I'm a big fan of new technology, especially when it's used for efficiency. I've got an electric scooter, used to own a Jetta TDI but now have a Ford PHEV, and would love to own a Tesla. But the downside of most of these choices is that they are moderately expensive, and many people can't afford the higher up-front costs even if it would save them money in the long run. What the world needs, especially the US, is a personal transportation choice that is both efficient and affordable.
I'm now watching a new company that has exactly that plan, and I think they've got the formula right. I've put down a pre-order deposit, and hope to be driving mine early next year. I figure there are at least 3 groups of Kossaks that may be interested in this, the technology geeks, the global warming crowd, and the anti-big oil folks, so I'm doing one of my rare diaries.
This is what I'm looking at, an autocyle from Elio Motors:
The P4 prototype revealed recently at Sundance.
The key goals that founder Paul Elio is targeting are this: $6,800 price tag, 84mpg highway, and US-built.
Yea, let me repeat those numbers, since they are really quite impressive:
84mpg, $6,800
Follow me below the orange turbulent flow for more information....
So, I called this thing an autocycle. What's that all about? Well, check out the rear end:
Under that nice truncated aerodynamic taper (called a Kammback), is a single wheel. Under Federal standards, since it only has 3 wheels, this is a motorcycle. But it's got much of the safety and comfort of a automobile, so it's considered a hybrid between auto and motorcycle, or an autocycle.
Building this as a motorcycle has a big impact on the final weight and cost, since it doesn't have to meet all the Federal standards for cars. But it will have a roll cage, seatbelts, and airbags, and it's being designed to reach a 5-star crash rating. And the Elio legal team has been visiting all the states, so most of them no longer require a motorcycle endorsement on your drivers license or a mandatory motorcycle helmet.
But building this as a narrow enclosed motorcycle is the key to success. It's a two-person vehicle, with the passenger sitting behind the driver and a very small trunk behind that. This allows for a narrow body. And a narrow body provides far less frontal surface area to create drag. Add in a very clean shape with a nice aerodynamic taper, and you get a really slippery vehicle. That's why 84mpg is possible on the highway.
Keeping the vehicle lightweight is the other half of the game. The projected weight is around 1200lbs, which is about a third the weight of a typical car these days. Propelled by a 900cc, 55hp, 3-cylinder gasoline engine, they expect to be in the mid-40mpg range for city commuting. Performance is going to be reasonable but not exceptional, 0-60 in a little more than 9 seconds, but aftermarket performance tuning will be easy.
Keeping cost low requires keeping the base model pretty simple. You'll get the basic comforts: air conditioning and a radio, a manual transmission (AMT automatic optional), and most everything else will be aftermarket (or point-of-sale). The price target is $6,800, and Paul Elio says they are extremely close to hitting that mark. And yes, a trailer hitch is a likely option, since people like me will probably want to do some long-distance touring with this thing.
If you've noticed, I've mentioned lots of things are 'planned' or 'targeted' or 'anticipated'. This vehicle is not in production yet. They just released their fourth prototype design (P4), and have started another round of publicity tours. Production is expected to start at the very end of this year (2014), and first deliveries to customers should begin in early 2015. They have raised something near $50 million dollars so far, but I think the investors are looking for a healthy pre-order list and media attention before they commit the remaining money needed (that's just my speculation, btw).
Paul Elio is insistent that this be a US-made car. He says they are at about 90% US parts content so far. They are going to have access to an old GM plant in Shreveport, LA for production. (The local parish actually purchased the plant from the GM bankruptcy company, and will be leasing space to Elio) Elio expects to employ about 1,600 people, and parts suppliers may create an additional 1,600 positions in the remaining space in the same plant, so there should be a nice increase in local jobs.
I'm not going to give you any links so you don't mistake me for a spammer, but you all know how to search for stuff on the web. There's good information on the Elio Motors company website, and they have an active Facebook account. There's also a Facebook group for people who have already put down a deposit, and a couple of forums scattered around the web.
I'm very excited about this car, both for my personal travel needs and for the impact it could have on our economy and the environment. It's much easier for people to move to a fuel-efficient vehicle when the base cost is very low, and we seem to have an increasing need for low cost transportation in general. Given the coming problems with global warming and peak oil and such, we badly need something like this to take the market by storm.