Is Anyone Here Buying an Elio?

[Draigflag]

A few years ago I enquired about a new P50 by Peel, after a new investment and using original blue prints, they recreated the very same car from the 50's in very limited numbers. As the car is so small, they offered a fully electric option which to me is what the Elio needs. Almost every car in the next decade will have fully electric or at least a plug in option, and no doubt the Elio will spend most of its life in the city.

Back to the Peel briefly, despite it being "the smallest car in the world" an original example actually sold at auction for about £100,000 or $160,000 thereabouts. It's one of my dream cars, but even the repro was about £12,000 at the time, a real collectors item or one for the rich and eccentric!

[LDB]

I have no clue but suspect if/when it arrives it will be 2-3 years late overall and cost 20-25% more than projected. It's a neat vehicle, sort of a Can-Am with enclosed bodywork for half the cost. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[Charon]

For a look at the Elio's predecessor - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR200

[ProDigit]

I'm on list, #31xx
As one of the earlier adopters, I was supposed to get a number somewhere between 5000 and 6000, but I guess someone cancelled and his car went to me instead.

For me it makes every sense.
I'm riding a 250cc motorcycle almost every day 30 miles to and back, and gas mileage on the highway is 75MPG, but at top speed it consumes 66MPG.
The Elio is only slightly lower in MPG (estimated), as the 84MPG is probably IMP, it would translate to 70MPG US on the highway, and 40 city.


But I'm sitting dry. 2013, and 2015 have been horrible years to ride a bike over here. Before we hardly had any rain, now it's raining almost all year long.

[Draigflag]

I'm pretty sure the figures they quote are US MPG, given that the Elio is designed, built and sold only in the USA. Other than aerodynamics, I can't see it getting those figures though, the engine looks very basic with very little fuel saving tech, but I appreciate that's down to cost.

[benlovesgoddess]

Interesting! Speaking of tiny cheap cars, has any one looked ino the 4 wheeled Aixam, 500 cc (or less?!) diesel? If I didn't have my curvy fiance to transport each day, that would definitely be a choice for me. It would be a bit of a squeeze - plus fall short her high standards...!

[Draigflag]

Yes I have seen them, they can driven at 16 on a motorcycle licence. To be honest, they are very crudely designed and built and no doubt have severe reliability issues! Microcar are another firm with a similarly sized car, but they are actually pretty expensive, you can get a normal conventional car for the same price. As for the styling, er......what styling?!

[benlovesgoddess]

I am just interested to see what real mpg figures these tiny diesels do. I think Microcar are petrol only. If memory serves they don't have to publish mpg figures (just as 3 wheelers don't), and I don't know of any owners on here. Was thinking of looking for an owners club to ask there.

[Draigflag]

They're likely to achieve similar to the Smart car diesel, may even share the same engine. I know they were rated at some 85-90 MPG but again, not sure what they actually got.

Edit: Just checked, Smart diesel is 0.8 litre, not 0.5! Sorry.

[benlovesgoddess]

I follow a great Hyundai i20 club based in India, and have found small diesel variants there that are unavailable for us. A Honda Jazz 1.5 diesel and a Suzuki Cerlerio 0.8 diesel. I saw both the Smart and Ka diesels posting 90 mpg figures,but I think the diesel Smarts on here are more like 50-60 mpg. Not seen diesel Ka or Jazz real world figures. The Jazz has about 25% higher posted figures than the equivalent i20, shame it isn't an option here as I like our Honda.