The P5: What Would You Change?

[Trusting]

It seems that when considering the idea of a larger trunk all the naysayers can only think of the small effect on the gas mileage. Consider this. You own an Elio and another car, and the other car gets about 20 mpg. Now consider your total combined gas expense for a year. Ok, every time you decide which car to use you have to consider if you need "hauling room" for the trip. Will the Elio carry all those groceries or can you get 2 suitcases in the Elio? If 20 percent of the time you ask yourself that question you are forced to use the "other car", you have consumed more combined gas per year with a "standard" Elio than you would have with the slightly reduced mileage of the enlarged trunk Elio. Or, to put it another way. Using your "big trunk" Elio 100 times a year at 80 mpg will save you more money than using your "standard" Elio 80 times a year at 84 mpg. "Usability" is a factor in calculating your fuel consumption. Pretty fancy thinkin for a dullar, huh?

 

[WilliamH]

It seems that when considering the idea of a larger trunk all the naysayers can only think of the small effect on the gas mileage. Consider this. You own an Elio and another car, and the other car gets about 20 mpg. Now consider your total combined gas expense for a year. Ok, every time you decide which car to use you have to consider if you need "hauling room" for the trip. Will the Elio carry all those groceries or can you get 2 suitcases in the Elio? If 20 percent of the time you ask yourself that question you are forced to use the "other car", you have consumed more combined gas per year with a "standard" Elio than you would have with the slightly reduced mileage of the enlarged trunk Elio. Or, to put it another way. Using your "big trunk" Elio 100 times a year at 80 mpg will save you more money than using your "standard" Elio 80 times a year at 84 mpg. "Usability" is a factor in calculating your fuel consumption. Pretty fancy thinkin for a dullar, huh?

Sounds like you are making assumptions that you will always be fetching something when you use your vehicle. And that it is relatively small. Well yesterday and the day before I was hauling feed. And between the two days I hauled 2000 # of alfalfa and 4000 # of feed corn. Obviously, those were not Elio days. Now lets consider that for the next week I will be doing things like getting a haircut in town and going to various doctors. The Elio won't haul a trailer with a 1000 # bale of alfalfa or a corn trailer with 4000 # of corn. Those are the days for my truck. The other days all I need is to haul myself. Good Elio days. There are no almost decisions. Just truck days or Elio days.

 

[Injunjoe]

All the more reason to make it able to haul a small trailer!!

 

[JEBar]

All the more reason to make it able to haul a small trailer!!

lawyers nipped that option from the factory

 

[Trusting]

Sounds like you are making assumptions that you will always be fetching something when you use your vehicle. And that it is relatively small. Well yesterday and the day before I was hauling feed. And between the two days I hauled 2000 # of alfalfa and 4000 # of feed corn. Obviously, those were not Elio days. Now lets consider that for the next week I will be doing things like getting a haircut in town and going to various doctors. The Elio won't haul a trailer with a 1000 # bale of alfalfa or a corn trailer with 4000 # of corn. Those are the days for my truck. The other days all I need is to haul myself. Good Elio days. There are no almost decisions. Just truck days or Elio days.

"always be fetching".... read my post again, I said "20 percent of the time". Of course this is only an estimate to try to show a principle. I didn't even get into the factor of the varying length of each trip or if there is a passenger etc.. My math is a little rusty so maybe one of you guys would like to run the numbers

 

[Coss]

"always be fetching".... read my post again, I said "20 percent of the time". Of course this is only an estimate to try to show a principle. I didn't even get into the factor of the varying length of each trip or if there is a passenger etc.. My math is a little rusty so maybe one of you guys would like to run the numbers

Hmmm nope

 

[slinches]

I think the only thing that might make a difference in how often I can drive the Elio vs. my truck is whether I can get both of my dogs in the back seat area (~60 & 100 lbs). If so, then I'd probably only need to use the truck once or twice a month. Although I think increased width would help more than trunk height with that.

 

[3wheelin]

It seems that when considering the idea of a larger trunk all the naysayers can only think of the small effect on the gas mileage. Consider this. You own an Elio and another car, and the other car gets about 20 mpg. Now consider your total combined gas expense for a year. Ok, every time you decide which car to use you have to consider if you need "hauling room" for the trip. Will the Elio carry all those groceries or can you get 2 suitcases in the Elio? If 20 percent of the time you ask yourself that question you are forced to use the "other car", you have consumed more combined gas per year with a "standard" Elio than you would have with the slightly reduced mileage of the enlarged trunk Elio. Or, to put it another way. Using your "big trunk" Elio 100 times a year at 80 mpg will save you more money than using your "standard" Elio 80 times a year at 84 mpg. "Usability" is a factor in calculating your fuel consumption. Pretty fancy thinkin for a dullar, huh?

Here's another thing to consider- when you're in a busy freeway on a work week (Monday to Friday), how many cars, suv, buses, etc. that uses the carpool lane???? It's a no brainer that people who could and would be the potential buyers of our ELIO are the working stiffs who have with them either their lunch boxes and their attache case, or students w/ their backpack! It's not meant for hauling people or bulky and heavy things that might even affect it's overall center of gravity which then effect it's handling!!! Read PE's lips, "AND" car!!! Seriously speaking, at this point, I would worry more if it even see production than thinking about how the P5 drives, or enlarging the overall trunk space. Strictly my opinion only, not fact!

 

[BobG]

Has there been any talk of a roof rack accessory, or provision for an after market roof rack?

 

[WilliamH]

Has there been any talk of a roof rack accessory, or provision for an after market roof rack?

There has been a bunch of talk about various rack solutions.
A roof rack.
A back pack that would mount on the trunk lid.
A bike rack that might mount to the right side.
No talk about a manufacturer yet.