The P5: What Would You Change?

[Elio Amazed]

I haven't seen the Elio car in person, and I've only seen video's and photos. Overall, based on what I've seen, there are only a few contributing ideas I would like to see changed.

The interior dash isn't attractive and looks very plain. It kind of reminds me of the flat Jeep dash from the 70's. However, with that said, it does appear to possibly allow for easy customization to add more switches for things like fog/driving lights, rear camera display, etc. With that said, it would be significantly more attractive and modern looking on the interior if it would carry over the aerodynamic streamlined principles from the outside to the inside. However, at the current proposed price point I would still take it as it is in a heart beat.

For a safety improvement, I'd like to see additional LED daytime running lights and/or fog lights integrated into the front of the front wheel well housings so that oncoming vehicles at night will have a better visibility of the Elio size so as to stay on their side of the road. Additionally, I'd also like to see a side LED indicators and turn signal lights integrated into the back of the font wheel well housings in order to increase night time visibility for the nuts that always feel they have to pass every car that's in front of them. The way it is now can easily allow for a false perception of its size at night, and given the way I see people drive when I'm on a motorcycle (riding the line too closely and even go over the line often with I believe is the idea that because I'm on a motorcycle I don't need all that room), I'd be concerned. Given the LED technology of today, this modification would be relatively inexpensive and easy to accomplish, and I feel it would greatly improve visibility to be seen both during the day as well as at night, and it would also improve night time driving visibility for the Elio driver.

An aerodynamic improvement would be to replace the exterior side mirrors with tiny aerodynamic cameras with small display screens on each side of the interior to display what would be seen from the mirrors. The nice thing with a camera also is the fact that a camera allows for a greater area of visibility, and distance indicators can be included with it. Cost to do something like this would be more than simple basic mirrors, but again, with today's technology, the increased cost would be marginal.

And lastly, I'm hoping they'll continue to keep up with the modern technology by using a CVT for the automatic transmission. Bottom line is CVT's are just flat out superior for an efficient balance of power and acceleration, and the programming controls can be easily improved with a simple download as improvement are discovered.

That's my 2 cents.

That's my 2 cents for proposed improvements.

I'm putting either lighted (led) reflectors or super bright micro leds on the fenders.

White driving and amber turns for the front of the fenders.
Red running/brake and amber turns for the back of the fenders.

The reflectors/lights would help fender visibility when the vehicle is parked.
But the micros look so frickin' cool...

I've got a number of both left over from my modding my v-stars.
I'll be riding the 650 into the B.F. Madness this afternoon. The forcast is 65 degrees.

 

[Elio Amazed]

BTW, your cup holders are waiting for you at Wal*Mart.

 

[Ekh]

You're certainly right about the rear seat -- no cup holder. I thought I saw one in front of the shifter in the front seat in another view. There are also supposed to be two power outlets, one forward and one in the rear (I forget where). Has anybody seen them in the P5?

 

[Ekh]

I think a small hanging basket on the right would help with storage. The kind where you slip the hanging tongues between window and "door" -- if they're still made.

 

[DanS]

You're certainly right about the rear seat -- no cup holder. I thought I saw one in front of the shifter in the front seat in another view. There are also supposed to be two power outlets, one forward and one in the rear (I forget where). Has anybody seen them in the P5?

I do see a cubby hole in front of the shifter. If that is where the cup holder is, good luck getting your cup in and out of there with the IPad hanging over it.

 

[DAVID BROWER]

ANYBODY GET A GOOD LOOK AT THE FRONT SEATBELT ?

MY WIFE HAD A PACEMAKER BY HER LEFT COLLARBONE .
THE CONVENTIONAL SEATBELT ARRANGEMENT WOULD IRRITATE THIS AREA
WITH THE STRAP GOING DIAGONALLY FROM HIGH LEFT TO LOW RIGHT .

NO OTHER ARRANGEMENT MAKES SENSE IN A CONVENTIONAL CAR BUT THE ELIO
BEING ONE SEAT WIDE , CAN EASILY PUT A PASSENGER TYPE ARRANGEMENT
IN THE DRIVER POSITION .

NOT ONLY WOULD THIS BE GREAT FOR PEOPLE WITH PACEMAKERS , IT GETS THE SEATBELT
OUT OF THE WAY FOR EVERYONE WHO IS GETTING IN OR OUT OF THE CAR
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR PEOPLE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET IN & OUT OF AN ELIO's REAR SEAT .

AS FOR CHANGES , I THINK SOME LED MARKER LIGHTS ON THE FRONT FENDERS WOULD
NOT ONLY LOOK GOOD BUT WILL HELP OTHER DRIVERS TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
A MOTORCYCLE AND AN AUTOCYCLE AT NIGHT .

 

[DanS]

I THINK I FOUND THE CUP HOLDER!!! Not a very good location for the driver

 

[NSTG8R]

Over all, I'm pretty happy with the way everything looks, including the Elgin. It'll be nice when the EM website has pics of the "actual" accessories that will be available. I can't help but tinker with stuff, so it's guaranteed there'll be tweaks and mods above and beyond what EM offers, but that'll have to wait until it's sitting in my driveway.

 

[HonestTex]

I THINK I FOUND THE CUP HOLDER!!! Not a ver. The one you seegood location for the driver

View attachment 7638

Slide the shifter back 6 inches and put the cup holder where the shifter is....maybe... The one you see is for the passenger..i think..

 

[WilliamH]

ANYBODY GET A GOOD LOOK AT THE FRONT SEATBELT ?

MY WIFE HAD A PACEMAKER BY HER LEFT COLLARBONE .
THE CONVENTIONAL SEATBELT ARRANGEMENT WOULD IRRITATE THIS AREA
WITH THE STRAP GOING DIAGONALLY FROM HIGH LEFT TO LOW RIGHT .

NO OTHER ARRANGEMENT MAKES SENSE IN A CONVENTIONAL CAR BUT THE ELIO
BEING ONE SEAT WIDE , CAN EASILY PUT A PASSENGER TYPE ARRANGEMENT
IN THE DRIVER POSITION .

NOT ONLY WOULD THIS BE GREAT FOR PEOPLE WITH PACEMAKERS , IT GETS THE SEATBELT
OUT OF THE WAY FOR EVERYONE WHO IS GETTING IN OR OUT OF THE CAR
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR PEOPLE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET IN & OUT OF AN ELIO's REAR SEAT .

AS FOR CHANGES , I THINK SOME LED MARKER LIGHTS ON THE FRONT FENDERS WOULD
NOT ONLY LOOK GOOD BUT WILL HELP OTHER DRIVERS TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
A MOTORCYCLE AND AN AUTOCYCLE AT NIGHT .

That's one of the reason I have a defeat device for the inertial re-tractor.
It was especially bad after "battery" replacement.
(They cut you open and have to dig the old one out.)
But the defeat device makes the seat belt more of a mess getting in and out of the left rear.