By Steve Winter, special for wtop.com
LAS VEGAS — Cheap to buy, cheap to run — imagine a car you could drive to work and back, getting 84 miles to the gallon on the open highway.
The Elio is not a hybrid, nor is it an electric car.聽 It鈥檚 powered by a 55-horsepower, front-wheel drive gas-powered engine, yet it runs on only three cylinders.
It seats two passengers (along with minimal luggage) who ride in tandem, one behind the other, as opposed to the traditional side-by-side configuration.
It is far more narrow than a traditional automobile, weighs less than half of, say, a Mazda Miata, costs virtually peanuts to service, repair and maintain and includes a dashboard mounted iPad that turns its standard AM/FM radio into a full-service information, entertainment and navigation system.
Oh, and did we mention that it carries a direct to consumer price tag of just $6,800, fully-loaded?
And it only has three wheels.
The Elio looks, feels, sounds and rides like a car, it鈥檚 100 percent street legal and adheres to the absolute highest levels of automotive safety, yet having three wheels means it’s classified as a motorcycle.
Elio is one of the most appealing vehicle-focused attractions at CES 2015.
With most of the automotive exhibits here focusing on such internal components as self-parking systems, gesture-controlled infotainment and head-up displays, when it comes to the Elio, the entire vehicle is the story line.
Elio is not just a concept car.聽 Presently in its final prototype stage, the company is set to begin staffing its Shreveport, LA-based production plant (formerly a Hummer factory) in second quarter 2015, with vehicles scheduled for delivery in late 2015.
According to Paul Elio, CEO of the Phoenx, AZ-based company, the Elio is practically built for a city like Washington, D.C.
鈥淲e call our product the 鈥榓nd鈥� vehicle,鈥� says Elio. “This won鈥檛 replace your family car or your mini-van…but for a city like Washington, which is so congested and really no longer has either a normal or a reverse commute, the Elio makes for a perfect second car. ”
Elio says the vehicle will pay for itself in gas savings alone in just six months.
“If you travel from home to work, 20 miles a day, five days a week, the gas savings will be more substantial than your car payments. ”
And, it can drive in HOV lanes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also a perfect entry level vehicle for students, young adults or people who are struggling economically,鈥� Elio said.聽 鈥淭his way, we鈥檙e appealing to multiple market segments.鈥�
The main question, of course, is: 鈥淲hy the three wheels?鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about the aerodynamics,鈥� Elio says.聽 鈥淲ith the front engine, front wheel drive, wide stance and third wheel tucked right behind the passenger, the combination of the aerodynamics and the vehicle design makes the Elio fully fuel-efficient.聽 Aside from that, it operates just as a traditional automobile, accelerating from zero to 60 in roughly nine seconds with a top speed of around 100 miles per hour.鈥�
OK, you may never get your car up to 60 mph on the Beltway during rush hour, but you have to admit, with an Elio, it would be fun to try.
Editors Note: Longtime CES attendees Steve Winter and Kenny Fried are contributing reports from the show. In their day jobs, they are public relations professionals with Sage Communications. During CES they are not reporting on any of their clients鈥� products or those of direct competitors.
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