Sure, three-wheeled commuter cars still look odd. Despite that, you can’t deny they likely have a place on our future roads, with new ones popping up on a steady basis. The Elio, a new entrant to this half-motorcycle, half-car category, might be one of the most interesting.
Housing a 1-liter 3-cylinder front-mounted engine, the Elio puts out a paltry 70 hp. While that may not sound much, it’s enough to push the lightweight ride to respectable speeds of 100 mph and a 0 to 60 mph of 9.6 seconds, making it perfectly fit for highway driving. Sure its not a speed demon but looks like this should be a fun vehicle on inner city roads none the less.
More importantly, the Elio’s small powertrain uses up gas like a miser, putting up a fuel economy of up to 84 mpg in highways and 49 mpg for city use. As such, the eight gallons of gas it can carry onboard is actually enough to fuel it for a range of 672 miles, making for one of the most economical options for daily commutes and even longer trips. Catch is, it’s only designed for 1+1 seating, so it’s a ride for those times you’re going solo on the road, rather than a primary car for the family.
Vehicle dimensions are tiny at 13.3 x 9.2 feet (length x wheelbase), although the company claims it can fit 95 percent of men, even showing off test photos of a 6’8” dude riding it. It comes complete with safety and comfort features, including roll bars, a five-star crash test rating, anti-lock brakes, A/C, heater, power windows, and more.
The Elio is slated for deliveries in July 2014, with prices starting at just $6,800. We seriously can’t wait to test drive one!