Elio Motors

[Whiskeyjack]

The Washington Post just published an article titled "What would it take for cities to eliminate the need to own a car?"

Let's take a break for a moment from the repetitive story in Washington over which budget gimmicks Congress will adopt to temporarily stave off crisis in the antiquated system of how we pay for our crumbling roads. In another world, people are talking about the much more fundamental and interesting questions of how to design smarter transportation for a 21st century when most everyone will have smartphones and fewer of us will own our own cars.

That world is, okay, in Europe. But this conversation is equally relevant in American cities, if we could get past how to pay for our existing roads and start rethinking how we use them. This proposal comes from Helsinki, which has begun to lay out plans stretching to 2025 for a modern kind of transportation in the city that would blend elements of public and private transportation. Adam Greenfield at the Guardian has a good description of what the Finnish capital has in mind, based on the master's thesis proposal of Sonja Heikkilä, a student at Aalto University:

Helsinki aims to transcend conventional public transport by allowing people to purchase mobility in real time, straight from their smartphones. The hope is to furnish riders with an array of options so cheap, flexible and well-coordinated that it becomes competitive with private car ownership not merely on cost, but on convenience and ease of use.

Subscribers would specify an origin and a destination, and perhaps a few preferences. The app would then function as both journey planner and universal payment platform, knitting everything from driverless cars and nimble little buses to shared bikes and ferries into a single, supple mesh of mobility. Imagine the popular transit planner Citymapper fused to a cycle hire service and a taxi app such as Hailo or Uber, with only one payment required, and the whole thing run as a public utility, and you begin to understand the scale of ambition here.

Picture, for instance, that you're leaving your office in downtown D.C., and headed to dinner in Petworth. You'd give the app your origin and destination. It would discern for you the best route there — maybe by Metro to bikeshare, or by taxi or Uber — and it would handle the payment directly. You wouldn't need a separate fob for the bike system, a fare card for the Metro, an app for Uber, or a number for the taxi dispatch.

Route-planning apps already exist that draw options from multiple transportation modes (your basic Google Maps direction query will now give you default routes by foot, by bike, by car and by transit). What elevates the idea here is the crucial unified payment method, and the central system that would coordinate between public transit and private companies like Uber.

The logistics of accomplishing this in any city are probably not that far off, although the politics may be. I'm not entirely convinced a company like Uber, which holds its data close, would find this in its interest. And I'm not sure what it would mean economically for a centralized municipal transportation service to deflect potential transit fares into taxis or Car2Go instead.

Still, there is a lot to be gained by integration. And the really intriguing innovation that it would bring is not so much about technology — it's about control.

Part of why we love personal cars so much is that we can control them. They give us independence. We decide when the trip begins and where it will end. There’s none of the waiting involved in public transit, or the uncertainty inherent in hailing a cab. We don't have to worry about the bus arriving late, or the train pulling in full, or the unpredictable service on weekends. We don't have to worry about where we'll put our groceries, or what time the last train departs, or how we'll get from the train stop to where we actually want to go.

Of course, we don't control everything in a car: Sometimes the traffic is bad, or there's no parking on the other end. But the whole point of an integrated mobility service like what Helsinki is proposing is that it would closely approximate the convenience and control of driving a private car without having to own one. If many transportation modes are available to you at all times (and this may entail enhanced public transportation), then you can leave when you want. You can carry your groceries. You can count on a ride on the weekend.

You'd get, essentially, the mobility benefits of car ownership without the downsides (cost, maintenance) of owning the thing. You'd get the benefits of other forms of transportation without the unpredictability and lack of control. Now, if you still wanted to own a car — that's another question. But you would not have to.

Something similar will happen in a world of autonomous cars. But Helsinki's vision is much closer to our current reality.

 

[Irish#1]

The Washington Post just published an article titled "What would it take for cities to eliminate the need to own a car?"

For Americans, the car is too personal for this to really take off and work in the U.S. for compact countries with large popluations like in Europe or Japan, this might work.

 

[woolybug25]

For Americans, the car is too personal for this to really take off and work in the U.S. for compact countries with large popluations like in Europe or Japan, this might work.

There are cities already doing similar things. Denver has a company called eGo CarShare (eGo CarShare | Accelerate Your Freedom) that has little mini's parked all over the city. You go onto your cpu or phone and it tells you which one is closest. It's super cheap and you are never more than a few blocks from one if you are in the city limits. It's great and widely used. Everyone I know that lives in Denver use it, and two of my friends have given up their cars. They use public transpo, rideshare and their bikes. This will be a growing trend, imo.

 

[BobbyMac]

My old office is a block from their Phoenix headquarters. Very humble complex to say the least.
There's definitely a market for this product especially when you consider how many people buy cars on cost alone. You would be looking at monthly payments @ $125 with $0 down, @72mo, + TTL, OAC.

What could be the end of Elio is the eventual importation of Chinese cars. It is a matter of time and they will bring to market cars in the Hyundai, Kia range of 15-20 years ago. When you have to decide between a 3 wheeled tandem for $7k or a conventional, 40mpg economy car for $9k the decision isn't so obvious in Elio's favor.

A couple of other things about the Elio. To the federal gov't, it is a motorcycle. This affects the insurance rates and possibly those eligible to obtain insurance on the vehicle. In a number of states, you would have to wear a helmet inside the vehicle and on a good note, you would have full access to HOV / carpool lanes with a single passenger.

.

 

[NDohio]

For Americans, the car is too personal for this to really take off and work in the U.S. for compact countries with large popluations like in Europe or Japan, this might work.

I think it might work in major cities and for people that travel to and from the same destinations on a regular basis.

For those that use their vehicle as a part of their job, there is no way they can go to this kind of system. Think about the many different service people(plumber, electrician, cable guy, HVAC tech), their own vehicle is a necessary tool.

 

[woolybug25]

A couple of other things about the Elio. To the federal gov't, it is a motorcycle. This affects the insurance rates and possibly those eligible to obtain insurance on the vehicle. In a number of states, you would have to wear a helmet inside the vehicle and on a good note, you would have full access to HOV / carpool lanes with a single passenger.

.

This isn't much of an issue. There are exemptions in 42 states already for the Elio and they are currently working on the remaining 5 states without exemptions, all without any pushback.

This is good news for the company, which will base their corporate headquarters out of the state. Louisiana, New York, and Michigan join 42 other states which allow the Elio to be driven sans helmet. Among the 5 states that technically require helmets to be worn while driving the Elio, are Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Nebraska.

Elio Motors' Vice President of Government Affairs, Joel Sheltrown says, "We are actively working with the five helmet states' legislators to work through any issues they may have.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/elio-motors-makes-progress-helmet-182900285.html

 

[Cackalacky]

Honestly, biking is making huge headway where I live and the only objections are the old people Beach2Battery. Our public bus system is a joke and there are also thought trying to bring back the street car system that existed prior to the 1970s using solar powered cars or rechargeable plug ins.

Our main problem is that we cannot expand anymore roads with out consuming massive amounts of rights-of-way currently held by private and commercial entities. Downtown is especially problematic due to the numerous historic buildings that cannot be torn down. The main solution is to remove cars from the road to reduce traffic volume. So these types of systems are essential to us here. Many young people are all for updating the way we get around

 

[BobbyMac]

For Americans, the car is too personal for this to really take off and work in the U.S. for compact countries with large popluations like in Europe or Japan, this might work.

I don't know Irish#1...

Things are changing. I've been in and around the retail auto industry my whole life and I see people treating cars more and more like appliances. Even to those who have a love of cars like myself, the concept of an "and car" as Elio likes to call it, is becoming more established.

I have a CLK Cab that is my "statement" car... but I drive a 6 year old Prius with 170k on the clock most of the time to keep miles of the Merc and to minimize lost money on wasted fuel. I've always had this philosophy and I see many more people sharing this now a days than in the past.

.

 

[Cackalacky]

I personally dislike cars. If I did not have to cart my kids around in a safe fashion every day, I would bike or walk to all the places I needed (outside of work anyway).

America must also look at community development as part of moving forward. We have horribly laid out communities that are inefficient, wasteful, and drains on all of our pockets.

 

[BobbyMac]

This isn't much of an issue. There are exemptions in 42 states already for the Elio and they are currently working on the remaining 5 states without exemptions, all without any pushback.

Yeah, I've read that and most likely they will get full exemption... but until the other 5 sign off, you never know.

BTW, Berrien Springs, Dowagiac, Sawyer or Three Oaks? I'm from a block south of New Buffalo.

SW Michigan is beautiful country. Would love a place downwind from Red Bud Track & Trail in Buchanan... the smell of race fuel is intoxicating.

 

[BobbyMac]

I personally dislike cars. If I did not have to cart my kids around in a safe fashion every day, I would bike or walk to all the places I needed (outside of work anyway).

America must also look at community development as part of moving forward. We have horribly laid out communities that are inefficient, wasteful, and drains on all of our pockets.

Cheap and "unlimited" oil has the ability to make idiots of even the brightest urban planners.

 

[irishog77]

Honestly, biking is making huge headway where I live and the only objections are the old people Beach2Battery. Our public bus system is a joke and there are also thought trying to bring back the street car system that existed prior to the 1970s using solar powered cars or rechargeable plug ins.

Our main problem is that we cannot expand anymore roads with out consuming massive amounts of rights-of-way currently held by private and commercial entities. Downtown is especially problematic due to the numerous historic buildings that cannot be torn down. The main solution is to remove cars from the road to reduce traffic volume. So these types of systems are essential to us here. Many young people are all for updating the way we get around

I personally dislike cars. If I did not have to cart my kids around in a safe fashion every day, I would bike or walk to all the places I needed (outside of work anyway).

America must also look at community development as part of moving forward. We have horribly laid out communities that are inefficient, wasteful, and drains on all of our pockets.

Nashville is facing a transportation/traffic problem. So much so that I'm close to calling it a crisis.

Public transportation sucks, cabs are expensive, already existing over-congestion would make some expansions downright unbearable, tons of limestone lies beneath our grass making already expensive road projects even more expensive, and probably the greatest obstacle the city faces is it's enormous land area.

I like the idea of bicycles and am seeing more of them. But to be honest, if you have to go more than a couple miles (which the vast majority of people do), it's not really feasible. The summer is too hot to really be riding around. The winter is usually too cold to be riding around. And it rains here frequently enough to deter riding as a need.

So bottom line, I see where you are coming from and agree with you, but really have no idea what a city like Nashville can do to improve this as a standard of living.

And that sucks.

 

[Cackalacky]

Nashville is facing a transportation/traffic problem. So much so that I'm close to calling it a crisis.

Public transportation sucks, cabs are expensive, already existing over-congestion would make some expansions downright unbearable, tons of limestone lies beneath our grass making already expensive road projects even more expensive, and probably the greatest obstacle the city faces is it's enormous land area.

I like the idea of bicycles and am seeing more of them. But to be honest, if you have to go more than a couple miles (which the vast majority of people do), it's not really feasible. The summer is too hot to really be riding around. The winter is usually too cold to be riding around. And it rains here frequently enough to deter riding as a need.

So bottom line, I see where you are coming from and agree with you, but really have no idea what a city like Nashville can do to improve this as a standard of living.

And that sucks.

Yeah our locale is pretty well contained in a relatively small area and our newer areas are going to more "live to work" communities. Lots of the old downtown homes are being renovated into commercial spaces on the ground levels and residences on upper levels and there are more local neighborhood services popping up (even HVAC, general contractors, restaurants, day care, laundry, car services, etc). So getting around is not a big deal via bike or on foot and most people in these areas can get whatever they need.

Some of the more suburban areas are a bit more problematic but we are converting old railroad rights-of-ways into pedestrian and bike paths that cover miles of unimpeded distance. Shops and neighborhoods are popping up all along these to essentially redeveloping something was previously a blight and unused. Its working here well.

I see what you are saying too though we have a population here that loves exercise and weather is usually not a problem. I was out running in our most recent Category 1 Hurricane (Arthur) and passed a bunch of people running over the bridge. Crossing the bridge over and back is about 4 miles.

A little ingenuity and rethinking goes a long way. Additionally, it might time for Americans to put their big girl panties on.

 

[woolybug25]

This isn't much of an issue. There are exemptions in 42 states already for the Elio and they are currently working on the remaining 5 states without exemptions, all without any pushback.

Yeah, I've read that and most likely they will get full exemption... but until the other 5 sign off, you never know.

BTW, Berrien Springs, Dowagiac, Sawyer or Three Oaks? I'm from a block south of New Buffalo.

SW Michigan is beautiful country. Would love a place downwind from Red Bud Track & Trail in Buchanan... the smell of race fuel is intoxicating.

Then you would love my place. A couple miles away in Buchanan. Great little town.

 

[Fbolt]

I can see the reasoning. You have to make compromises. A small BCA (Birth Control Auto) would certainly serve a purpose. If so, 5 star rating and all, I would look into something like this:

Airbag system leather suit. Could really increase cool factor.

 

[Irish#1]

There are cities already doing similar things. Denver has a company called eGo CarShare (eGo CarShare | Accelerate Your Freedom) that has little mini's parked all over the city. You go onto your cpu or phone and it tells you which one is closest. It's super cheap and you are never more than a few blocks from one if you are in the city limits. It's great and widely used. Everyone I know that lives in Denver use it, and two of my friends have given up their cars. They use public transpo, rideshare and their bikes. This will be a growing trend, imo.

I think it might work in major cities and for people that travel to and from the same destinations on a regular basis.

For those that use their vehicle as a part of their job, there is no way they can go to this kind of system. Think about the many different service people(plumber, electrician, cable guy, HVAC tech), their own vehicle is a necessary tool.

I agree it could work for one of these programs where it's not the owners primary transportation, but more for a convenience. Looks like Indy is about to have one of these as well. Pretty much like the bicycle program they already have, just substitute one mode of transportation for another.

 

[BobbyMac]

Google is all over me with Elio banner ads now. Anyone else?

 

[MNIrishman]

Yeah. It's working. I so want one.