What has nearly 54,000 ‘likes’ on its Facebook page, even though it isn’t scheduled to hit the streets for yet another year?
How would you like to drive a new car that costs $6,800 and gets up to 84 miles to the gallon? In December 2014, you may get that opportunity.
The Elio, a 850-pound three-wheeled vehicle that’s built like a reverse tricycle but is covered like a conventional car, is scheduled to be coming to a parking space near you, starting in July 2014. The driver of this unique vehicle sits up front, the passenger in the back. You should be able to pick up one of these machines for $6,800, making the Elio half as expensive as the cheapest car you can now buy in America.
Introducing the Elio
“There are 95 million cars out there that are 11 years or older,” says engineer and founder of Elio Motors, Paul Elio. “Buying one of these is a lot cheaper than driving an old clunker.”
Paul Elio got the inspiration for a practical, affordable vehicle during the economic downturn of 2008, and, working with 46 engineers, had the concept finished within a year.
Now that we have raised your curiosity, let’s anticipate and answer some questions you likely have about this revolutionary new vehicle.
Q: Where will the Elio be built?
A: Elio Motors will use a former GM plant in Shreveport, Louisiana, where they are expected to employ 1,500 workers. The company claims that all of the production will be done in the United States and 95 percent of the materials will also be domestically produced. It has the backing of former Lear CEO Ken Way, among others.
Q: What kind of gas mileage will it get?
A: The company claims that the Elio will get 84 miles to the gallon on the highway and 49 in the city. An owner should be able to travel over 670 miles on a single eight-gallon tank – which is further than the driving distance between Washington, DC and Atlanta, Georgia. The vehicle can hit 60 mph in 9.6 seconds and has a top speed of 107 mph.
Q: What do you get for $6,800?
A: Radio, A/C, heater, defroster, power windows, power door locks, three air bags, a reinforced roll cage, body made of a composite material, 50 percent larger crash zones than similar vehicles, and a 3-year, 36,000 mile warranty. The size of the trunk is expected to be at least 27x14x10 inches. Using computer modeling, the company also expects to achieve a 5-star safety rating for its vehicle.
Q: Will I be able to fit?
A: The Elio Motors website says: “The tallest person we have had in the Elio is a 6’8? former college basketball player, the largest is a 6’3? 325 lb. man, and the smallest is a 5’0? woman (no, we didn’t ask the weight!). “
Q: Looks like a blast to drive! Anything else unusual about the vehicle?
A: Yes, with just three wheels, the Elio is classified as a “motorcycle,” not a car, so it avoids having to comply with a morass of federal requirements. According to the Elio Motors website: “Louisiana, New York, and Michigan join 42 other states which allow the Elio to be driven sans helmet. Among the 5 states that technically require helmets to be worn while driving the Elio, are Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Nebraska.”
Q: I’ve heard about an innovative financing plan that, in essence, would mean that the car is “free.” What is it?
A: Here’s the deal. Let’s say you are driving an old clunker that gets 16 miles to the gallon in the city and you buy an Elio that gets you 49 miles to the gallon in the city. Your fuel bill will only be 1/3 as much, right? So Paul Elio’s plan is that you continue to pay what you normally pay for gasoline each month (in other words, three times as much) on an Elio Motors credit card. The remainder of the payment would go toward the principal and interest on the vehicle, until it’s paid off. So, let’s say you pay $30 to fill the eight-gallon tank of the Elio, you would be charged $90, and the remaining $60 would go to pay off your loan.
“There would be a minimum amount you would be required to pay every month,” says Paul Elio. “But the savings in mileage would make it affordable for just about anyone.”
Q: Where can I get more information about the Elio?
A: The Elio Motors Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ElioMotors or their website www.eliomotors.com.