The Elio Automatic Transmission

[CrimsonEclipse]

A car with a CVT can't be flat-towed? Really?

Could it be that the Elio doesn't use a CVT because there isn't enough room for it?

Nope.
Some CVT's use a torque converter (like automatic transmissions).
So flat towing = bad idea

Look guys, the standard 5 speed transmission was chosen due to it's simplicity, cost, efficiency and reliability.
It's the same manual transmission that is in the Toyota Yaris.

As you have seen, development cost is a problem right now, so fancy bells and whistles are really not the focus.

Maybe in the future, there will be electric or pneumatic valves, and CVT, but we must stick with the basics for now.

Speculating on the MPG of a theoretical transmission combination is just silly at this point.

The Elio is a MINIMUM of 18 months out.

Any variations are at LEAST double if at all.

1. Get investment money
2. Complete engineering
3. Start production
4. Ramp up
5. (unforseen items)
6. Profit
7. THEN worry about: 6 speed, CVT, EV, cold fusion, self driving, Trans Warp drive, and diesel.

 

[Adamant]

Don't forget with the ATM the shift parts may be different and the electronics will be will need to be reprogrammed.

When you get your ELIO you can buy a 6 speed.
I don't want to pay any extra for one.

I wouldn't alter anything unless Elio specifically offered it. I don't want to screw up the car and wreck its great MPGs.

 

[RSchneider]

If you look under the products Aisin offers they do have a selection of hybrid, CVT, automatic, manual and automated shift manuals. In addition to that Aisin makes other products that Elio could use. For example, this could be used for the Elio plant in Shreveport:
https://showertoiletus.com/

 

[Ty]

Every time the price of gas goes up, all of those fuel saving devices resurface.

Car and Driver once tested a bunch of gas saving devices and the only one that actually made a difference was a simple readout that displayed current mileage where the driver could see it. Apparently, driver modification is better than vehicle modification at saving fuel.

 

[RSchneider]

Car and Driver once tested a bunch of gas saving devices and the only one that actually made a difference was a simple readout that displayed current mileage where the driver could see it. Apparently, driver modification is better than vehicle modification at saving fuel.

You forgot psychological changes. So people just have a rough estimate of mileage and thus it's really low. They get a gadget and they start driving properly and thus their car gets better mileage. If you ever watch any endurance racing, when a team needs to go into economy mode, they can at the risk of a slower lap time. They have telemetry so the engineers in the pits can constantly calculate what needs to be done to hit a certain target. This comes in the form of less throttle application and even shutting down the ECU at certain points during FCY's. In the end, much less fuel consumption.

 

[Made in USA]

Just think how much fuel would have been saved by now if the Elio had gone into production a few years ago.
Soon I hope. Better late than never.

 

[RSchneider]

Just think how much fuel would have been saved by now if the Elio had gone into production a few years ago.
Soon I hope. Better late than never.

Just imagine the amount of hot air that has been expelled while waiting for the Elio.

 

[Coss]

But as it has been stated, Elio is doing everything in it's power to go into production in 2019
No matter what anyone else says, that's the plan, and they are working on sticking to it.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

But as it has been stated, Elio is doing everything in it's power to go into production in 2019
No matter what anyone else says, that's the plan, and they are working on sticking to it.

So what exactly IS going on?
Is there actually engineering going on or are we just waiting on money?

 

[Coss]

So what exactly IS going on?
Is there actually engineering going on or are we just waiting on money?

The word from EM is that they can't talk about anything that is going on, period.
There are some things in the works, that they just can't, under any circumstances, discuss it with anyone, period, end of story.
And that's all that can be said, sorry.