Somewhat Tough Questions...

[Truett Collins]

So...based on several forum member's comments...Elio Motors does not currently have a in-house R&D facility...which I find very surprising...

So here's just a small list of testing requirements necessary to bring any new vehicle to market...I'm uncertain how you can set final design parameters without a staff of engineers to oversee & coordinate vender design projects...someone must supervise component integration for the Elio Vehicle...

This is a very insightful comment quoted from another forum with regards to Elio prototype testing...

"With any new engine design...you have to do cold-soak followed by cold start tests, and hot-start tests, and high altitude, and combinations of the two, and wet weather, and freeze/thaw. And you have to do some testing at wide open throttle, and at idle, because they both have limiting conditions for engine wear. It takes months. And that's only the engine. Then there's the transmission, then there's the suspension and chassis, and the electrical systems, and the interior. You have to make sure the vehicle will survive salt-spray environment, and slush and snow, and desert sand, and rain. You have to make sure the ABS and stability-control systems work properly on pavement, and wet pavement, and gravel roads, and on snow and ice, and bumpy roads. You have to make sure the air bags don't fire off when they shouldn't, and do fire when they should.Than there's long term durability studies...actual crash testing has to be performed...etc...etc...etc...the list is long and time consuming."

So...without it's own R&D department...who is going to supervise such endeavors?

That becomes the problem "we have always done it that way" is the reason we have so many recalls on established vehicles.....
Just because "we have always done it that way" does not mean it is the best way to do things.

 

[Ty]

If the engineers had to assemble the vehicle, I bet they would design it different.
BEST design and build engineers are the NASCAR ones.

Willie

Maybe if cost isn't an issue...

 

[RKing]

I had a GMC Jimmy. I swear the person (not what I usually called them) that designed the rear window latch had to be 1: below average height, and 2: below average intellegience. i am 5 ft10 (average ht) , EVERY time I opened that stupid window to get something out of the back, the latch (pointy part) hit me in the middle of my forehead as I stepped up to reach in. It was my wife's ,and I only opened it 3 or 4 times a year, one would think 1: I would have learned from pain,, 2: some idiot would have realized someone might want to actually use the rear window!
Designers should have to actually USE what they design !
On topic,that latch was durable, I hope the Elio is better tested for "usuability". I believe it will be

 

[RKing]

so did we decide the gas filler is on the side and topless?

 

[Johnny Acree]

You forgot the forth must have, Elio is American-made with 90% North American content.

 

[karl]

Thanks for all the excellent input I received after my first posting ...

So here's my tough questions for today...

Is Elio Motors completely dependent on (YES rather suppliers)sub-contractors...or does Elio Motors actually have it's own R&D (research & development center)..(NO).if so...where is it located...how many engineers are employed by Elio Motors.(MR Elio)..are there project managers in-house that supervise the design & development of the Elio Vehicle.(Yes)..and finally...are there any photos avaible available? showing the work environment and project development process in their R&D center? (there is not one how can there be pictures?)

These are simple questions. Enjoy the wait with the rest of us. the answers have been inserted above.

 

[Mike W]

TexasElio, welcome, if you have taken the plunge great! If not that's fine too, either way you have to understand Elio is a start up company. They are not GM or Fiat, maybe they will be someday. My point is Apple started in a garage, the Wright Brothers in a bicycle shop. Paul Elio, an auto industry executive decided to try and produce a revolutionary new car. The type of car would be very different from what everyone else is doing. Elio is outside the box. They are going to produce a safe car for $6,800, that gets great gas mileage. They can't buy hundreds of acres for a test track, they can rent one. They can't keep twenty engineers on the payroll, but they can use the ones at the suppliers when needed.
Nothing I say will relieve all your doubts. This is not a big time car company, it is one man's dream and will continue to be until car one rolls off the assembly line. So, share the dream or watch the dream whatever works for you. But, jumping on the Elio bandwagon takes a little faith. I will now come down from the pulpit and resume my snarky commenting.

Who are you and what did you do with Jay3wheel?!

 

[Mike W]

There's nothing wrong with the concept of a shoestring, out of the garage type business but it is foreign in today's world so a skeptical eye is cast toward them when they do appear. Actually, Elio isn't either one exactly, but it's as close as today's world sees on the whole. PE is using today's technology and business forms to make things happen- out sourcing services needed (engineering), renting manufacturing facilities, off the shelf components. These make for a company that is light on it's feet (or so I've been told) and more efficient. We'll see how it all works out, I'm guessing because it's a newer application of these methods in vehicle production there are kinks and rough spots that will be encountered.

 

[Ty]

As far as I can tell, they do not. And I consider that a STRONG asset to the Elio company. Inhouse design and engineering is very costly in overhead. You have a certain headcount of engineers to get the product designed and then a much smaller headcount to run production. Typically the engineers for a production facility are of different experience and background than design engineers. That means you are paying a staff to do nothing or things they are not experienced with most of the time. WASTEFUL.
Elio means efficient to me, in most all aspects. No bigger than needed, no more wheels than needed, no more power than needed, no more development than needed, no more COST than required, no more staff than required , and not spending money before it is required by the time line. 3 must haves, 6800$ base price, 84MPG (up to), and 5* crash tests !

Good point. Elio doesn't need to recreate an entire engineering section here when they can use the best of the rest.

 

[Kuda]

Sniped:......does Elio Motors actually have it's own R&D (research & development center)...if so...where is it located.

FYI: http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=24b371802c83d81776b06aa68&id=7d715cc6b9&e=[UNIQID]

Excerpt: While the Elio Motors executive offices are in Phoenix, our vehicle development headquarters, engineering team and much of our supplier base is in Detroit.

In addition to the obvious advantage of having a lot of automotive talent at our disposal – it is after all the Motor City – our Detroit connection provides a somewhat underappreciated level of knowledge.