Thread: Something Different for Your Daily Commute.

This is something that I have passively followed for more than a decade. I've generally been fascinated by innovative & new concepts in the automotive industry, with a special focus on ultra-high mileage & aerodynamic efficient designs. Most of the time, I simply stumbled upon articles or a news segment spotlighting the company/expected product.

The first one that I can remember is from more than a decade ago:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptera_Motors




Alas, this one went belly up in 2011. It doesn't help that the projected price tag was somewhere between 20k & 40k. During the closure of the company, the employees were ordered to destroy all vehicles that were made, in order to protect the patents. Supposedly, it was bought by a Chinese auto manufacturer. But I don't think anything effective has happened to it since.

I also became aware of Elio Motors during the time of Aptera's period of operation. This one, honestly, has me a bit excited.
https://www.eliomotors.com


They have a very practical approach, and seem to be very grounded in their goals. 84 mpg, with a price tag of roughly $7,800. They have used crowdfunding in the form of selling reservations for "Spots In Line", allowing folks to secure what order they get their vehicle off the production line. They are using as many "off the shelf" parts as they can, in an effort to keep the price low. This also means parts have already been used reliably in other vehicles . They actually bought an old, long shuttered GM plant to use as their factory, as well. When I looked them up again recently, I was pleased to discover they have maintained their company blog with new posts several times a week! They've pushed back the official release date a couple of times, but they still seem to be close to fruition.

First of all, I have no connection or vested interests with any of the mentioned companies or products! I'd love to buy a reservation for an Elio, but have never had the funds to spare. This was just something I wanted to bring up. Not everyone is as comfortable being "outside the box" as me. That's fine.

Also, somewhat bizarrely, I don't "have a thing" for motorcycles . But these things are neat. I'd like to know if any other folks here have heard of these? Or other likewise nifty transportation thingys?