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

[sendler]

Spin, spin, spin the black circle.
.
The interviewer is right on though.

[mikeyjd]

Elio's CEO Explains How He Can Sell An 84 MPG Car For $6,800

[Fat Charlie]

Elio answers the question of 84 mpg, reality or goal?

84 was a stretch target if you will, and we're very close to hitting it. Right now, I think we're about 81.4, but we're continuing to work on the design. So I don't know that we'll hit 84, but let's face it, if we go into production at 81, did we fail? ...anywhere in that neighborhood is going to be dandy and I know we're there.

If we went into production immediately, it would be 81 miles per gallon, and $7300... That number isn't made up, we have every single part that's required to make this vehicle, we have 87 percent quoted by part number and 98 percent by dollar value. So we can do this, I have the data to back it up.

Yeah, it's real, we could sell it right now and only miss the marketing hype by a little bit, but I don't want to. Maybe next year.

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

Elio answers the question of 84 mpg, reality or goal?





Yeah, it's real, we could sell it right now and only miss the marketing hype by a little bit, but I don't want to. Maybe next year.

If it were ready at those numbers, I think it would be on the market. I could be wrong but I dont think I am.

[jkv357]

Originally Posted by UltArc

There is too much value here to pull snippets: Elio's CEO Explains How He Can Sell An 84 MPG Car For $6,800

Worth the read, and it actually gives me some confidence in them.

It all sounds good...

Mr. Elio may be a (pre) marketing genius (no actual product yet). He certainly knows how to say the right things - the right way. We'll see how far his genius stretches.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by freebeard

That looks more like a Citroen 2CV than a VW. Weren't the early Gurgels VW based?

I'm not really impressed with the front engine/rear drive. The 2CV had an aftermarket conversion to 4WD that would work, but they're probably rarer than the Gurgel.

Yahoo! Images sorted these together:

Gurgel initially made Volkswagen-based mini SUVs and a handful of light trucks, and for the BR-800/Supermini initially considered to make Citroën engines under license, but since Citroën would impose some restrictions in eventual exports its manager, João Augusto do Amaral Gurgel, decided to develop an engine from scratch. It's often quoted as half-a-Volkswagen engine, but its bore and stroke in the 0.8L version are the same of a Renault-based Ford 1.6L inline-4 which was widely used in Brazilian Fords until early '90s. It also has a chain-driven cam, unlike the VW gear-driven one. Also, when Gurgel was developing its first FWD car, the Delta, which was never released in the market because Gurgel bankrupted during its development, it was intended to use the Citroën 2CV gearbox, which tooling from Citroën's factory in Portugal had been bought by Gurgel.

Regarding a 4WD setup for the 2CV, the only one I'm aware is the Sahara which had 2 engines and 2 gearboxes, but Citroën had a conventional 4WD setup for the 2CV-based Méhari mini-SUV.

And that first image looks more like a photoshopped Chevy Spark.

[IamIan]

As long as Elio keeps pushing for a zero units per year to 60,000+ units per year start up year one ... it will not happen at all .. it's just too big of a single step to make.

They either have to be willing to start out at like under 1,000 units per year or the company will never be more than just hype.

Yes they want to exploit economies of scale .. But they aren't an Automotive giant .. and they need to accept that .. and start putting vehicles in customers hands .. even if it is just starting off at 100 cars per year.

- - - -

It took Toyota over 5 years to ramp up to that scale with the Prius .. and they are a well established car company with lots of equity , already owned factories, etc.

In Tesla's 1st year they only delivered ~100 cars .. ~1,000 in their 2nd year... The Model S is even in 2014 around ~30,000 cars per year ... and that's after more than 6 years of Tesla ramping up .. etc.

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by IamIan

As long as Elio keeps pushing for a zero units per year to 60,000+ units per year start up year one ... it will not happen at all .. it's just too big of a single step to make.

They either have to be willing to start out at like under 1,000 units per year or the company will never be more than just hype.

Yes they want to exploit economies of scale .. But they aren't an Automotive giant .. and they need to accept that .. and start putting vehicles in customers hands .. even if it is just starting off at 100 cars per year.

- - - -

It took Toyota over 5 years to ramp up to that scale with the Prius .. and they are a well established car company with lots of equity , already owned factories, etc.

In Tesla's 1st year they only delivered ~100 cars .. ~1,000 in their 2nd year... The Model S is even in 2014 around ~30,000 cars per year ... and that's after more than 6 years of Tesla ramping up .. etc.

Well said.

[Randy]

Originally Posted by Paul Elio

...our variable valve lift is from Schaeffler...

Yeah, no. The pictures from earlier in the thread are either shim-and-bucket or direct hydraulic lifters.


It would be cool if they actually used the Schaeffler system (the Fiat MultiAir). It uses hydraulically driven valves with full computer control. The cam supplies hydraulic pressure for maximum valve lift/timing, and the computer selects any part of the curve it likes. It looks completely different, like a DOHC valve cover, but half of it is for the hydraulics. Exhaust valves aren't variable and directly under the cam in this picture, but I think 2-valve fully controlled systems exist.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I try to not be so pessimistic about Elio, but sometimes it seems impossible.