Elio Motors
 Elio Motors logo | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Automobile |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Paul Elio |
| Headquarters | Phoenix, Arizona, United States |
Number of locations | 1 Shreveport, Louisiana |
Area served | United States |
Key people |
Paul Elio, founder and CEO James Holden, Board Member David C. Schembri, Board Member Kenneth L. Way, Board Member Stuart Lichter, Board Member Hari Iyer, Board Member |
| Products | Three-wheel motor vehicles |
| Owner | Paul Elio |
| Website |
www |
Elio Motors is an American startup automaker[1] founded in 2009 by Paul Elio, engineer and company CEO with more than 18 years of engineering and executive management experience. Elio has designed an aerodynamic, fuel-efficient (84 mpg), low-cost ($6,800), three wheeled motor vehicle, with production projected to begin in late 2016. The car is expected to be sold through retail stores. The vehicle has undergone theoretical crash-testing and is expected to undergo additional tests in 2016 with its E-series. Elio Motors is based in Phoenix, Arizona and is preparing to manufacture its vehicles in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.
Specifications
Elio Motors currently has its first vehicle under development, a three-wheeled model (two wheels in front, one in back) with a planned highway fuel efficiency of up to 84 MPG-US (2.8 L/100 km) and a targeted US $6,800 base price. It is projected to achieve up to 84 MPG on the highway and up to 49 MPG in the city. It is an alternative, low-cost, high-mileage option for a wide variety of consumers. There are currently five prototypes.
Elio Motors expects the three wheeler be equipped with standard features that include AC/Heat, AM/FM stereo, power windows and door lock, tempered glass, two seats tandem arranged, three airbags, a reinforced steel roll cage, side intrusion beams, seat belts, windshield wipers, stability control, and ABS. The Elio is being engineered to the highest safety standards. Fully enclosed like a standard automobile, the vehicle's three-wheel design falls under the U.S. government motorcycle classification. The company has successfully lobbied, in most states, to alter regulations that would otherwise require drivers to wear a helmet and, in many states, to remove the requirement for operators to have a motorcycle endorsement on their driver license.[2][3][4]
The design specification includes a target curb weight of 1,250 lb (570 kg); three-wheel anti-lock disc brakes; an inline 0.9 liter three cylinder, 55 horsepower (41 kW) engine; and front-wheel drive, with a top speed of over 100 mph (160 km/h) and an acceleration of 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in approximately 9.6 seconds. The exterior has an overall length of 160.5 inches (4.08m) and an overall height of 54.2 inches. The front wheel track is 66.8 inches (center rim to center rim) with a wheelbase of 110 inches (center of front wheels to center of rear wheel). The trunk space is 27 x 14 x 10 inches, enough for an airline carry-on bag or a golf bag with the rear seat down (47+ inches). The interior space consists of headroom of 39.8 inches driver and 36.4 inches passenger, seat width of 20.6 inches driver and 25.3 inches passenger; interior shoulder width of 26.8 inches; and legroom of 42.7 inches in the front seat and 33.1 inches in the rear seat.
Production
Elio Motors is based in Phoenix, Arizona and is preparing to manufacture its vehicles in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, using a portion of the former General Motors Shreveport Operations plant.[5] The company projects employment up to 1,500 at the Shreveport plant.[6] Elio reports that 90% of the parts used in the vehicle will come from suppliers in North America. The company has begun taking reservations on its website; as of January 23, 2016, 49,017 reservations have been made.[7]
References
- ↑ Roy, Carolyn (January 3, 2013). "Elio Motors plans to move into former Shreveport GM plant". Shreveport, Louisiana: KSLA. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ↑ "Elio Motors Gets Closer to Nationwide Helmet Exemption".
- ↑ "Three-wheeled car buyers won't have to take motorcycle test".
- ↑ "Let’s talk about…Laws 5-16-14".
- ↑ Klayman, Ben (January 3, 2013). "Maker of high-mileage 3-wheel vehicles buys former GM plant". Reuters (Detroit: Thomson Reuters). Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ↑ "Elio's $6,800 P5 Three-Wheeler Stars In Official Spot". May 18, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ↑ "eliomotors.com". Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- "Elio Motors Gains Momentum, Starts E-Series Prototype Build; Engineering, Testing Vehicles Key Step Prior to Production". Detroit, Michigan: PR Newswire. January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2016.