Elio Motors, Econ 101 and Mini-IPO’s

Hold on to your butts.  You may have missed the fact that Elio Motors went public last week.  The Phoenix, AZ company is hell-bent on producing an ultra high-mileage means of transportation that may just revolutionize ground transportation.

Elio Motors

Founded by car enthusiast Paul Elio in 2009, Elio Motors also represents a revolutionary approach to manufacturing and raising the capital to do so.

Their mission statement should give other car producers nightmares:

“To provide a fun-to-drive, super-economical personal transportation alternative, that’s affordable, safe, and environmentally friendly. We are committed to the American dream, creating American jobs, and bringing American automotive ingenuity to every vehicle we build. This is, and will remain our mission at Elio.”

This quiet revolution was made possible by the JOBS Act Rule, that last year allowed small companies the ability to raise up to $50 million from crowdfunding. Yep, the same way friends and families have gotten ideas off to raise cash is the same way Elio Motors has grown.

They quietly raised $17 million dollars, and last November, taking advantage of the JOBS Act Regulation A, Elio was one of the first companies to launch a formal stock offering, going public, a mini-IPO.

The 1:44 minute video is Paul Elio’s vision of today and tomorrow…

Clever use of the JOBS Act means Elio Motors allows immediate liquidity to investors with the standard annual reporting and all of the boring financial crap that goes with it.

What’s really important is the seamless melding of start-up smarts with automotive zealotry to produce a vehicle BY the masses and FOR the masses.

Elio Motors

The car:

• CONFIGURATION: seats 2, with passenger seated tandem
• WEIGHT: 1250 lb
• ENGINE: 0.9 LITER 55 HP
• 0-60: about 9 seconds

For a targeted price of $6,800, you get 85 MPG, power windows, power door lock, heating and air conditioning, multiple air bags and a well appointed, comfortable means of accessing point A from point B.

More importantly, you get a wonderful lesson in economics, all wrapped up in a “too cool for school” machine.

Expect the first cars to roll out the 4th quarter of 2016.

Dave