When one mentions electric cars, what do you think of? Do you think of those golf cart type cars? Hybrids don’t count but what about the GM Chevy Volt or the Nissan Leaf? Those big brands are out there but don’t put your money down quite yet. There are some new kids on the block for your perusal.

Arcimoto has been catching people’s eyes– most notably the engineering folks and also celebrities like Castle’s Nathan Fillion who are prowling around waiting to pounce the new models to figure out which one they want to buy and how much they can amp it up.I first heard about this vehicle on Twitter when Nathan Fillion was talking about it. I had heard hushed mutterings about a car out of Oregon but hadn’t paid much attention. Once Filliion started tweeting about his test-drives in Oregon, I sent emails to the company and hoped to get a reply– and I did!!

Earlier this year, I got an email and phone call from Jeremy Bonson (Arcimoto’s Creative Director) saying they were going to be in LA and whether I would like a test drive. Never one to say no to something that is so ground-breaking, I jumped at the chance to see this car!

( New production model)

Granted it was a Generation 4 prototype (Generation 5 is the production model) Arcimoto ramped up the cool factor by bringing along the company president Mark Frohnmayer and a few other company staffers along with bringing the car to me to test drive.. I was so thrilled that I set up a quick video interview with Mark along with a drive around the parking lot. First, here are some specs on the vehicle:

Generation 4 Platform Prototype Specifications
Specifications are subject to change

Drive System HPGC AC50 induction motor
5.13 : 1 ring and pinion gear reduction
Front-wheel drive
Regenerative braking system
Estimated Range 40 miles, base pack, lead-acid batteries
80 miles, commuter pack, lithium iron phosphate batteries
160 miles, touring pack, lithium iron phosphate batteries
Ergonomics Fully comfortable front and back seat
Safety 3-wheel manual disc brakes
Mechanically actuated parking brake
3-point seat belts
Space frame design with full roll cage and crumple zone

Arcimoto Pulse

The cool factor is so much more than you can see just by looking at the photo or even seeing it on the video. It’s better to be in the vehicle because it’s

1) quiet
2) smooth thanks to amazing suspension
3) easy handling for manual steering
4) and once you pass 30 MPH, it flies!

Deliverator

Arcimoto is taking pre-orders now for the initial production run. There are four models to choose that top out at 65 mph. Definitely a car that can do local driving easily and has room according to their site “for groceries or golf clubs”.

Nathan Fillian (Castle) and co-star take a test drive of platform 4.

Here’s the video interview with Arcimoto president and includes 2 different test drives. I am driving with Jeremy in the back seat and we are “flying” down the street- quiet, smooth as silk!

ARCIMOTO Makes Electrics Cars That Are Fun, Easy to Drive & Environmentally Smart!! #2 from stevie wilson on Vimeo.

As you can see, this is one unusual car, and the new upcoming production models provide storage as well as options that will make this a fun, affordable and energy efficient car to drive.

LT Option
Article first published as Arcimoto: Electric Cars Actually Make Going Green Make (Dollars) and Sense. on Blogcritics.

Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com

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