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This ‘car’ seems just fresh off the drawing board and presumably so. One look at it and it brings to mind a potato wedge running on wheels. Pardon me for the delicious snack reference but this two-seater looks like anything but a car.
This two-seater toy-like car, called Elio, (which classifies as a motorcycle in the US) seats two passengers, one behind the other and does the 0-60mph dash in 9.6s. It is the same length as a Honda Fit, but half the weight at 570kg, allowing it to do 84 miles to the gallon. Its diminutive three-wheeled front hides the narrow body that trails behind it.
Phoenix-based Elio Motors, the car’s makers, is now planning to unleash the car on the US market next year, claiming it is the ideal vehicle for commuters. In fact, more than 27,000 people have already reserved an Elio worth $6,800 (Rs 4.19 lakh) for 2016 and the firm hopes to make 250,000 cars a year by then. That's close to the number Mazda sells in the US. Some marketing strategy we must say!
This small package, according to Elio Motors founder Paul Elio, has all the safety features of a car, such as anti-lock brakes, front and side air bags (Even the Indian hatchback makers don’t pay so much attention to safety!) and a steel cage that surrounds the occupants. Inside seating is such that the occupants have to sit behind one another instead of side-by-side. 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.
However, test drivers who have taken a spin on the Elio say it feels like any other small car. On the design front, the two front wheels stick out by a foot on the sides, aiding balance and preventing the vehicle from tipping. Powering the little wedge-like car is a three-cylinder, 0.9-litre engine with a top speed of more than 160 kmh). It gets an estimated 84 mpg on the highway, and 49mpg in city driving.
The makers of Elio have managed to keep in mind cost-reduction techniques as well. The car only has one door, on the left side, which shaves a few hundred pounds off the manufacturing costs. 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.
Mr Elio has mentioned that the Elio can be seen as your second car, the car which you take to work and he hopes that eventually students as well as used-car drivers who want something new and more reliable take to the Elio. He also hopes to eventually export it to other countries.
The Elio seen in the picture is of a pleasant orange shade and its small appearance is what makes it all the more endearing. Despite the handicap of being a two-seater and a dwarf, this car is sure to make heads turn on the road. Still, 2016 is a long way from now and surely we will be hearing more about the Elio as the months pass by.
Source:Dailymail
