The E-series Build.

[Ekh]

Maybe, but I don't think any more negative publicity than for Smart, or Fiat 500 or even Mini Cooper have had. I think my wife's V70 will be safer than the Elio in a head on crash, and I think my friends F350 will be safer than my wife's V70 in a head on crash.

Fiat has crash tests of their 500X up on their website. Testing done by the European testing agency, which is tougher than ours. They got 4 stars and narrowly missed 5 stars. They do have crash avoidance, as I recall.

Something that will influence the Elio test results is that the rear of the car will tend to swing away from the point of a side impact (depending on exactly where it is) because of the single rear wheel having less "stick" than 2 front wheels and because of the tapering body shape. If and how that affects safety, is an unknown at this time. Just another example of how testing has to be developed for THIS type of vehicle, and of why you can't apply standard tests to the Elio.

UPDATE

The language they use in their TV spot is very clever. It's (approximately) this: "The fiat 500X has the highest rating possible from the IIHS for a vehicle in its class." They don't say what the rating is, or why it couldn't be higher ... but it sure sounds good. Elio, take note!

 

[floydv]

of course time will tell, I hope your observations are correct. Smart (Mercedes)-Fiat been around since Italy,- and the "true"mini since King George- they have a track record, I recall the Smart subjected to crash testing, in which I think the safety cage helped raise their safety rating. I think there are safer motorcycles than the first minis (sp?) ;-}

Yes, the smart's Tridion high-strength steel cage helped with the safety rating. And to answer another point made, the smart's frontal offset crash test resulted in the smart spinning away from the impact, which I don't recall had any adverse impact on the overall safety rating.

 

[Muzhik]

In typing about this so called "5 star safety rating", I see an overlapping of two worlds.
The world of advertising is all smoke and mirrors.
The world of the testing lab is all hard facts.
If you combine these two worlds it gets confusing.

No, it just becomes Irish.

 

[TCBronson]

It was my understanding EM was going to make arrangements on there own and to pay to crash there vehicle to see if it could stand up to the 5 star rating.

 

[RUCRAYZE]

It was my understanding EM was going to make arrangements on there own and to pay to crash there vehicle to see if it could stand up to the 5 star rating.

Sorta like VW emission TDI testing?
well, XI:XXXII, time to turn in, thinking brown rice and vegetable dumplings! Night all

 

[Ekh]

It was my understanding EM was going to make arrangements on there own and to pay to crash there vehicle to see if it could stand up to the 5 star rating.

Again, IIHS is providing this service for Elio. I am sure it is not being done for free. But the thing about independent testing is it has to be, gee, independent. Elio can't control it, though of course they have plenty of input.

 

[Okie51]

Speaking of safety:
Sometimes it takes more than a safe vehicle...

Warning:
This video is graphic and disturbing, i.e., death. Troopers dash cam video.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=328964517158847

Watching video was chilling. I had a similar experience when a car crossed the center(10' wide) median straight at me. No where for me to go as bumper to bumper traffic and cars in outer lane. She tried to do a U turn but I hit her in middle of back bumper with passenger side of my 88 Caprice. I only pulled a back muscle but 88 Caprice was totaled. Thankfully no one was killed. In the few seconds before the impact your are wondering if your time is up(My Aunt used to say "his time was up"). Best to avoid high speed collisions if at all possible. The passenger compartment (Cage) may survive, but blunt force trauma is a killer. Thankfully the road has been updated with a center wall.

 

[aknaten]

Everyone reading this: stop what you are doing and write a one page letter supporting the loan. DO IT NOW! Typewritten, computer printed, hand-written, whatever you have available. Postage is still cheap. The postal department will personally deliver your letter to the Dept. of Energy in Washington, D.C. Make your wishes known. It can't hurt (I hope).
Mailing address is at the bottom of this web site:
If you plan on writing, let this discussion board know.

Note***** Elio Motors has stated very clearly before under no circumstance is anyone to write to the DOE in support of giving the loan to Elio Motors. EM was told to relay this message by the DOE. So yes, it can hurt
Coss

Thanks. Did not know.

 

[Coss]

Thanks. Did not know.

Items like this are best to have approved first.

 

[AriLea]

Anyone know the last hint of when the E series build had started? On Dec 17th they were 'finalizing' the build schedule. But that doesn't say when things actually started, and of course Paul had stated that the E series would build faster than the P-5 schedule of 20 weeks. And of course they may have had some things already in work before that.

Given that, I count that completion of at least something would be out around 2nd week of May. But the first glimpse could come at anytime.