Products and Design
Elio's 3-Wheeled Car Could Change the Way We Commute

Elio Motors on Thursday unveiled a compact 3-wheeled commuter vehicle capable of achieving 84 miles per gallon fuel efficiency and engineered for an anticipated 5-Star Crash Test Safety Rating.

With a sticker price of just $6,800, the high-mileage Eli Motors 3-wheeled vehicle was designed to make people rethink how we approach transportation in the United States.

"Many consumers buy vehicles based on the premise that they need to haul their entire family around,” said Paul Elio, the company’s founder. “But, on a typical commute to work, look at how many big, inefficient vehicles have just one person — the driver — onboard. For those trips where you drive solo — and that's probably the majority of trips — why not have a vehicle that is affordable and highly fuel efficient?"

Despite its low cost, the vehicle boasts amenities such as power windows and air-conditioning, plusthe safety of multiple air bags and an aerodynamic, enclosed vehicle body.

The vehicle is perfect for individual commuters looking for an inexpensive and fuel-efficient mode of transportation but who also yearn for a unique expression of their passion for driving, the carmaker says.

"In addition to the practical message of affordability and high fuel efficiency, this is an eye-catching design that will turn heads," Elio said. "There's no reason drivers can't have a practical vehicle and still have some fun, too."

The Elio Motors 3-wheeled vehicle is slated for production in 2015, and is expected to create more than 1,500 US jobs.

Consumers are showing significant interest in Elio Motors. The company has taken nearly 11,000 reservations at its web site ranging from $100 to $1,000. A non-refundable reservation provides customers with an additional discount worth 50 percent of the initial deposit (a $1,000 deposit would receive an additional $500 toward the price of a vehicle at the time of purchase). Refundable deposits can be made, but more than 80 percent of customers have opted for the non-refundable reservation.

Other automakers are finding more eco-friendly alternative to materials commonly used in vehicle production. Late last year, Coke and Ford collaborated on a first-ever interior fabric made from the same renewable material used to produce Coke’s PlantBottle packaging. And the Lincoln Motor Company announced that a three-year collaboration with timber giant Weyerhaeuser and auto parts supplier Johnson Controls led to the development of a tree-based, renewable alternative to fiberglass for use in auto parts. Using tree-harvested natural fibers in place of traditional glass-based fibers, Weyerhaeuser created Cellulose Reinforced Polypropylene (CRP), which is lighter and more eco-friendly than fiberglass. The compound is featured on the 2014 Lincoln MKX.

In other vehicle innovation news, Walmart recently showcased a prototype tractor designed to increase airflow and cut fuel consumption, which could dramatically increase the efficiency of one of the largest commercial truck fleets in the world. The Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience (WAVE) is 20 percent more aerodynamic than the company’s current trucks and has a micro-turbine hybrid powertrain that can run on diesel, natural gas and biodiesel. The vehicle pulls the world’s first 53-foot carbon fiber trailer, saving close to 4,000 pounds that can then be used to carry more freight.