The Elio Engine

[#491]

The simple answer for no diesel at this point is that they cost more to produce. We have an entire thread for the diesel discussion alone.

While there are definitely a lot of big up front costs to designing and building their own engines finding an engine provider that can meet Elio's needs is not as easy as some people want to believe it is.

The vast majority of engine manufacturers will not have the extra unused capacity to produce 60,000 extra engines a year let alone 250,000. Out of the few left who may have the capacity most will not have engines available that fit EM's power, weight, and cost requirements including the added cost in shipping the engines to Shreveport for delivery and profit margin for the engine builder.

Even if EM can find an engine builder who meets all of the requirements there is still the matter of a contract and money down. Any engine builder willing to set this much capacity aside is going to want guarantees in the form of minimum engine purchases numbers, maximum purchase numbers, and a large amount of money down up front which EM could instead use to help build out the engine assembly area inside their own plant.

That makes sense along with the way we underproduce and over price diesel fuel here. Unless your driving an 18 wheeler it appears they don't want you using diesel fuel even though its the primary fuel in most other countries. I'll be satisfied when EM places a "Large amount of money" down on something tangable other than PR and advertising. How about some prototypes or an engine that runs?

 

[Kuda]

Snipped: How about some prototypes or an engine that runs?

News @ 11:00 (read Nov.).........................

 

[goofyone]

That makes sense along with the way we underproduce and over price diesel fuel here. Unless your driving an 18 wheeler it appears they don't want you using diesel fuel even though its the primary fuel in most other countries. I'll be satisfied when EM places a "Large amount of money" down on something tangable other than PR and advertising. How about some prototypes or an engine that runs?

News @ 11:00 (read Nov.).........................

Kuda has the right idea..

The truth is that Elio Motors has actually already spent large amounts of money as they are about $50 million into this project and we forget that what we are waiting for is their fifth generation of physical prototype. We have to appreciate that it takes even established brands years to develop a new vehicle and engine. Those brands do not even have to worry about funding or where they will produce the vehicle.

 

[skygazer6033]

How about Briggs & Stratton. Probably get those cheap enough.

 

[Charlie G]

How about Briggs & Stratton. Probably get those cheap enough.

The biggest Briggs and Stratton racing engine is 305cc 10HP..

 

[skygazer6033]

I was kidding of course! I have a Husqvarna mower with a 24 hp Briggs. What a POS! A few weeks ago I had one cylinder quit working. I found the problem was an exhaust valve guide had fallen out jamming the valve. New head $100. I actually fixed it with set screws cost $7.00. Not real fond of Briggs engines. Anyway why don't we just let the IAV engineers do their stuff. There really is no other engine available in the numbers needed. Besides it's been my experience that German horses seem to be a stronger than most others.

 

[lkptpete]

Do you know of any other company in this country, or for that matter, the world, that shares any information with potential customers? No. They wait until the product is done and they "unveil". That is part of what makes the Elio so very special. We are getting to watch as it and the company grow and change. Is it so difficult to celebrate the fact that we are involved at all instead of worrying about what we don't know? We will learn all these things in good time. But not necessarily in your preferred time line. By your, I mean all of us. It is a privilege to be included, not a right. We need to remember that. And as always, that is my very biased and totally not at all humble opinion. Z

I agree with your statements whole heatedly... But darn it, I still want so very badly to see a leaked YouTube video of the damn engine running on a dyno or test bench!

 

[electroken]

We sure are an impatient lot, and it's Elio's transparency bringing it out. None of the big auto manufacturers are showing you their design work on the 2018 models, which has probably been going on for a year already.

Designing things takes time. Designing them properly takes even more.

 

[wheaters]

We sure are an impatient lot, and it's Elio's transparency bringing it out. None of the big auto manufacturers are showing you their design work on the 2018 models, which has probably been going on for a year already.

Designing things takes time. Designing them properly takes even more.

But no other manufacturer expects you to pay in advance for a car that doesn't yet exist.

 

[CompTrex]

But no other manufacturer expects you to pay in advance for a car that doesn't yet exist.

You're not paying in advance for a car! According to their disclaimers, they have no obligation to sell you a car. And you have no obligation to buy one. Going all in at $1k, simply gives you a place in line if they ever produce cars. That's it. It's not a deposit, it's a reservation. You don't like it? Don't do it! I have a hard time with people on here and on FB that follow EM, yet all they do is bash them. Foreign concept to me. There are things in the world I don't like. So I don't participate. Makes my life much less stressful. Wheaters, I'm not saying that you fall into this camp, but I just get tired of the nay sayers that are continually lurking, and I thought here was as good a place as any to voice that frustration.