The P5: What Would You Change?

[floydv]

It's not too late.....

I sent this to EM. I'll let you know if they reply.

Nice rendering. Couldn't the aftermarket make this happen by way of a modified hatch to replace the factory one? The aftermarket hatch would likely be thicker and heavier, but I don't see why the basic Elio design needs to be modified to accommodate this.

 

[Sethodine]

Nice rendering. Couldn't the aftermarket make this happen by way of a modified hatch to replace the factory one? The aftermarket hatch would likely be thicker and heavier, but I don't see why the basic Elio design needs to be modified to accommodate this.

Replacing body panels could be done, but the frame could not be moved so you would still have steel bars crossing through your expanded trunk space. We probably wont see anything like this until a future model year.

 

[floydv]

Replacing body panels could be done, but the frame could not be moved so you would still have steel bars crossing through your expanded trunk space. We probably wont see anything like this until a future model year.

Help me out here Seth. What cross bars are you referring to?

I was just thinking of an enlarged hatch cover with robust sides to provide height and more volume that would bolt onto the OEM hinges. I wasn't suggesting expanding the frame, i.e., I was suggesting expanding trunk volume upwards by raising the height of the rear hatch instead of horizontally by widening the body frame.

 

[Ty]

Help me out here Seth. What cross bars are you referring to?
View attachment 8431
View attachment 8432
I was just thinking of an enlarged hatch cover with robust sides to provide height and more volume that would bolt onto the OEM hinges. I wasn't suggesting expanding the frame, i.e., I was suggesting expanding trunk volume upwards by raising the height of the rear hatch instead of horizontally by widening the body frame.

I liked your rendering. I don't see why an optional hatch would be that difficult to fabricate.

 

[Sethodine]

Help me out here Seth. What cross bars are you referring to?
View attachment 8431
View attachment 8432
I was just thinking of an enlarged hatch cover with robust sides to provide height and more volume that would bolt onto the OEM hinges. I wasn't suggesting expanding the frame, i.e., I was suggesting expanding trunk volume upwards by raising the height of the rear hatch instead of horizontally by widening the body frame.

If you were to project the current angles of the Elio's rear hatch area, the walls would meet in a point before you gained much height. It is a very aerodynamic shape, and doesn't leave much room for expanding without altering some of the angles. But once you change the angles, the current frame will become visible inside the newly expanded trunk space.

The black marks are the approximate location of the frame. Red indicates the current design and Blue the expanded design. (Sorry for the cheesy MSPaint mock-up).

 

[Terrence]

We've all had a chance to view the pics of the P5 and by now we all know what we like and don't like. So, let's see what we would change.... if it were up to us. I'll start the ball rolling.

1. Replace the Elgin dash with something that looks like an automobile dash.
2. Do something with that little instrument cluster to the left of the dash. It looks like an afterthought.
3. Change the rear end panel back to the P3 style.
4. Extend the exhaust pipe out a little so as to keep the exhaust away from the paint work.
5. Raise the back of the trunk some to give more trunk space.

Here is great Feb 17 Elio Motors release news ! Thank you Paul Elio and Elio Motors! Great update


"We recently released the body framing and engine cradle design to our suppliers. The body frame is a critical part of the entire development process as it provides the foundation from which the entire vehicle is built. A strong foundation yields a strong vehicle.

Design and alignment are supremely critical when you’re developing a highly complex consumer product -- such as an Elio! Unlike assemble-yourself furniture, which comes from one company, vehicles like the Elio are assembled from components that will be made by a variety of different specialized supplier companies. Their interior trim, chassis components, electrical wiring harnesses, and other widgets must align with much more precision than the parts in your typical nightstand or bookshelf project. When you consider that in today’s auto industry, the typical gap between doors, fenders and other body panels must be as small as 3 millimeters, precision is crucial to producing a quality product.

That’s why Elio Motors’ design and engineering team has pushed so hard to complete the design release of our vehicle’s body framing and engine cradle module this week. This body framing and engine cradle module is the core or backbone upon which the rest of the vehicle is assembled and is a major milestone in being able to manufacture the vehicle. One of the best explanations of why this component is so critical comes from Gino Raffin, Elio Motors’ Vice President of Manufacturing and Product Launch."

 

[floydv]

If you were to project the current angles of the Elio's rear hatch area, the walls would meet in a point before you gained much height. It is a very aerodynamic shape, and doesn't leave much room for expanding without altering some of the angles. But once you change the angles, the current frame will become visible inside the newly expanded trunk space.

The black marks are the approximate location of the frame. Red indicates the current design and Blue the expanded design. (Sorry for the cheesy MSPaint mock-up).

Thanks for the mockup. Maybe my dad didn't throw me into the air enough when I was a toddler, but I'm still having trouble seeing the spatial relationships and visualizing the issue you're raising. If I have a hatch that's the same width as the OEM hatch but has tall triangular sides to provide the added height to increase the trunk volume, why would opening the new hatch and seeing the existing opening to the trunk be any more of an issue than it is with the stock Elio?

 

[Sethodine]

Thanks for the mockup. Maybe my dad didn't throw me into the air enough when I was a toddler, but I'm still having trouble seeing the spatial relationships and visualizing the issue you're raising. If I have a hatch that's the same width as the OEM hatch but has tall triangular sides to provide the added height to increase the trunk volume, why would opening the new hatch and seeing the existing opening to the trunk be any more of an issue than it is with the stock Elio?

When I get home I'll do a mock-up in 3D, using the sketchup model of the P4. If you continue the body lines as they are, then it won't make the proposed shape--it will just make a "shark fin" looking tail on the back of the Elio (or perhaps a pyrimid, I'm not 100% sure without actually making the model).

 

[Trusting]

If nothing else at least the idea of an enlarged trunk got people thinking about it. From a personal perspective I believe the tiny trunk of the Elio is it's biggest drawback in making it a practical car. How often will an Elio owner be forced to take "the other car" when they want to do some serious grocery shopping or take the wife and go on a little trip? Great mileage is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't do you any good if you have to drive your other car because of a lack of room in your Elio.

 

[floydv]

When I get home I'll do a mock-up in 3D, using the sketchup model of the P4. If you continue the body lines as they are, then it won't make the proposed shape--it will just make a "shark fin" looking tail on the back of the Elio (or perhaps a pyrimid, I'm not 100% sure without actually making the model).

I think I understand what you're saying but will have a better idea when you do the 3-D mockup. Thanks for that. I was thinking it would basically be like the picture below but with triangular panels to fill in the sides (autocycle CEO not included):