Elio Motors is one of the hottest names in the auto industry lately, as the company has been enjoying a lot of attention for their upcoming first release. And while there was initially some skepticism about what they were doing, that quickly faded as Elio were able to not only stabilize their reputation, but actually gained a lot of supporters who are now patiently waiting for them to come out with their first model.
There have been some delays in the pre-production stages, but in the long run, Elio seem to be moving forward quite nicely. The biggest question that remains for some people observing the company’s development right now is: is it worth the risk? Because, after all, what Elio Motors are doing is indeed a bit of a risky venture. But if they succeed, this would not just be good for the company itself – it would have a positive impact on the entire market, as it will redefine certain trends about it.
Still, the company needs to progress beyond their current situation if they want to make those changes to the market, as they’re presently facing some issues with the legal classification of their first model. The vehicle uses a unique design, one that is a combination between a car and a motorcycle, which has prompted certain jurisdictions to classify it as a motorcycle, presenting certain difficulties to those who might want to ride it one day. The requirement for wearing a helmet probably being the biggest one.
The company is moving forward through this problem though, and they have been in talks to amend the law all over the United States in order to accommodate their upcoming release. So far, they’ve been enjoying some success, although they still have some states to secure.
On the other hand, the company was also rumored to be facing some financial difficulties, but those seem to have been resolved lately. Securing funds is always a major problem for start-ups, and Elio were no exception as they initially had to raise some funds before they could start their production, but according to the most recent rumors about the company, this is no longer a problem.
Can we expect to see an actual release soon? There have been conflicting reports about that, and while it’s possible that the company might at least release some information about their progress by the end of 2015, an actual release to the market seems a bit less likely. They haven’t entered the production stage yet, plus their release might be blocked in a few states if the legislation changes aren’t implemented in them yet, so 2016 looks like a more realistic prediction.