A prototype of Elio Motor’s groundbreaking three-wheeled autocycle was put on displace at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Las Vegas in the past weekend and Jo Borras of Gas2.org was there to have a look-see and make his personal review of the widely-talked about vehicle from the independent American car manufacturer.
The event was actually meant for unique cars and it is obvious that Elio Motor’s trike can easily be considered as unique. That’s in addition to the fact that the event also offers the company another opportunity to showcase in public its vehicle, officially called as the Elio, and pick up a couple more reservations and deposits for the vehicle in the process.
Borras said that the first thing that really surprised him about the Elio was just how good-looking the vehicle is from 10 feet away or even further, describing it as a bit of a Monet.
However, when he got closer to the vehicle, he found it to be not so amazing after all.
The critic said that the slick orange bodywork really looks stunning from a few yards back and the style seems okay. He also lauded the Elio people for doing a fantastic job with it. He noted, however, that the details are lacking when he got closer to the vehicle. He also saw that the shut lines are uneven at the door and the front bumper cap.
Forgivable but not an excuse
But since the vehicle on display is still a prototype, it can still be forgiven because the company can certainly address it before it officially releases the vehicle that seeks to revolutionize transportation in the US with a target production of 250,000 units a year.
As far as the interior of the Elio is concerned, the build quality looks sub-par, which goes as well with the Elio logo on the steering wheel, making it look like a sore thumb that sticks out during the event.
But in fairness to the vehicle, it actually dwarfed a number of hot rods and other customs built cars with a budget that were put on display at the Barrett-Jackson event.
Borras said that the people at Elio Motors did not move the brand forward well when it put on display a sub-par three-year-old prototype in an event while showing off technology that other vehicles have already taken on.
The critic hopes that Elio Motors decides to right whatever it is that others have found deficient in its prototype and had it refinished by a capable low-volume builder sooner than later.
A crowdfunded vehicle
The Elio is a three-wheel, two-seater, and crowdfunded car currently under development by Elio Motors, which is based in Arizona.
Elio Motors previously announced that the retail price of the vehicle would be $6,800. However, the pre-order for the Elio now starts at a higher price of $7,000.
The Elio is capable of achieving 84 mpg from a three-cylinder engine. The independent car manufacturer has not announced a delivery date for the Elio but it has opened it to consumers to lock-in for their reservation, details the University Herald.
Elio Motors requires pre-ordering clients to sign a binding agreement to purchase the three-wheeled vehicle despite the fact that the date of sale is still a mystery even at this time.
Apart from a crowd-funding initiative last year, Elio Motors also secured the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program under the Department of Energy early this year.
However, as part of its commitment to that specific loan, Elio Motors needed to establish a complicated pricing scheme for the E1A, its technical term for the Elio.
From previously being priced at $6,800, the E1A retail price was made $7,000. The $200 increase also comes with a binding or lock-in commitment that would not allow the prospective buyer to change his or her mind about buying the vehicle.
With the so-called binding commitment, those who have placed pre-order on the E1A and shelled out $7,000 can no longer refund their money regardless whether the vehicle comes out on the market soon or not.