Nothing will come of this because the people who usually come up with these have no passion for cars whatsoever.
This is why you will see a bunch of kit car manufacturers pop up overnight but high MPG cars from people who are smart in their own right but know nothing about cars flop.
Reminds me of that 3D printed car.
If the guys behind Elio actually liked cars it wouldn't have taken 70 mil, it would've taken a few hundred grand for the most.
ill just have the elio thanks
cycle cars are better anyway
and bubble/micro cars look cooler
and trailing aerodynamics are more important than leading edge
>If the guys behind Elio actually liked cars it wouldn't have taken 70 mil, it would've taken a few hundred grand for the most.
more like a tube frame welded up over three weekends in a tin shack
with the engine from a weed wackier and a lawn chair seat
That would've started the design, but to flesh it out into something marketable and crash safe wouldn't have passed the 100k mark.
Pic related, doesn't even need donor parts other than an engine and transmission. Didn't take long for the guy to come up with it, nor alot of money.
>flesh it out into something marketable and crash safe wouldn't have passed the 100k mark.
fussy customers and ball busting regulations are holding smaller cars back
that and having to compete with cheep second hand cars (not for long with things like cash for clunkers/carb)
It's 3 wheel because it only has to then pass motorcycle design rules
lager v8 cycle car that uses motorcycle wheels
It can still be done with less than 100k if the right company got the bright idea.
After that some seed money for a place and to make tooling (won't take alot, just a jig and some plugs for body panels) and they have a car company.
Gotta remember that when they talk R&D costs they're also adding in things like marketing efforts and team member salaries. Sure the material cost of a first prototype would be minimal assuming that someone with some skill in building cars and welding was involved, but if it takes 2 years to build the prototype then it's 100k just in that person's salary value.
No, that's Raw Material and manhours.
It honestly does not take much to make a tube frame carve out the plugs and lay fiberglass and resin if you know what you want to make. Especially now with stuff like Solidworks and CAD