Three for the road

The Elio technically is not a car. As defined by US Department of Transportation, the three-wheeler with two tandem seats and one door is an autocycle regardless of the fact that it will top 160km/h and sprint from zero to 100km/h in less than 10 seconds.

The Elio autocycle comes equipped with a full roll cage, automotive controls, front and two side curtain airbags, two seatbelts, and passes a crash test.

"Like a car" is a phrase Paul Elio uses a lot to describe the skinny three-wheeler's driving performance and occupant protection. Elio pushes several emotive talking points as reasons why a few years ago he designed the three-wheeler that bears his name.

"Elio Motors was founded to make a difference in some very important things," he says. Those things include support for US manufacturing, reducing dependency on oil, job creation and export.

Elio Motors has yet to deliver a single vehicle and has pushed back production and delivery dates a couple of times. The company is pointing to early 2016 before it flips the switch at its 371,000m2 ex-GM plant in Shreveport, Louisiana. The plant last produced the Colorado mid-sized pickup before being auctioned off as part of GM's bankruptcy. 

For Stuart Lichter, president of Industrial Realty Group and major financier of Elio Motors, the deal was incredible.

"The equipment in the plant, according to the original purchase manifest, was valued between $600-$800million without the building," said Lichter, who paid around five cents in the dollar for the plant and equipment. "It is amazing, you go there and turn a switch and start making cars."

More than 41,000 people have plunked down a deposit for an Elio that will cost $6800 or about half the recommended retail price of a Chevrolet Spark in the States. At half the cost, delivering twice the mileage, and seconds quicker from 0-100km/h, the Elio's appeal is genuine.

"The gas savings from driving an Elio are more significant than your monthly car payment as long as what you drove to the dealership consumes 27mpg (8.7L/100km) or less," says Elio. "You can make the monthly payment from the money you don't pump into the fuel tank."

The Elio is long and thin. The wheelbase extends to 2794mm with a front track of 1702mm. It is a full size vehicle cut in half and weighing 557kg.

"The secret to the gas mileage is front to back tandem seating," claims Elio, "because at highway speeds, most of your fuel goes to moving air."

Early prototypes were loaded with a 1.3-litre Suzuki four-cylinder engine, and there was talk of using a GM engine in final production.

"On that note, about a month ago we started the first Elio Motor motor. I think this is a huge milestone. It's been over 60 years since a new American car company started its own motor. The engine is being designed and developed by IAV," disclosed Elio.

The three-cylinder engine burns low-octane petrol and should produce better than 40kW and 74Nm from 900cc. "The next step for the engine is to build 31 of them," he says, "and put them on dynos and run them through their paces before we put them into vehicles."

The transmission is a five-speed AMT – automated manual transmission – with a computer and actuators to push in the clutch and shift gears.

Keeping the purchase price affordable means keeping the component list common, Elio explains.

"Every part on this vehicle is coming to us from some of the biggest parts suppliers in the world [Continental, Bosch, Takata, Aisin] who are already making that product and it is either exactly what they are already making or with a slight modification."

The Elio will be sold and delivered via company stores – the same direct-to-customer sales model Tesla is using. Manny, Moe and Jack will do the servicing and carry spares. Pep Boys – a national chain with 800 authorised service locations – gives Elio Motors a huge advantage from day one.

"The agreement with Pep Boys gets us out of a lot of cost and that helps us keep the purchase price low," Elio mentioned.

There's a lot of original thought and credible engineering invested in the distinct three-wheeler. Innovation and a clear vision has truly created more from less. We're keen to drive it, as are the 41,000 who have made a deposit to purchase, including quite a few Australians.