$6800, 84 mpg, A/C, air bags, stereo, 5 star crash test, US made, 3 wheel motorcycle!

[LeeH]

It's the Elio. I hope they sell millions of them.



Elio Motors: Ultra High Mileage Vehicle

[porwolf]

The problem with 3-wheelers is they will catch every pothole. There is no escape. In Germany they called the BMW Isetta the pot hole detector.

[Arizona_928]

looks like a can-am with a metal body...

[Porsche-O-Phile]

3-wheelers are just plain ghey on top of the pothole issue... Yea the mileage is good and the price tag is encouraging but...

If it's classified as a motorcycle you'll have to wear a helmet all the time too, which is a PITA, especially with the lack of storage space to store it while not driving (it'd take up the whole trunk!) I suppose you could just leave it on the seat...

Interesting idea... Not bad for a daily commuter vehicle I suppose.

[Paul_Heery]

I hope these things are DIY-friendly because...

Yes it’s true. We are partnering with Pep Boys (Yes THAT Pep Boys) to be the official Elio service center. It’s no small thing to win the confidence of this leading national service brand.

With 800 service centers and 7,500 service bays, Pep Boys will provide Elio Motors' customers with convenient service options from one of the most trusted names in the automotive aftermarket. What this also means is that Elio Motors will now have more service centers than Volkswagen, Kia, Subaru, Mercedes Benz and BMW, to name a few. How great for you is that?

No Pep Boys in your area? Elio Motors is working to ensure a service center solution is available in every retail market that we open in.

As you read this, our guys and theirs are deeply immersed in developing the game plan. So as soon as all the i’s and t’s are dotted and crossed, we'll go public with the details.

Meanwhile, you can be sure the best interests of Elio owners will be driving every decision.

[Jrboulder]

This is exactly what the US market needs.

In AZ we have great roads, no adult helmet laws, motorcycles can drive in the HOV lanes and I drive lot (15k+/yr) alone.

I hope they don't go belly up like Corbin Motors.

[on2wheels52]

That is not a motorcycle.
Jim

[tabs]

Just think of the savings, you will only have to buy 3 tires instead of 4.

[BReif61]

Put me in the "I'll believe it when I see it" camp, especially in regards to the price.

[onewhippedpuppy]

To maintain that price point, they will have to sell millions of them. Maintenance at Pep Boys.....LOL. Guess Jiffy Lube said no?

[crb07]

Looking at the over all width up front I would want 2 seats side by side in the front.

[sammyg2]

Take a smart car, give it a frontal lobotomy, and you end up with ........

I would not let a pep boys service one of my vehicles if they paid me book rate to do it.

[Z-man]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

3-wheelers are just plain ghey on top of the pothole issue...

Nothing says "I'm a loser who can't balance on two wheels and I live in my mother's basement" better than a young kid riding a Can-Am!

True story: Mrs. Z and I were driving home from dinner one night, and a cocky looking high-schooler pulls up next to us on his Can-Am. Mrs. Z's initial reaction was: "What is that interesting thing?" Has the kid rode off, her comment changed to: "That is the nerdiest, most uncool thing I've seen."

The Elio looks too much like what a Yugo would look like today if they still sold cars here in the US.

The T-Rex three-wheeler is more sleek and it has seating for two:

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Interesting idea... Not bad for a daily commuter vehicle I suppose.

This to infinity...

Makes perfect sense in El Lay... 84 MPG... HOV lane...

[intakexhaust]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

looks like a can-am with a metal body...

composite body

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Take a smart car, give it a frontal lobotomy, and you end up with ........

I would not let a pep boys service one of my vehicles if they paid me book rate to do it.

Could they be any worse than any other auto maker franchise dealer?

If in fact becomes a reality, the PepBoy service will obviously have trained techs for this vehicle and basically just an R&R center. Post warranty, labor rates will be lower than typical auto franchise dealers.

Other thoughts-
Classification for car safety rating 5 star is a joke. BTW: Is it not technically considered a motorcycle?

If classified as a motorcycle, helmet required states will turn many potential buyers away. But, it will be the first motorcycle with an air conditioning system.

If you travel in a pot hole ridden town.... watch out for these tri rider's. They tend to swerve into oncoming lanes!!

City mpg guess - as stated on the site is 49 mpg. I would imagine that's where most would use it???

[aschen]

There just aint no way that thing could fair well in crash testing, making that claim negates all credibility.

[Tobra]

It does not have a crash rating, it was "engineered" to have a 5 star crash rating.

Not a lot of actual information at that linked website.

[Embraer]

I think it's cool. hope it works. like others said...great in LA or Chicago or NYC.

[911_Dude]

Im interested in this. Since all the normal car makers are getting more and more expensive every year, I felt there was a strong market segment for a "car" that was actualy cheap. It just has to be dependable and deliver as advertised, and the idea will work. If it turns out to be a turd, with parts falling off and won't start half the time, it will fold faster that a Yugo. Im sceptical as to how they can make it so cheap, since its cheaper than most motorcycles these days.

My town is listed as one of the dealer cities. I will definatly be taking a look, but I will not be a first adopter.


.

[strupgolf]

To me it looks good. Glad someone is trying something different. This could go over in so many areas of the country.