Would YOU drive this 'car'? £4,000 Elio needs stabilisers to stop it tipping over - and reaches a top speed of 100mph
- Elio Motors plans to start making vehicles for the US market next year
- It seats 2 passengers, one behind the other, and does 0-60 mph in 9.6s
- Because it has 3 wheels, the Elio is classed as a motorcycle in the US
- 4.5ft-tall vehicle weighs 1,250lbs (570kg) - half the weight of normal car
- More than 27,000 people have already reserved an Elio for 2016
It might look like a bizarre toy car with stablisers, but the Elio could soon be taking over roads across the US.
The three-wheeled $6,800 (4,075) vehicle seats two passengers and goes 0 to 60 mph in 9.6 seconds.
It is the same length as a Honda Fit, but half the weight at1,250lbs (570kg), allowing it to do 84 miles to the gallon.
The three-wheeled $6,800 (4,075) vehicle (pictured) seats two passengers and goes 0 to 60 mph in 9.6 seconds. Phoenix-based Elio Motors plans to start making the vehicles for the US market next autumn
Phoenix-based Elio Motors is now planning to unleash the car on the US market next year, claiming it is the ideal vehicle for commuters.
The company plans to start making the cars next autumn at a former General Motors plant in Shreveport, Louisiana.
More than 27,000 people have reserved a model, and the firm hopes to make 250,000 cars a year by 2016. That's close to the number Mazda sells in the US.
Because it has three wheels - two in front and one in the rear - the Elio is classified as a motorcycle by the US government.
But Elio Motors founder Paul Elio said the vehicle has all the safety features of a car, such as an anti-lock brakes, front and side air bags and a steel cage that surrounds the occupants.
However, drivers won't be required to wear helmets or have motorcycle licenses.
The Elio's two seats sit front and back instead of side-by-side, so the driver is positioned in the centre with the passenger directly behind.
That arrangement, plus the low seating position - the Elio is just 4.5ft (54 inches) tall - and the lack of power steering, are said to take a little getting used to.
But test drivers claim it feels just like any other small car.
That's partly because its two front wheels stick out by a foot on both sides, aiding balance and preventing the vehicle from tipping.
The Elio has a three-cylinder, 0.9-litre engine and a top speed of more than 100 mph (160 km/h). It gets an estimated 84 mpg on the highway, and 49 mpg in city driving.
Elio keeps the costs down in several ways. The car only has one door, on the left side, which shaves a few hundred pounds off the manufacturing costs, claims the firm.
It mixes the compact size of the Smart car with the stability and manoeuverability of the Can-Am Spyder cycle.
It will be offered in two configurations - with a manual or automatic transmission - and it has standard air conditioning, power windows and door locks and an AM/FM radio.
Full Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2725714/Would-YOU-drive-car-Tiny-Elio-uses-stablisers-stop-tipping-100mph-costs-just-4-000.html
I'll be looking into one of these as soon as they are available.
Not a bad set up for a commuter car...
A three-wheel automobile (Airmobile) was manufactured c. 1937. It never made it to production.
Your right of course, but the Aero was made before its time.
dont forget the reliant
They (SUV's) got to catch it first. They are much more maneuverable the SUV.
I did a previous article examining low priced , high mileage vehicles especially trikes . One conclusion I came to was that having the lone wheel in the front is very unstable ... subject to rollovers . That's why the final choice I made in that article was the Elio ... when it actually comes out .