“I got frustrated seeing all of this wealth pouring out of this country,” said Paul Elio founder and CEO of Elio Motors. Elio was referring to need he saw in 2008 for a more fuel efficient, affordable vehicle. As reported in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal, unlike Telsa’s Elon Musk, Elio is not a billionaire with deep pockets to fund such a huge undertaking of creating a startup automobile company. Like Musk, he has created an extremely energy-efficient vehicle (84 MPG highway/49 MPG city). unlike the Tesla, this vehicle, with its list price of $6,800, targets a broader market.

As he pointed out in the above interview, filmed at ShowStoppers® @ CES 2015, the key to Elio Motors’ progress is its relationship with existing automobile suppliers. Another important reason, Elio Motors has a shot at becoming a mass-market car is the investment by Stuart Lichter, who had acquired a Louisiana plant that GM spun off during its bankruptcy. Another key difference between Elio and others who have tried to create a new automobile company is that the company has, according to its web site, almost 43,000 potential buyers who have placed deposits of between $100 to $1,000 to be on the waiting list to purchase one of these vehicles; or $280 million in potential product orders.

Still, even with this backlog, the Wall Street Journal reports Elio Motors will need another $230 million in capital to bring the vehicle into production. Elio is proud that 90% of the content of the vehicle will be U.S. produced, creating 1,500 and .  Beyond capital for tooling, Elio Motors will need capital for the direct to consumer sales model they have planned. Implicit in his comments is that this direct to consumer approach will remove costs associated with independent distributors, as well as provide a more direct connection between customer and manufacturer.

To hear him describe it, a customer could walk in the door in the evening and have a customized vehicle by 10 AM the next morning. The customization will take place in one of seven staging depots located within a 9 hour drive of anywhere in the continental U.S.. They have a unique maintenance and support approach, as they are partnering with Pep Boys to provide ongoing maintenance and support.

Because it is has three wheels, it is considered a motorcycle by insurance companies and transportation agencies. Elio is designing it, however, with the comforts and safety features of a car. As such, the vehicle has had a broad appeal from people wanting an affordable commuter car to those wanting an alternative to a used car.

He describes of a fleet sale to a business owner who will be providing these vehicles to his sales representatives. This business owner plans on sharing the estimated annual $3,000 in fuel savings with the sales representatives, giving each sales representative a $1,000 annual pay boost. With a surprising amount of trunk room (with the rear seat folded down, golf clubs will fit), Communications Services Providers might also find this vehicle as a cost-effective addition to their fleet.