Elio Motors, The Next Big Thing?!!...

[brucepick]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

Anybody else discouraged by see only ONE vehicle being built when they probably NEED three or more (crash tests, fuel tests, etc.)?

Elio is indeed having a group series of 25 built. They are called the E-series, for Engineering. The first one(s) of these are being built one at a time to iron out the build process and any needed design changes. The group is planned to be used for evaluation of engineering, performance/fuel economy, handling, production build process as it interrelates to design, and crash testing. Each one of the twenty-five is slated for specific tests and evaluations.

Up through the P5 version, they were built one at a time. Actually, the P1 was eventually converted into the P2 by the addition of body panels over the formerly exposed frame.

[Xist]

[R2D2 beeps]
C-3PO: I beg your pardon, but what do you mean, "naked?"
[R2D2 beeps]
C-3PO: My parts are showing? Oh, my goodness, oh!

[ME_Andy]

"Note that the smooth finish of the trim, which is appropriate for the testing and validation of the E-Series engineering vehicles, is not the final commercial production graining which will be utilized for the consumer version of the Elio."

And now I understand at least partially why the first 100 are going to commercial customers.

[NeilBlanchard]

The 3 chassis on pallets is the key picture - those are stamped steel, not hand made fabrications.

[NeilBlanchard]

Some more pictures of the first E series Elio:

Golly, Elio Motors has built ... a car! One test car, in fact

[Xist]

I was on YouTube and it recommended videos of Scottie Kilmer, Engineering Explained, and ChrisFix test driving the prototype.

It really seemed like everyone said the exact same thing.

There was a discussion a while ago about climbing into the back seat and someone commented that while they talked about it having a decent amount of room, they never showed anyone climbing in back.

Well, each of those three men did, and the younger ones were 6' - 6'1". I know Neil talked about having his excessively tall family back there, but he did not get video!

I had noticed it seemed like they got in and drove without putting on a seatbelt. I believe it was Engineering Explained that said that since it was a "motorcycle," the "rider" legally does not need a seatbelt, and they did not have one in the prototype.

It is going to have airbags, though!

[Grant-53]

For airbags to work properly the seat belt is used plus it adds to roll over protection. No reason seat inertial reel belts could not work on motorcycles. If it is registered as a motorcycle it may require helmets depending on the state.

[NeilBlanchard]

I sat in the back of the P4 (the orange one) and I fit, albeit I hit my head on the roof a bit. They said the P5 added some headroom, and presumably the E series are like the P5.

I am 6'-4".

[MetroMPG]

Article about the new prototypes:

Though it looks very much like the P5, the E series trikes have fully engineered unibody construction made of stamped steel panels, unlike the previous five Elio prototypes that were scratch built with tubed space frames. The E series prototypes aren’t what the industry calls validation builds (there will be a 100 of those assembled at Elio’s Shreveport factory by the end of this year, Elio claims), but they’re very close to production designs.

Elio Takes a Big Step Towards Production with E Series Prototype

[NeilBlanchard]

They have a (custom?) windshield wiper, and finished looking manifolds:



They have a stamped steel chassis:



They have a unique engine:



They have a finished looking dashboard and steering wheel:



They have resolved the exhaust system, and the ground clearance issue:



They have un-textured versions of the interior panels.

They are going to build 23 (or 25) total E series vehicles, to resolve production issues. Then they are planning to build 100 production test vehicles.