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

[freebeard]

I don't think we know the weight of the Elios.

I'm still more curious about the chassis than the engine. If I was going to try to best the construction methods in the Trev; I'd spec a 3D printed nylon body and an aluminum hydro-formed foam-filled tube chassis. I don't know what else would touch it.

• Riley XR3 has a separate body on a sheetmetal backbone frame.
• Blackjack Zero has a separate body on a tube ladder frame
• Trev has an integrated composite monocoque
• Messerschmidt has sheet metal monocoque with bolt on fenders
• Arcimoto had tube cage with clip-on panels

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

But they have polar opposite drivetrains.

What would be instructive would be an otherwise identical XR3 with electric rear drive, gas (and electric) front drive in A-B-C-A testing.

In

Green@Google: Oliver Kuttner

(Thanks NB!) he talks about a 'glass ceiling' for box cars, and points to the Burt Rutan/GM Ultralight. I wonder what the local maxima for a tadpole would be.

[bhtooefr]

Neil: my strengths - Elio Motors : Elio Motors has the city mileage of 49 mpg.

[doclees]

City ratings of 49 MPG. True lit is electric and its not possible to compare. We also don't know if the 0-60 time was cvt auto or stick done by a jockey or Michael Moore. I think they would want to get the best possible times they could.

[NeilBlanchard]

8.9 seconds to 60MPH is plenty quick for any situation. It gets 84 MPG - it's got to have tall gearing, so it is not going to be as quick as if it had performance gearing.

[doclees]

Would be sweet if it is a tall gearing issue. Then that 5.5 sec 0-60 could be fixed. Sounding better all the time.

[NeilBlanchard]

84MPG is a lot more important than 6 second 0-60MPH.

[doclees]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

84MPG is a lot more important than 6 second 0-60MPH.

A place and time for everything. Perhaps you don't live in a trucking hub city. Especially with smaller cars or bikes, having that on ramp burst is well worth the extra $1.00 in gas IMHO. Somehow I missed the composite body panels and attached to a tight solid body. Maybe resistant to dings and dents. So with the the 5 star ish crash rating must assume roll cage frame? Be nice to be able to remove the roof. Coil over shocks give us the possibility to lower it a bit too. No new tech but did they optimize it with free flow intake and exhaust?

[niky]

Most 1 liter cars with 70 ponies take 11-13 seconds to hit 60...

Anything that can do the job in ten seconds is quick enough. Small cars that do 60 in 6 typically have bloody expensive turbocharged motors that drink gas like nobody's business, shred engine mounts and CV Joints, and are a pain to maintain down the line. I just don't see the appeal for something that's being marketed as an eco-commuter that costs as much as a secondhand Corolla (0-60, 9 seconds with a stick)

[Blackbird3]

New member with invested interest in the new Elio. While I am doing great with my Gen 1 Honda Insight she is pushing 200K and the Elio concept has my attention. From this photo I found on the web I was curious if any of the much more than I forum members could decipher any new info regarding motor builder, suspension, etc? I know there is a long wait for this to Hopefully come to reality but details are the fun part of research. Anyway, I was hoping someone here could help with investigating! I have found a few others but this image seems to be the most internally detailed. Thanks and I look forward to the forum insight!

Dave


[/IMG]

[niky]

Can't tell much. Looks like a DOHC head, and the part that's sticking up is the intake manifold with short runners. From the way the motor sits, looks like the transmission is mounted backwards, in front of the engine.

I could be totally wrong. Higher resolution or a better angle would be nice.

Ahhh...


I was wrong. The engine sits normally tucked down between the frame rails, and that's a tall manifold that sits the throttle above the valve cover. That's roughly the same place the throttle body on the Maruti Alto variant of the K10 sits under the engine cover. Newer K10 cars use a plastic intake manifold. The caps over the spark plug also look the same as the Alto's.

Looks like a good fit, though not quite sure... still need more resolution.

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Interesting... a car that light, and the wheelbase is longer than an Accord's. Should mean decent legroom... or it would if the rear suspension wasn't there. Still... looks comfortable enough, though ingress to the rear might be tight.