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My opinion, worth what you paid for it.
Elio sees a potential market for his vehicle, using existing technology to prevent any "waiting for it to be invented" syndrome (think battery electric capacity predictions). He sees the big auto makers as well as others getting huge payouts from the govt and empty factories.
Everything seems to be falling in place, the trike is designed and prototypes constructed, but the big govt funding never materializes while others get huge sums.
His backup plan is to solicit private funding through potential purchasers, but in the meantime all of the projections of dates when sales will actually start keep passing without any product.
Today, years after the first projected sales targets, he has collected $25 million from those optimists who hoped he would succeed, while any chance of a retail product fade away.
How much of the 25 million is still left? That's the question for which you will never get an answer, because if anyone knew the answer they would immediately realize it is all a farce. My Mirage is pushing 54.2 MPG versus Elios CLAIMED 68.
When that mileage claim (Elio's) was first made the whole vehicle was a dream, without any legitimate evidence to support that claim.
I made a living for decades making promises that people depended on multiple times, every day I was open. If I found circumstances made that promise impossible to keep, the solution was simple, I stayed there until it was kept, even if that meant all night working to solve my customers problem.
You won't see Elio doing that and I fear the age of credibility in commitment is over.
regards
mech
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