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Where And When In Mn

mrbo1964

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I keep hearing that there is or a dealer is coming to Mn in the Mall of America can someone tell me when and where? Please!!!!!!!
 

Jim H

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I keep hearing that there is or a dealer is coming to Mn in the Mall of America can someone tell me when and where? Please!!!!!!!
Welcome to the forum and your interest in the Elio. Since I'm in New Mexico I have not paid much attention to the developments in MN but I am certain one of the forum members who is in your area will respond. Here you will find friendly people (mostly) who will help provide the latest information on the development and production of our Elio's. Welcome to this historical journey and I hope you will become a future Elio owner as well.
 

zelio

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I keep hearing that there is or a dealer is coming to Mn in the Mall of America can someone tell me when and where? Please!!!!!!!
If you are referring to the typical auto dealership, the answer is never. Hi and welcome from Oregon, mrbo. I encourage you to read the information in the Elio Store on the Elio Motors website. It gives a lot of information about how and where the Elio will be sold. The when is still an unknown but the expected production date is 3rd quarter next year. We are all patiently or impatiently awaiting that great day. There is a lot of information also on this website - enough to keep you informed and/or entertained for many an hour. This is a very diverse group who for the most part truly believe in the Elio and the Elio Team. If you are a traveling man there is a list of scheduled Elio Events in the Events forum here and on the News Tab on the EM website. Members here have been very kind in sharing their photos, videos and stories about those events. We have a wait but I for one intend to use the time to learn more about Elio, meet new people and save more money towards my Elio. And I intend to thoroughly enjoy the adventure of watching, hearing and telling others about the Elio progression towards production and ownership. Next year in my Elio! :-) Z
 

Jeff Miller

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I have heard no confirmation of the Mall of America but they do state on the website that the retail center will be in bloomington so the Mall of America is a likely candidate.

When they canceled the Oshkosh show I wrote to ask if they would be doing anything in the upper mid-west. They informed me that they would but to wait until it is announced.

Looking at the map, I feel Minneapolis is a very important spot for Elio as there isn't much else close by. The Minneapolis (Bloomington) location will serve not only the twin cities and all of MN but also the eastern side of WI, the northern portion of Iowa, and certainly the Dakotas; it may even bring down some of our Canadian brothers.

Since Mall of America is a tourist destination it also seems reasonable to expect that it would provide a great place to get both national and international attention. I do however wonder about the cost of a retail location in the Mall of America.
 

Brainmatter

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Hi Mrbo,

I'm sorry but I may have started that rumor. It was just a wish. On the Elio site they did show that they planned a retail outlet in Bloomington, so that is where I made the connection. In either case if they do set-up in Bloomington, it will be close to MOA.
 

BillZ

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Having grown up in Minnesota, I can understand the strategic location for a retail center in South Minneapolis and Bloomington makes perfect sense. I hope your wishes come true.

What I can't figure out is how the three wheel configuration is going to work on the roads during the harsh winters. The snow ruts that accumulated in my neighborhood by January or February where pretty bad and I had a pretty rough ride in my Beetle. I can only imagine what would happen to the third wheel of an Elio trying to traverse some of those less than clean roadways.

I suppose it could always be relegated to a three season vehicle...but that would make me pretty mad as an Elio owner...hummmm.
 

Jeff Miller

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Having grown up in Minnesota, I can understand the strategic location for a retail center in South Minneapolis and Bloomington makes perfect sense. I hope your wishes come true.

What I can't figure out is how the three wheel configuration is going to work on the roads during the harsh winters. The snow ruts that accumulated in my neighborhood by January or February where pretty bad and I had a pretty rough ride in my Beetle. I can only imagine what would happen to the third wheel of an Elio trying to traverse some of those less than clean roadways.

I suppose it could always be relegated to a three season vehicle...but that would make me pretty mad as an Elio owner...hummmm.

I still live in MN although I've moved from the great white north down to the sun belt in Shakopee which is now essentially a south west suburb of Minneapolis.

For the most part the only real challenge will be when driving on unplowed roads. Highways, most cities and towns, etc. are usually cleared within 24 hours with the most notable exception that the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul simply can't keep side roads clear because of street parking and possibly budget issues. Alleys are always horrible and I would avoid driving the Elio down one.

You don't say which neighborhood you lived in that created the issues in Jan-Feb but if it was in the heart of St. Paul or Minneapolis I can fully understand your concern.

Ultimately I believe that if you can watch the weather and avoid the areas that aren't plowed that there is absolutely no reason you can't drive the Elio all year. I drove a Fiero through many MN winters and with a little planning it was simply not an issue.
 

BillZ

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Jeff, I grew up on the East Side of St. Paul and went to Harding High School, back in the day. I walked a lot until I bought my first car, a VW Beetle, in 1973 and can remember the condition of the roads on the inner city side streets that became rutted pretty badly. As you mentioned, parking was a problem and the fact that the city didn't even break out the plows for anything less than 2 inches added the the accumulation on the side streets and alleys. Because of the weight of my Bug, or more to the point, the lack of weight of my Bug, I would find myself slipping into and out of ruts of all sizes and it simple became something you learn to deal with as you drove. I was not unheard of to be aware of the ruts at an intersection and to align the car into the correct rut to facilitate a better turn that would not force you into an "escape" situation where you had to jump from one rut to another.

I'd be most worried about the tail wheel on an Elio because it could become trapped in ruts on some of those side streets. However, as you mentioned, it would be advisable to avoid those types of situations by avoiding those streets, or driving a different vehicle on those days when traffic and road hazards required.
 
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