Cars are simply not built for the stresses of modern cities. From traffic to parking, it’s often more a hindrance than a boon to own a four-wheeler in urban environments.
But one company thinks its cracked the code for the perfect city vehicle: Arcimoto and its electric autocycles.
These are somewhere between a car, bike, and motorcycle.
Yesterday, Arcimoto cut the ribbon on a 250,000 square foot manufacturing facility — and launched two new vehicles in the process.
I sat down with Mark Frohnmayer, CEO and Founder of Arcimoto, to learn more about the company and its plans.
The power of a platform
Arcimoto’s key vehicle is the Fun Utility Vehicle (FUV), which retails for a mere €15,700 ($17,900) — excluding available tax credits and rebates.
It’s built on a platform the company also uses to create its other models. These are designed for use cases such as rapid response, and delivery work, with compact delivery van and flatbed truck-style vehicles available.
And this design and technology can be used by other automakers.
For example, a company called Faction is deploying Arcimoto’s technology to create the Faction D1.
This driverless vehicle system retains the FUV’s capabilities of a 120km/h (75mph) top speed and just over 160km (100 miles) of range, all while transporting up to 220kg (500 pounds) of cargo.
Faction has planned pilot customer trials for this year.
Why it’s time for an expansive micromobility sector
Most vehicle use involves two people traveling a short distance and carrying a relatively small amount of stuff in something constructed from over 1800kg of metal.
Autocycles offer an alternative.
As Frohnmayer notes, “if batteries and precious earth resources are limited,” then they should build “the lightest [and] most efficient electric vehicles” they can.
Further, Arcimoto provides an alternative to the microcar trend.
At 193cm, this is something Frohnmayer feels passionate about, as many microcars are unusable for him. “I can’t even fit in the front of the Twizy let alone the backseat,” he told us.
“The ride experience certainly doesn’t fit the “North American idea” of what driving should feel like.”
On top of this, many microcars are very low-slung, making them hard to get in and out of — and hard to see for other road users.
This isn’t a recipe for success.