Elio Motors Dyno Tests Engine Prototype

Elio Motors, the startup automaker hoping to produce and sell a low cost, high mileage reverse trike announced yesterday that the prototype of the IAV designed 0.9 liter, three cylinder single overhead cam engine to be used in their vehicle has successfully started dynamometer testing. A short video of the engine running in a test cell has also been released. While it remains to be seen if Elio will be able to raise the $200 million or so they say they need to start production in 2016 (pushed back from this year), the engine test is one of the more important steps on the journey to reach that goal.

While no horsepower or torque figures have been released, Elio Motors founder and CEO, Paul Elio, expressed satisfaction with the initial testing. “We are extremely pleased with our first run on the dynamometer,” Elio said. “Seeing this new technology come to fruition has been one of the most exciting stages in our history. This prototype puts us right were we need to be at this stage of development.”

Considering how many existing car companies are making or developing three cylinder engines with about one liter of displacement, many have questioned why Elio Motors isn’t just buying an off the shelf motor from another company, particularly since the company has publicized how they plan to keep costs and prices low by using many components already being produced by automotive suppliers along with more bespoke parts like their engine. Paul Elio addressed that question in the company’s announcement. “We are literally trying to reinvent the auto industry, so why go the conventional route and rework someone else’s engine? There really was nothing available that combined the speed and power that we want and our customers deserve.”

That’s an interesting comment because at 55 horsepower, the Elio engine makes less than half the power of Ford’s one liter Ecoboost triple, though the Ecoboost is, of course, turbocharged. Previously, Elio Motors indicated to TTAC that Comau, which is doing Elio’s production engineering and automation at GM’s former Shreveport, LA factory where Elio hopes to maker their trike, has reserved an assembly station on the engine line for the installation of a possible turbocharger.

Paul Elio’s remarks are also interesting because IAV is indeed more or less reworking the design of the Suzuki triple most familiar to Americans as the engine in the Geo Metro. That’s the same engine that Elio Motors has been using in their prototype mules, like the one I test drove last summer. I suppose Paul’s entitled to some wiggle room on his statement because although the Elio 0.9 liter engine is ultimately based on the Suzuki architecture, and while Elio initially did consider putting the Suzuki motor back into production, they determined that it simply was not a modern enough design to meet their objectives and the engine has been redesigned. All of the major engine components were designed specifically for Elio by IAV, including the cylinder block, cylinder head, valve cover, front cover, oil pan, crankshaft, camshaft, valve train, pistons, connecting rods, bearings and water pump.

TTAC has asked Elio Motors about the actual horsepower and torque results from the testing and we’ll publish them if and when we get them.

Ronnie Schreiber edits Cars In Depth, a realistic perspective on cars & car culture and the original 3D car site. If you found this post worthwhile, you can get a parallax view at Cars In Depth. If the 3D thing freaks you out, don’t worry, all the photo and video players in use at the site have mono options. Thanks for reading – RJS