The Arcimoto Fun Utility Vehicle is a blast (that might not last) • TechCrunch

“It doesn’t seem safe.”

The statement followed me for days. Every time I mentioned I was test driving his Arcimoto Fun Utility Vehicle (an open-air, all-electric 3-wheeler), friends and colleagues piped up and it seemed like a given to them. .

After all, most cars have four wheels instead of three. They also tend to be equipped with doors and airbags.

Arcimoto’s FUV (or Foooove, as I prefer to pronounce it) has something that most fully enclosed sedans and subcompacts don’t.

Legally speaking, a FUV is a motorcycle. Think of it like an electric go-kart that does 75 mph on the highway. But if you’re like my colleague Brian Heater, the first thing that comes to mind might be “Flintmobile.” Another colleague thought it might be something like an ATV.Yet another friend later said FUV It reminded me of the Little Tykes Cozy Coupe.

Whatever your initial conclusions, one thing is certain. That said, if you want to drive something that everyone has a quick opinion on, oh boy is the car for you.

A quick 10-minute walkthrough and laps around the block apparently gave me all the training I needed before the Arcimoto staff sent me off alone in the FUV.

I got it from GoCar Tours Las Vegas. FUV can A neat little neighborhood cruiser, but in a town like Las Vegas, this tricycle screams touristic excursionArcimoto may have built it Although steeped in strip spectacle, we think this little guy has brought his own flavor to SUV-dominated roads.

The FUV has heated seats and handlebars to compensate for wind chill. It also has a steel panoramic roof (which GoCar filled in with ads), hand and foot brakes (the former being regenerative), Bluetooth speakers, and an estimated range of 102 miles (102 miles) in the city.

We adjusted to the handlebar throttle (and missing steering wheel) sooner than expected. At a traffic light, I queued up a few songs that I felt would be easier for passers-by to hear, sank deep into the front seat, and ran around like I had real errands to do.

I’m a habitual self-righteous walker and don’t own a car, but when I parked in the pharmacy parking lot and pulled my tote out of the trunk (a small keyed “cargo box”) , I thought: , three wheels are better than nothing. ‘I was riding high pixies Doolittle’s album and all its novelties, CES attendees and taxis cruising the virtually empty streets just before they clog the arteries of Sin City.

Then came the traffic.

FUVs are very small, but they can’t maneuver through traffic as accurately as traditional motorcycles. Still, I appreciated its diminutive stature, and there were moments when it avoided a stretch of cars that occupied half the lane waiting to turn.

Plus, we could park almost anywhere. It takes so little space that it seems almost wasteful to reserve an entire parking space for a FUV.

It was fun to run with a passenger on the back. Believe it or not, the roof reflects sound so well that it was easy to chat while his colleague Natalie Christman filmed from the backseat.

Being with someone also means you can discover more reactions from pedestrians. In our case, they ranged from blank stares and upward nods to overt screams. It’s not easy to hear someone yelling from the sidewalk of a super-wide street and “Is that new?!”

Then it rained.

My stay in Vegas was very wet as a rare storm threw buckets over the city. I agreed to endure a few days of cold knuckles and wet pants as long as my goofy little vehicle didn’t slip under my stubby pickup.

The rain wasn’t too difficult. Even with the heated grips, my hands were a little numb at times. (If I had his FUV, I would have worn gloves on the back.) Occasionally dodged puddles. Brushing rainwater off the sheets was a bit of a hassle and the roof pretty much did its job.

Furikake, I sipped my iced latte and made a note of how cold I felt. why am i this way?

Other FUV shortcomings included very heavy steering. Like a car without power steering, I really struggled to come to a full stop and then go around a turn. When I picked it up, I was told that the latest iteration of FUV addresses this and steers lightly.

After a while, the attention also became stale. I’m an introverted trans woman, so I’m not here for the stares that come with visually loud cars. Just an observation. I love goofy cars too, so this is more of a personal contradiction than anything else.

FUV sure is goofy. But in normally dry places like Las Vegas and Los Angeles, I thought it was practical, dare I say it. I prefer small city cars with doors and windows, and there are tricycles on the market that offer just that, including his SOLO in Electra Meccanica.

With space for a passenger (unlike the SOLO) and an overall refreshing driving experience on a single charge, I think Arcimoto’s FUV isn’t as silly as we initially allowed it to be.

Its name makes it look like the perfect car for tourists. Willing to ride around the neighborhood for light errands. After three and a half days of use, it seemed sturdy and reliable. (Side note: I hit 60 mph on the highway, which was a little too thrilling for my taste.)

Especially if you live in a dense area, there are many reasons to choose an ultra-compact car. For one thing, smaller vehicles require less material and smaller batteries, which should, in theory, at least, lead to lower emissions. Smaller cars are also less likely to kill pedestrians.

If you have any safety concerns, check out what Arcimoto said here. A company spokesperson told TechCrunch that the FUV’s “steel upper frame meets his FMVSS 216a roof and his crash resistance standards.”

The car also includes crash sensors and “dual 3-point safety seat belts” that disconnect the battery in the event of a crash. This means you have to buckle the buckle twice when you get in.

There is no shortage of fun.literally out of money

If you want to try FUV for yourself, hurry up. After laying off dozens of employees, his Eugene, Oregon-based Arcimoto warned investors in January that he was short on cash.

“We have stopped producing vehicles and need significant additional funding to restart production,” the automaker said.

Without new funding, Arcimoto warned at the time that it would “need to cease operations or seek bankruptcy protection.” At the time this article was published, the startup had a market cap of around $13.5 million, a far cry from his $1 billion-plus high two years ago.

The FUV starts at $17,900 before subsidies, but upgrades like sleeker seats, half doors, rear cargo box and cup holders push the price up to over $25,000. Arcimoto also sells his FUV used. The company’s site lists it for $16,800.

If you know anything about Arcimoto, please contact this reporter by email or email. twitter DM.