Elio Motors are doing remarkably good with their venture into the auto market so far, and the company seems to be making all the right moves with both the car’s design (at least from what’s been shown), as well as with their negotiations with the authorities. They’ve certainly needed the latter, as the company’s debut product is actually so unique that it’s not even properly classified in legal terms yet. And meanwhile, other companies seem to be taking note of Elio’s success, and other similar projects are starting to appear. DeltaWing have recently shown off a $15,000 three-wheeler powered by electricity, although they seem to have a slightly different business idea than Elio.
DeltaWing are reportedly aiming for a car sharing system, not so much one based on personal ownership. The company is apparently already in the stages of planning their assembly plant, although the vehicle’s actual production stage is probably still a while off. There isn’t actually any exact timeline planned for the car’s release, and it’s not clear when DeltaWing are planning to start properly advertising the project.
So far, it’s shaping up to be a very interesting project indeed, as DeltaWing are planning to fill a market niche that’s definitely been void lately. While Elio Motors also have a solid plan for the regular consumer market, it would also be highly beneficial to society overall if a car-sharing program was launched based on a three-wheeler. Depending on the specifics of the deal, it could work very well for people like college students, commuters, and various other everyday travelers.
However, both companies have certain legal difficulties ahead of them that they’ll have to deal with first. The innovative design of the vehicle means that the situation with its legal classification is not clear, and by default, the vehicle should be ranked as a motorcycle. However, that poses various problems for the vehicle’s design, most notably the fact that drivers will be required to wear a helmet. Considering the vehicle’s enclosed body, this doesn’t really make a lot of sense, and would be a strong nuisance.
There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel though, as Elio Motors have already been in talks with authorities regarding the classification of their car. The company is fighting hard to change the laws in whatever way will be necessary in order to properly get it out on the market and make it an attractive offer – something which the helmet requirement would work against. Elio haven’t released any recent statements about their progress with their legal battle, although things were shaping up good the last time, so there is probably a good chance it will work out in the end.