side would be great. Loved the one I had on the Saturn SC2. Great little car, and that half-door was very handy.

 

[Coss]

No, the seat belt will NOT buckle on the left. It will be the standard "driver's side' seat belt: Over the left shoulder, buckling at the right hip. There is apparently some regulation that requires the should portion to go over the door-side shoulder.

However, a suicide door on the driver's side would be great. Loved the one I had on the Saturn SC2. Great little car, and that half-door was very handy.

Well there's one little problem with that; look at the frame and tell us where it would fit?

(We've had this discussion before)

 

[Elio Amazed]

No, the seat belt will NOT buckle on the left. It will be the standard "driver's side' seat belt: Over the left shoulder, buckling at the right hip. There is apparently some regulation that requires the should portion to go over the door-side shoulder.

However, a suicide door on the driver's side would be great. Loved the one I had on the Saturn SC2. Great little car, and that half-door was very handy.

Rob, Electra Meccanica seems to somehow have gotten around that. I agree with you that those were the regulations.
I remember someone posting those regulations on SoloOwners quite a while ago when EMV was telling us there would only be a right side door.
But they are now telling us that their US compliance certification is almost complete with the Solo having both right and left functional doors.

 

[Made in USA]

The seat belt is oriented so that if in an accident and the door comes open you are less likely to be thrown out. You need to secure the shoulder on the door side to do this. If you look at race cars they actually have full harnesses to better secure the driver. More of a hassle but much safer. I doubt Elio will offer full harness as an option.

 

[Rob Croson]

Well there's one little problem with that; look at the frame and tell us where it would fit?

1) I'm not an automotive mechanical design engineer, so I couldn't say.
2) I didn't say it would be possible, or even that it should be done. I said it "...would be great." I stand by that statement, and doubt anyone would seriously disagree, except to be ornery.

(We've had this discussion before)

If we only discussed things that we had never discussed before, this board would be dead.

 

[Rob Croson]

Rob, Electra Meccanica seems to somehow have gotten around that.

Maybe because they have doors on both sides? Or because they are claiming to be a motorcycle, and thus seat belts aren't even required, so if they do even bother to put them in that they can put them in however they want.

 

[Rickb]

Maybe because they have doors on both sides? Or because they are claiming to be a motorcycle, and thus seat belts aren't even required, so if they do even bother to put them in that they can put them in however they want.

The EMV SOLO race car connected design and engineering team has included seat belts and other safety features. Both the Elio and the SOLO will be licensed as motorcycles...........neither will be particularly safe other than safer than a typical three wheeler motocycle.

 

[Elio Amazed]

Or because they are claiming to be a motorcycle, and thus seat belts aren't even required, so if they do even bother to put them in that they can put them in however they want.

As it pertains to federal regulations, both the Elio and the Solo are defined by whatever the US federal government chooses to say they are.
Ahem... The Solos have had seat belts in them since the unveil of the first one in September '16.

I believe that the US federal motorcycle designation currently applies to both the Solo and the Elio...
And that the Elio chooses to follow the automobile requirement we're speaking of because...
One of the perks of EMs goals is creating problems for any and all other enclosed 3-wheelers...
By trying to change the federal designation of said vehicles to autocycle with it's own set of regulations...
Including required ABS, traction control, certain specific airbags and crumple zones...
Basically safety features that some non-Elio enclosed trikes currently lack.

The bottom line is that if EM is ever successful in getting the feds to do that, those features will already be engineered into the Elio.

Including the automobile seat belt / door configuration.

 

[booboo]

The EMV SOLO race car connected design and engineering team has included seat belts and other safety features. Both the Elio and the SOLO will be licensed as motorcycles...........neither will be particularly safe other than safer than a typical three wheeler motocycle.

The Elio Safety Management System consists of: Three air bags (steering wheel and two side curtain), reinforced steel roll cage, anti-lock brakes, traction control and seat belts (including the LATCH system in the back seat).
https://www.eliomotors.com/elio-motors-focus-on-safety/

 

[Elio Amazed]

The Elio Safety Management System consists of: Three air bags (steering wheel and two side curtain), reinforced steel roll cage, anti-lock brakes, traction control and seat belts (including the LATCH system in the back seat).
https://www.eliomotors.com/elio-motors-focus-on-safety/

I don't have a link to a quote, but EM has mentioned crumple zones a few times as well.