The Arcimoto is an electric three-wheeled motorcycle sporting an enclosed cabin reminding some of a spaceship. After a few years' development the Arcimoto team is refining the design and preparing to enter production. Arcimoto attended the recent CleanTech and PlugIn 2010 conferences in San Jose, showing their 3rd prototype, where this writer was able to talk with them. Last weekend the TV celebrity Nathan Fillion test-drove the improved 4th prototype, declaring, "I found it! I found my spaceship! It's real and I'm getting it!" and "The Arcimoto Pulse is a space fighter of a car. Completely electric. Completely stylin'. Get in the cockpit and fly!"
The Pulse is a three-wheeled vehicle which technically makes it a motorcycle. It is one of the several vehicles which are technically motorcycles (3 wheels), don't look like motorcycles, aren't cars (less than 4 wheels), but look like cars. It's compact and seats two passengers in tandem (one behind the other). The driver's section is comfortable and with a good viewing angle. The controls are typical for conventional cars with a steering wheel, turn signals, and so on. The rear seat was rather small but in the 4th prototype vehicle they've rearranged things to make this seat larger and to also fold down to create a cargo area. The rear section in the 4th prototype is supposed to raise like a hatchback.
The vehicle shown at PlugIn 2010 drives the rear wheel using a DC motor, has a lead-acid battery pack, a top speed of 65+ miles/hr and a 40-50 mile range (depending on driving habits). In the next prototype they have shifted to a front wheel drive system. Lithium batteries are an option and increase driving range to 80-160 miles (depending on driving habits and pack size). Its safety features include a space frame with full roll cage, crumple zones, a 3-point seat belt, disc brakes on all wheels, and a low center of gravity.
Arcimoto expects to begin limited production in early 2011 and carry a list price of $17,500 for the base vehicles. The 80-160 miles range lithium pack is an option. More immediately they are preparing a prototype vehicle for the finals of the CleanTech Open in mid-November. They are currently semifinalists for the Pacific Northwest region.
This sort of vehicle is very interesting, while being way outside mainstream conceptualization of "normal." Obviously some will, like Nathan Fillion, be dreaming of driving a spaceship and fall in love with this car-motorcycle. The small size has many of the advantages of motorcycles, especially in crowded areas, while the enclosed cabin makes it suitable for areas with a lot of rain. Since most of us drive solo, an effectively single-passenger vehicle makes a lot of sense. As Nathan Fillion said during his visit with Arcimoto, "Think. Cars are made for 5 people. 90% of the time they carry only 1. Look it up. Free your mind. The rest will follow." The larger, more typical vehicles take up more space. This is land tied up in roads and parking lots, and in the rush to address greenhouse gas climate change problems, other issues, such as land use, are being left to fester.
Arcimoto is one of the small electric vehicle startups who are or soon expect to get their vehicles on the market, and their vehicle is one of the more interesting of the lot. It looks like a small, zippy, fun vehicle, and there are vanishingly few similar vehicles on the market to the Pulse against which to make comparisons. It is most similar to the NmG and Duo from Myers Motors, the Alias from ZAP, and the Aptera, and it has a better price than any of them. It will be interesting to see how this niche plays out.
See Also
Cleantech Open and Plug-In 2010
TV Star Puts Arcimoto Electric Vehicle in the Spotlight
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