US-based Elio Motors takes the future of driving into a brighter side after creating a prototype of the Elio automobile which aimed to make driving more affordable to Americans.

The three wheel prototype of the Elio automobile has one door and two seats. The prototype has been created to run 84 MPG (miles per gallon). This would mean an exact ratio of one gallon of gas consumed per mile at an affordable price of US$6,800.

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The concept of making a more affordable driving for Americans came after Elio’s founding chief executive Paul Elio original plan to cut the cost of gas for most vehicle owners in the county. The US based car manufacturer markets the automobile as an addition to a vehicle owner’s current car.

The prototype has been planned to be manufactured in a former plant owned by General Motors but was given up after filing for bankruptcy in Shreveport, Louisiana. Elio Motors said that it has already pledged 1,500 jobs after acquiring the plant.

Elio said that America is still the best place when planning to manufacture a sophisticated product. He added that his company has skilled labor workers and the plant to create the prototype. Furthermore, Elio said that the price of the car could show that an automobile built in the United States does not necessarily mean to be expensive.

Elio’s vice president of sales division Jerome Vassallo said that the secret to keeping the costs at a lower price is by using surplus materials from other vehicles. The new Elio prototype is technically a motorcycle as it does not have four wheels. The car manufacturer has engineered the Elio automobile aiming at a 5 star crash safety test score.

Department of Transportation representative Kathryn Henry said that the Elio would not be tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as it is not technically a car. However, Elio has been seeking an exception with its new automobile product.

The safety features of the Elio automobile include three airbags covering all windows of the vehicle. It also has a roll cage and has been made to absorb collision impact on the sides, the front and the rear end. Elio drivers may need to obtain a motorcycle license to be able to drive the vehicle in some states in the US.

Meanwhile, the brighter side of the vehicle would be the required motorcycle insurance which is less expensive, according to Vassallo.

The carmaker would start the production of Elio on March 2015. However, interested buyers would be able to reserve for the vehicle through the company’s website. Recent company records showed that there were already more than 18,000 people who have reserved the Elio automobile.

TagsElio Motors, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Paul Elio