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

[cyclopathic]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

They don't sell the Mirage for under $10,000. There may be a "loss leader" at a car lot here or there across the country for $10,000 but normally dealer cost is $13,552 and MSRP is $13,805 and they currently only have a $500 rebate (actually I see a few areas have a bit higher but there are also caveats like loyalty or military). It is also built in Thailand not the US. Mitsubishi is big company with potential profits coming from many fronts. It wouldn't surprise me if they actually lose money on every base manual transmission Mirage they sell. Their only reason to have a few like the Versa and the Spark, so people will come in thinking maybe they will walk out with a $13,000 new car and end up spending a lot more. I do think they could sell the Elio for a similar price with a very slim profit if they pay the workers Walmart or less wages with limited benefits.
A Can-am Spider starts at $15,000 and goes to $22,500, how on earth is the Elio going to have more content and be less then 1/2 the price?

Maybe this would help?
New Cars under $10,000 (Chevrolet Spark, Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Mirage)

Search shows 169 new cars for sale under $10k. Mirage, Versa and Sparks. All those cars have alot more parts and metal go in, and more costly to make.

Spider is a bad example, b/c it uses motorcycle parts (suspension, brakes, everything), Rotax engine and it isn't really mass-produced.

I'll bet for $6,800 you will be getting a real stripper with 5MT.

[ecoboy]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

Look at this new Artic Cat Wildcat Trail. A narrow, 50" wide, side by side 4x4 with a 700cc parallel twin motor. It is $11,000. This picture almost looks like what it could look like with a 3 wheel setup. Narrow the cab for a front back seating setup, or maybe go 3 seater with a single in the back. It would lose all that suspension travel and only be front wheel drive.


Actually maybe just buy this thing as is and try and lower and aero it. They already make a sweet armoured belly pan for it.

Go track em' down and let us know how it goes. Not to be cynical, but I almost think these companies get paid to fail by the "big dogs" to discourage innovation and progress.

The minute big money gets involved it is over. Look at quiryk.com a crowdfunding platform for inventors after taking over $100 million form venture capitalist it was good bye quirky.

CEO made a bunch of bad calls as he had to get an immediate return on that profit. I would not be surprised if the blood suckers get involved just so they can drive it into the dirt.

You notice you can give billions to elect politicians, but crowdsourcing is capped at $50 million.

I would be shocked if it ever makes it to market even at $14k a piece double the estimate. From what I have found by building old bikes double is a good rule of thumb.

[stiletto2]

Likely built and rated for off road use only, geared for low end grunt, top speed only 66 mph. Much work on the engine & transmission and much $$$ needed to make it into something practical on top of the $11K price of the donor vehicle IMO. Why not just chop off the back half or 2/3rds of a Metro and build a frame for the seats and trailing wheel? It would have engine, transmission, front steering and suspension already figured out and in place. Heck, even a cockpit heater and maybe optional A/C already attached. (radio too)

[Grant-53]

A stretched ATV with street tires could work. I'd start with a 250cc 2wd and add some body work. First ask your potential passenger whether they prefer arms around the waist or side by side seating.

[freebeard]

Must be some corollary to Godwin's Law; As an Ecomodder thread grows longer, the probability of a someone mentioning making a tricycle from the front half of a Geo Metro approaches 1. (TIL 'Reductio ad Hitlerum' was coined in 1951 by Leo Strauss, predating Mike Godwin by 39 years)

Anyway, the topic is Elios' imminent flood of 2 model/7 color trikes. Plus me moaning about the demise of the Edison2.

[Xist]

So, the Arcimoto is taller, but with a shorter length?

I do not see that as an advantage, except for parking it "as a motorcycle."

What would a boat tail do for it?

[HydroJim]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Must be some corollary to Godwin's Law; As an Ecomodder thread grows longer, the probability of a someone mentioning making a tricycle from the front half of a Geo Metro approaches 1. (TIL 'Reductio ad Hitlerum' was coined in 1951 by Leo Strauss, predating Mike Godwin by 39 years)

Anyway, the topic is Elios' imminent flood of 2 model/7 color trikes. Plus me moaning about the demise of the Edison2.

If I ever get stupid enough to want to blow a wad of cash, I'm going build a reverse trike geo metro.

[freebeard]

For around town errands and deliveries, a tall body makes for better ingress/egress.

I poked around a bit but couldn't find the width of the bodies (not overall width). It wouldn't surprise me if the Arcimoto is narrower. CdA vs CdA is what we're looking for.

It does need a boat tail. I shall seek out their showroom and volunteer for the pit crew if they take one to Bonneville.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by cyclopathic

Maybe this would help?
New Cars under $10,000 (Chevrolet Spark, Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Mirage)

Search shows 169 new cars for sale under $10k. Mirage, Versa and Sparks. All those cars have alot more parts and metal go in, and more costly to make.

Spider is a bad example, b/c it uses motorcycle parts (suspension, brakes, everything), Rotax engine and it isn't really mass-produced.

I'll bet for $6,800 you will be getting a real stripper with 5MT.

169 cars nation wide for $10,000 sort for proves my point as "loss leaders". I bet a few are demos or have some cosmetic blemishes they won't fix as well. Those dealers are just trying to get somebody in the door to upsell, if they lose $1000 on the one or 2 $10,000 cars they have no biggie.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by freebeard

While all the eyes have been on Elio, Arcimoto have burned through eight (8), not five pre-production prototypes and are currently assembling their alpha production products for delivery in November. At $11,900.



Tesla may have Falcon doors, but the SRK 8 has Eagle doors. With Watts linkage. A history of the eight prototypes is at History - Arcimoto

By swapping or removing body panels it can be open (like a sand rail) or a closed tandem two seater or single seat delivery vehicle.

That would serve me right. And sounds smarter than a Smart