I've put down a deposit - risky if it doesn't make it to production, but I'm taking the chance.

www.eliomotors.com

I'm going with Licorice - and I can see ghost flames in my future.

 

hah so did James!

 

Looks like a fiberglassed re-bodied, stretched framed Can-Am Spyder.

For basic commuting under 30 miles round trip, and quick hops in and around the city, I don't believe I would mind it.
I'll admit the price is attractive: $6800.

 

Great minds think alike. I'm number 434 - what's his number?

 

They are similar, but can't beat the price. It includes a full roll-cage, front and side-curtain airbags, ABS, stereo, AC, heat, power windows and door lock.

Top speed of 107 and over 80 mpg and get to drive in the carpool lane.

 

475... yah looks super cool! I dig it!

 

I agree. The value proposition is pretty impressive.
Especially considering that T-Rex's are retailing for in excess of $40K.

It could use a little better execution in the exterior styling department, but I guess you can't have everything for $7K.

 

Looks like it's rated to weigh under 800 lbs, that would make this little thing pretty fun to drive!
http://www.autoweek.com/article/2013...NEWS/130509805

Only thing I'm skeptical of is it's supposed to have a 70 hp gas engine at that weight, shouldn't it be 0-60 in 6-7 seconds (the high side assuming a very lazy geared transmission) ? I still have a Honda hybrid with 70 hp, at 1850 lbs it does the same 0-60 as this car.

There have been so many vaporware cars of the years (Aptera was my previous favorite), this one's got potential. I hope it does come out. Make mine Kermit green.

Can it use the carpool lane because it's considered to be a motorcycle? Does that mean you can split lanes?

 

Your Honda Hyrbid does 7 second 0-60's because electric motors output 100% torque from 0rpm to run out.
In order to achieve it's 80mpg claims, this machine probably has very tall gearing to prevent rapid acceleration in the fuel slurping ranges (0-30 mph) which is why the 0-60 times are not very impressive.

 

Sorry I meant my hybrid does the same as the Elio (9.6 seconds), to eliminate the torque from hybrid stuff I should've used a base Camry or Civic as an example. It's 32 ft/lb and does help in my car but doesn't make up for the extra 1000 lbs the car weighs.

Maybe this was the Elio automatic and yes you're right, probably has mpg-sensible gearing, and maybe SO conservative that it's this bad from 0-60. I think if you plug its numbers into most 0-60 calculators or formulas you'll find it would predicts the 0-60 at 5-6+ seconds, not almost 10, that's like comparing a Civic to a Corvette (maybe not as drastic). If it truly weighs 800 lbs, even 35 hp should do a similar 0-60 to that 9.6 with more aggressive gearing. Then again on this article it says "under 9.6", so maybe it will be 7.x etc. Or it will really produce only 40 hp, or weigh more than expected.

Anyway, let's wait and see if it's actually built .. then grab some stop watches

RiA I think James is right around the same # as you for the waiting list.

 

Based on what Alex states as James' number, I should get mine before him. When I do, I'll bring it by for James to get a close look.

And it does allow you to take the carpool lane - and you can split lanes, but I only think there would be room between two-wheeled motorcycles. :-)

 

84 mpg
It gets 84 miles to the gallon on the highway. That means you can go from Detroit to New York City on a tank of gas – or drive from Shreveport LA to Dallas and back – then back to Dallas again – and still have about 110 miles left before a refill. How is that possible? Keep reading.

8-Gallon Tank
It can go 672 miles, or thereabouts, because it has an 8-gallon tank and 8X84=672. Of course, other factors will affect your mileage but you get the point.

Only $6,800
It only costs $6,800. That’s about what you would pay for an outboard motor to power a rowboat.

Safety
Each Elio comes equipped with a Safety Management System that includes three airbags – a reinforced roll-cage frame, Anti-Lock Braking System, and 50% larger crush zones than similar vehicles. Preliminary safety tests on computer models anticipate a 5-Star safety rating.


Uncommon Standards
When you own an Elio, you’re not just a customer, you’re part of a family. So we’re not going to lure you in with that $6,800 low price, only to mention things like A/C and an AM/FM radio are extra. They’re not. You get those items plus heater, defrost, the three airbags, power windows and door lock, seat belts, tempered glass, and windshield wiper at no extra cost.


Listen to the Sound of Silence
The body panels are made of a composite (which is more sound deadening than steel) and attached to a tight, solid body that doesn’t have a lot of moving (read squeaky) parts. These two design features help keep outside noise from getting into the ****pit and getting in the way of your favorite tunes playing on our AM/FM radio
(that’s standard).

When You Need Your Space
The trunk space will be at least 27″ x 14″ x 10″, enough for an airline carry-on bag or a golf bag with the rear seat down (47″+). If you’re the working type, tools, blueprints, briefcases, and who knows what else can also be accommodated.

American Made = American Jobs
It should come as no surprise that Elio will create a number of much-needed jobs for American workers. We’re estimating 1,500 jobs at our Shreveport, LA plant beginning in the spring of 2014.

Fun
It’s a blast to drive. Imagine every little errand, every daily commute being something you look forward to because it means you’ll be driving your Elio. It looks cool. And face it, you are what you drive, so that will make you one cool person.

Unique
Because of its unique design, people will talk. They’ll also stare, smile, give you a thumbs up and who knows what else. And while everyone is smiling at you from the outside, trust us, you’ll be smiling from within.

Eco-Friendly
This is a very green vehicle – and we’re not just talking about the color. Yes, it gets 84 MPG on the highway, but you’ll be doing your share of city driving, too. Fear not, with its city rate of 49 MPG, you’ll be consuming only 1/3 of what the average American vehicle consumes.

Power in Numbers
An inline, 3 cylinder, 1 liter, 70 HP, fuel-injected, SOHC gas-powered, liquid-cooled, automotive engine.

Our Transmission Mission
5-speed manual or automatic. And yes, it has a reverse gear.

Fast Facts
Top speed is in excess of 100 MPH, and the 0-60 speed is under 9.6 seconds. So it’s not exotic sports car fast, but it’s not slow, either. And while a gas-guzzling muscle car might pass you, no one will pass gas stations like you.

Great Traction
The engine is in the front and it is a front-wheel-drive vehicle. So, with a low center of gravity and weight towards the front, you’ll get great traction action – even in the snow.

You Deserve a Big Brake
We will have 3-wheel disc brakes with the Anti-Lock Braking System on 15″ wheels. So your Elio will not only stop onlookers in their tracks, it’ll stop you, too – quickly and safely.

A Suspension as Independent as You
The first cousin of cool is smooth. So we’ve built Elio on an independent suspension with unequal length control arms, coil-over-spring and shock in the front and mono-shock with coil-over-spring and shock in the rear. The ground clearance is 5.75″ — similar to most of the passenger vehicles you see on the road today.

Heads Up. A Word About Interior Room
Interior measurements are as follows:

Headroom: Driver 39.8 Passenger 36.4 in
Seat width: Driver 20.6 Passenger 25.3 in

Interior Shoulder Width: 26.8 in

Front seat Legroom: 42.7 in
Rear seat Legroom: 33.1 in

Elio has been designed to fit 95% of all men. 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!). They all fit and loved it! If you are outside of these sizes, you’ll just have to hop into an Elio yourself and see how it fits.



How about the outside
Overall Length: 160.5″
Front Wheel Track: 66.8″ (center rim to center rim)
Wheelbase: 110″ (center of front wheels to center of rear wheel)
Overall Height: 54.2″

 

A couple videos of the vehicle from their tour:

 

Op-ed piece on why the author believes it won't sell.
Good point of order about the helmet law. If it is classified as a motorcycle, most states require you wear a helmet.

http://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/15/...ler-wont-sell/

 

Alex - does James know they are bringing their mule to San Jose from the 19th to 21st?

I don't know where, but I will be checking it out.