Gas prices are skyrocketing by the day. Today, more than ever, a battery-powered locomotive makes a more reliable alternative to an ICE hauler. Kirsten Dirksen of Faircompanies featured the Arcimoto, a three-wheeled ultra-efficient EV 'autocycle' that gets the equivalent in electric juice of 230 MPGe (1.02 l/100 km).
Building a 3-wheeled car for the city a decade ago was entrepreneurial suicide. The industry was slowly beginning to shift to larger cars, and the only market that would appreciate such a vehicle was pacifier-trotting 1-3-year olds.
Arcimoto is the brainchild of Mark Frohnmayer. He first penned the idea in 2007 after searching for an alternative fun vehicle for quick errands around the neighborhood. His Arcimoto offers that and much more, including an open-air experience, tandem seating, power-assist handlers, and regenerative braking.
Frohnmayer argues that taking 4,000 lbs (1,814 kg) of steel for a cup of coffee at your local coffee shop doesn't make sense. He also believes his 3-wheeled EV is the future. "It's safer than a motorcycle. You are in a cage too that's been crash-tested by the federal government," he says.
This FUV (fun utility vehicle) comes with two front-mounted motors powered by 20 kWh batteries, capable of sending it from 0 to 60 mph (96 kph) in 7.5-seconds. According to the company, this three-wheeled EV has a battery range of 100 miles (161 kilometers) within the town and about 66 miles (106 kilometers) riding at 55 mph (88 kph).
Its peak charge rate on a level 2 charger is 3.3 kW and will get to a full charge in 4 hours (level-2 charger) and about 8 hours on a household 120-volt outlet.
The Arcimoto just doesn't end with a three-wheeled FUV. The company also has a three-wheeled Roadster, a Deliverator (delivery vehicle), a flatbed, a rapid responder, and a tilting e-trike.
So what does Arcimoto mean? According to Frohnmayer, 'Arc' is the arc of the future, and 'i-moto' is drive. In full, the brand means 'future i-drive.'
Catch more of Frohnmayer's demonstration of the Arcimoto in the video below.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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