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

[Fat Charlie]

The people who won't buy it aren't the ones who will make it work or not. The ones who might buy it are. That's all.

[ecomodded]

its not for EVERYONE like a Motorcycle or scooter but companies sell them and make big money.

Its not for me , I am in diesel heaven with the tdi , But that Elio would be a great summer car for the more adventurist people or full time car in the right climate and 0 kids.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

If there was an utility trailer designed to match it (or if it was at least certified to tow that streamlined U-Haul trailer), in a similar way to that one from BRP to match the Can-Am Spyder, among other options to increase its cargo capacity, that would be another good point.

[cbaber]

You guys are missing the point. This car needs to sell in large volumes to keep a cheap price and allow Elio to stay in business. It doesn't matter who likes the car and who doesn't. It matters how many people buy the thing. And for that, you have to make people like the car. The profit margin on mass volume cars like the Civic or Corolla is very low. They have to sell a lot of these cars to make money, otherwise they would have to increase the price to pay the bills. Elio has to sell a lot of cars to make money with such a cheap price.

Lets be realistic. There are many cars out there like the Prius that broke away from the norm and sold very well, while being fuel efficient. But these cars sell well because they have things people want in a car. 4 doors, cargo room, comfort, safety. The only thing the Elio has going for it is price and fuel economy.

Why do you think Honda changed the design of the Insight after the first generation? It didn't sell well, despite being the most fuel efficient production hybrid to date. They had to transform the design into something that would sell more volume, so they added 2 doors, 2 seats, and more cargo room to turn it into a Prius.

I want Elio to be successful. I would even buy one it they make it to production. But the numbers don't add up so far. I'm not going to look past the facts and be optimistic when Elio hasn't put out any real details or information, despite claiming they are less than a year from production.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by cbaber

There are many cars out there like the Prius that broke away from the norm and sold very well, while being fuel efficient. But these cars sell well because they have things people want in a car. 4 doors, cargo room, comfort, safety. The only thing the Elio has going for it is price and fuel economy.

The proper marketing approach can overcome that. Instead of trying to feature it as just a compromised econobox, why not to highlight its power-to-weight ratio or some other features which could caught some attention from weekend club racers? If even the Smart ForTwo and the Can-Am Spyder have their market share in America, I see no reason why Elio couldn't.

[chumly]

When I bought my smart I was wanting something like the Elio but nothing was available. I'm not complaining about the smart (it's one of the BEST cars I've had over the years) but I wanted something with front and back seating. If they become available I'm sure going to get one.

[cbaber]

Cars like the Smart ForTwo are developed by huge companies that have other models to support these projects. And the smart is nearly double the cost of an Elio. Don't get me wrong, an Elio could work, but not at $7k. That's my entire point. There is no way such a niche type car can sell at such a low price without selling volume like a Corolla.

Marketing can only go so far. People know what they want, and marketing can only convince a certain % of people. Marketing isn't going to convince people they can do without the cargo room, safety, practicality, etc. The large majority of car buyers will pass on the Elio regardless of fuel economy simply because it doesn't have 4 doors or 4 seats. Marketing isn't going to convince people to give these things up. Auto makers have gone to extreme lengths to satisfy these demands to sell cars. How can anyone believe Elio can march in a change what people want? Automakers would be selling a 3 wheeled super commuter if that's what people wanted.

Comparing the Elio to something like a Can-Am Spyder is a good discussion. The Can-Am Spyder is not marketed as a commuter car or a daily driver. It's a fun accessory. It's also much more expensive. There is a market for fun toys like sports cars or motorcycles, but if people are going to spend the extra money on an extra car they are going to buy something that is actually fun, like a motorcycle or truck for work or a sports car. Why would anyone buy an Elio as an accessory? It makes a great commuter car, that is for sure. But the amount of people who can afford a regular car + a commuter car is small, and again the Elio needs to sell lots of volume to keep it's $7k price tag, so marketing in that way isn't going to work either.

Elio has made a big mistake by promising a price tag and a MPG number before they are at the production stage. That is their marketing plan. They have convinced a large number of people they can buy a brand new hyper-fuel efficient car for $7k. That is enough to generate good press and hype, but what happens if Elio cannot meet it's promises?

And the option of marketing it as a fun, lightweight sports machine is futile as well. Even adding a performance engine isn't going to help. There are already better options for thrill seekers and people who want to go fast:

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by Saguache

I like, nay love, the VW Microbus in all its many incarnations. As a lover of this vehicle I am also a member of a very large, global, and reasonably well funded cadre of people who enjoy driving underpowered bread boxes and loves of bread.

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[Xist]

Originally Posted by cbaber

And the option of marketing it as a fun, lightweight sports machine is futile as well. Even adding a performance engine isn't going to help. There are already better options for thrill seekers and people who want to go fast:

I am not saying the Elio can make their price point, although I remember cars being sold for near that price. Was it that long ago?

Anyway, how many fun little machines can you purchase new for near $7,000?

[user removed]

I paid $7k for a new Honda CRX 1.5 in Sept 1983, 31 years ago. The best thing Elio has going for it is the fact that it is classified as a motorcycle, which bypasses almost all regulatory issues that would make the price increase dramatically.

I still think you will never see one for sale for $6800. A brand new product from scratch has huge up front costs that can only be mitigated with serious capital support. My guess would be 250 million in funding to cover the transition from where thay are now to a years production sold.

Even if they sold 100,000 in the first year, that's still $2500 per vehicle in costs that have to be repaid, unless they are given "taxpayer support" of some kind and I doubt that will come to pass with a motorcycle.

Most people with that kind of deep pockets are much better equipped than we are to really break down the "facts" that are dribbled out, but even we can see that Elio has a very tough road ahead. The longer their predictions drag out before becoming reality, the greater the skepticism of those with deep pockets. It's become predictable what follows. More delays, predictions, and poorly funded progress.

regards
Mech