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Comment by goatforce5 | Hacker News Reader

I think it's a little sneaky that they only time they use to word 'car' on their materials is in a quote from a newspaper.

Technically it's a motorcycle very similar to the Spyder - http://www.brp.ca/spyder/ - and (as of 12 months ago) some states would require you to wear a helmet and/or take a motorcycle test for you to legally be able to drive this thing.

https://eliomotors.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/lets-talk-about-...

(I have no idea what progress they made on getting those laws changed in the past 12 months.)

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Yep, pretty much every relevant state (representing nearly the entire US population) will require you to have a motorcycle license, and to wear a helmet. That's why Elio has been vaporware for nearly a decade and why they are trying to take their investor scam mainstream. They will never get to production.

What does "every relevant state" mean? The second and third most populous states don't require a helmet over 20, and the fifth doesn't require it at all.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elio-motors-judicial...

This plus the fact that 45+ states have already passed helmet exemptions for the Ello and other three-wheeled vehicles with non-removable roofs/windshields.

http://www.technologytell.com/in-car-tech/5760/elio-motors-m...

According to their website, there's no helmet needed[0] in 45 states as of now.

[0] http://www.eliomotors.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/helmetl...

They are claiming atleast '12' states have passed laws to not classify 'autocycles'[0] as a motorcycle and thus not require an endorsement or a helmet. That includes Louisiana, where the company is headquartered.

I suspect if they get a finished product off the line the number of states that classify certain 3-wheelers as cars will go up quickly.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJUXhK4pHx8&t=1212

-- They will never get to production --

They said that about Elon Musk, on both Tesla and SpaceX. What do you want to bet if crowdfunding had been a valid option back then that he would have used it?

I don't think anyone on HN will disagree that transportation will look vastly different in thirty years time in ways we can't clearly project. Even Ford is now looking into manufacturing both motorcycles and bikes.

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