Promising 84 mpg and 672 miles of travel on a tank of gas for an MSRP of $6,800, the three-wheel Elio could revolutionize ground travel.
The Elio is constructed with two wheels in the front and one in the back, which classifies it as a motorcycle by the U.S. government. The startup manufacturer Elio Motors in Troy, Mich., hopes to get models on the market by sometime next year.
The Elio's liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine delivers 55 horsepower and is fueled by an eight-gallon gas tank. It's impressive 84 mpg on highways is complemented by a remarkable 49 mpg on city roads. It has a 70:30 front-to-rear weight ratio, so it should be managable in snow, the company says, and it comes with either a manual or automatic transmission.
"The average workday commute is 32 miles, so you'd only have to make a gas stop about once a month," states Elio Motors. "Couple that with a $6,800 no-haggle sticker price that includes stuff like AC/heat, AM/FM stereo, power windows and door lock, three airbags, tempered glass and more and you have ingenuity in its most ingenious form."
The Elios are fitted with three airbags, a roll cage and anti-lock brakes. Elio Motors says its vehicles are designed with crush zones that are approximately 50 percent larger than similar vehicles from other manufacturers.
Approximately 27,000 individuals have already reserved the uber-efficient, ultra-light Elios and Elio Motors plans to manufacture 250,000 Elios by the end of 2016. Production of the Elios, scheduled to start in March 2015, will also inject the U.S. with more jobs, according to Elio Motors.
Elio Motors plans to set up shops in 60 markets around the U.S. The company's vehicles will be manufactured in Shreveport, La., in a plant that was formerly occupied by General Motors. Elio Motors estimates the Shreveport plant will produce approximately 1,500 jobs by the start up in 2015. For vehicle service, Elio Motors has a partnership with Pep Boys to keep the Elios on the road.
Elios are not a novelty, according to Elio Motors, and the vehicles are much more affordable than others built with the same form factor. Elios are an evolutionary step for a mobile society that's moving to more practical forms of transportation, the vehicle manufacturer stated. It sees the car as an addition to a family's set of vehicles, and perhaps as a commuter car.
"And it's more than merely a fun, fuel-efficient way to get around. Elio can have a profound effect on our economy -- creating approximately 1,500 jobs in Louisiana alone," said Elio Motors. "And we all know the ripple effect a vehicle has when you factor in everyone from the suppliers and their employees to all the other businesses that prosper from putting previously unemployed people to work. Elio is a major step in curbing the erosion of our environment and making us far less dependent on foreign oil. Just think how that will affect the political landscape of our world."
