What'll this do to Elio?

I occasionally get posts about the (vaporware?) Elio Motors on the book of faces, and this popped up in the discussion.

Hyundai moving into GM Shreveport plant

I think it's time for a class action lawsuit against Elio. How many dreamers (suckers) plunked down deposit money on that fraud?

KyAllroad wrote: I think it's time for a class action lawsuit against Elio. How many dreamers (suckers) plunked down deposit money on that fraud?

Man, I really wanted this to hapoen, but I never felt it would. At least not enough to do anything more than get on the email list....with my junk email account.

DrBoost wrote:

KyAllroad wrote: I think it's time for a class action lawsuit against Elio. How many dreamers (suckers) plunked down deposit money on that fraud?

Man, I really wanted this to hapoen, but I never felt it would. At least not enough to do anything more than get on the email list....with my junk email account.

Exactly. If they came out tomorrow, id take off work to do a drive and buy. But, 3 years of me saying that and there still isn't one in the driveway.

KyAllroad wrote: I think it's time for a class action lawsuit against Elio. How many dreamers (suckers) plunked down deposit money on that fraud?

Not enough for them to get started on production yet. But, they're still begging for suc.. er.. dreamers to put down deposits.

I am confused.. what does Hyundai moving into an old GM plant have to do with Elio?

mad_machine wrote: I am confused.. what does Hyundai moving into an old GM plant have to do with Elio?

I second this. What did I miss.

If I remember right from an article I read like 2 years ago. That's the plant Elio wanted.

Yes, Elio was going to use that plant. I thought they had actually signed some kind of agreement to use it, but apparently not.

Damn shame, I was hoping they'd make it. I even bought a t-shirt.

Klayfish wrote: Yes, Elio was going to use that plant. I thought they had actually signed some kind of agreement to use it, but apparently not. Damn shame, I was hoping they'd make it. I even bought a t-shirt.

Sounds like you own the only thing they actually produced.

Like Tucker radios...

To answer the original question, nothing, in the same way 0 times anything equals 0. Joking aside, or for those holding out hope, I was under the impression that the Eliot deal was only for part of the plant.

Elio's response is that they will only be using 1/3 of the plant, while Hyundai has the rest.

RealMiniParker wrote: Elio's response is that they will only be using 1/3 of the plant, while Hyundai has the rest.

But still that is really odd

I hope Elio makes it. Their business plan is North Korea-level optimistic so they have that going against them, but the way that automotive enthusiasts and professionals pre-emptively savage every newcomer to production car manufacturing (but not race car, kit car, or car parts manufacturing, oddly enough) makes me want to see Elio succeed just to prove them wrong. Their car is cool too.

There's no other hobby I know of where enthusiasts say "Oh look, a fledgling company is trying to make a novel offering in production of the meat n' potatoes of our hobby, an industry that we often complain is too cautious and conservative. BOO what a bunch of nitwits! It's a big fat scam!"

minivan_racer wrote:

Klayfish wrote: Yes, Elio was going to use that plant. I thought they had actually signed some kind of agreement to use it, but apparently not. Damn shame, I was hoping they'd make it. I even bought a t-shirt.

Sounds like you own the only thing they actually produced.

Yes, and at the time I was curious as to why they mailed it with a big thing of pixy dust...now I understand.

I've actually had a few people either ask me what in the world it was...and then some who knew what it was and seemed excited about it.

GameboyRMH wrote: I hope Elio makes it. Their business plan is North Korea-level optimistic so they have that going against them, but the way that automotive enthusiasts and professionals pre-emptively savage every newcomer to production car manufacturing (but not race car, kit car, or car parts manufacturing, oddly enough) makes me want to see Elio succeed just to prove them wrong. Their car is cool too. There's no other hobby I know of where enthusiasts say "Oh look, a fledgling company is trying to make a novel offering in production of the meat n' potatoes of our hobby, an industry that we often complain is too cautious and conservative. BOO what a bunch of nitwits! It's a big fat scam!"

X 2. If, when they start production that will be the first new car I buy.

I still dont understand why Elio hasnt begun some form of small scale production? I know crash testing and EPA and a dozen other bureaucratic nightmares stand between the idea and a physical vehicle for sale, but after all this time, why hasnt there been more headway made? I dont know the laws onthe books, but isnt there provision for small scale builders that get them around many of the restirctions large scale car makers face?

I mean, I feel like, if I were trying to get a car brand off the ground, I would find a way to get 400 or so produced. Even if I had to hand build the body bucks, and hand fab the jigs for subframe assembly etc, getting thru the NHTSA and EPA and whatnot would be worth it to get my product on the road, and generate real hype, not social media hullabaloo.

I guess I know the real reason why there hasnt been more progress - because scam

4cylndrfury wrote: I still dont understand why Elio hasnt begun some form of small scale production? I know crash testing and EPA and a dozen other bureaucratic nightmares stand between the idea and a physical vehicle for sale, but after all this time, why hasnt there been more headway made? I dont know the laws onthe books, but isnt there provision for small scale builders that get them around many of the restirctions large scale car makers face? I mean, I feel like, if I were trying to get a car brand off the ground, I would find a way to get 400 or so produced. Even if I had to hand build the body bucks, and hand fab the jigs for subframe assembly etc, getting thru the NHTSA and EPA and whatnot would be worth it to get my product on the road, and generate real hype, not social media hullabaloo. I guess I know the real reason why there hasnt been more progress - because scam

Elio faces very nearly all of the restrictions a large scale car maker would face. They face different safety criteria because it's a 3-wheeler, but that's the only break they're getting AFAIK. So if they start producing cars before all the NHTSA/EPA/etc tests have been passed, they couldn't legally sell any of them, and they might have to go back and modify all of them to make them legal to sell. They have made a few prototypes which they've used for testing and shown off at auto shows etc.

The smoke will stay, the mirrors have fallen down though. They've put them back up in 1/3 of the factory.

By the time they get this thing on the road (if ever) their concept will be obsolete.

I was most interested in it as a potential spec racing series!

In reply to 4cylndrfury:

My optimistic/hopeful guess is they are having trouble securing financing and lining up suppliers. Without Elon Musk levels of cash on hand, it's hard to convince suppliers to extend credit to your fledgling company. Even just 400 car's worth of supplies.

A better idea would be for Polaris to throw a tiny motor and a slippery body on the Slingshot. They already have a platform, they have a revenue stream and they have extensive experience actually, you know, making things.

Kreb wrote: A better idea would be for Polaris to throw a tiny motor and a slippery body on the Slingshot...

Agreed. There was a Polaris dealership near me, and I saw slingshots running around on test drives all the time. I was always surprised at how huge the tiny thing looked. I couldnt tell if it was the proportions, or that it looked like a sports car but didnt at the same time. The beltline seemed too high for a vehicle with no roof. And the driver looked both swallowed up by, and not quite fitting inside of the body. I just knew it didnt look right. I kind of wanted to see a streetfighter version - dump all the plastic, bolt the lights to the frame, and just run around in the buff. A solar-race inspired capsule on one would probably look just right

Perhaps Elio's already obsolete?

http://jalopnik.com/i-drove-this-107-mpg-version-of-gordon-murrays-city-car-1791044484