2015
Elio & (“And”)
Elio
Motors currently has its first vehicle under development, a three-wheeled model
(two wheels in front, one in back) with an 8 gallon fuel tank, and planned fuel
efficiency of 84 mpg-US (2.8 L/100 km) highway / 49 mpg-US (4.8 L/100 km) city
and an EPA blended fuel efficiency of 60.3 mpg-US (3.90 L/100 km). The car has
a projected MSRP of US$ 6,800.
The
three wheeler is projected to feature heater, defroster, air conditioning,
power windows and door lock, stereo, two person seating capacity (one in front,
one in back), three airbags, a reinforced roll cage, side intrusion beams, seat
belts, windshield wiper, stability control, and ABS. Company executives project
the vehicle will receive a five-star safety rating. Fully enclosed like a
standard automobile, the vehicle's three-wheel design falls under the U.S.
government motorcycle classification. The company has successfully lobbied, in
most states, to alter regulations that would otherwise require drivers to wear
a helmet and, in many states, to remove the requirement for operators to have a
motorcycle endorsement on their driver license.
The
design specification includes a target curb weight of 1,250 lb (570 kg);
three-wheel anti-lock disc brakes; an inline 0.9 liter three cylinder, 55
horsepower (41 kW) engine; and front-wheel drive, with a top speed of over 100
mph (160 km/h) and an acceleration of 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in
approximately 9.6 seconds. The exterior has an overall length of 160.5 inches
(4.08m) and an overall height of 54.2 inches. The front wheel track is 66.8
inches (center rim to center rim) with a wheelbase of 110 inches (center of
front wheels to center of rear wheel). The trunk space is 27 x 14 x 10 inches,
enough for an airline carry-on bag or a golf bag with the rear seat down (47+
inches). The interior space consists of headroom of 39.8 inches driver and 36.4
inches passenger, seat width of 20.6 inches driver and 25.3 inches passenger;
interior shoulder width of 26.8 inches; and legroom of 42.7 inches in the front
seat and 33.1 inches in the rear seat.
