Riding The Arcimoto Three-Wheeler EV In Manhattan

Here’s a question: How much of your car are you using on a daily basis? “All of it, technically,” I hear you sharp-witted readers thinking to yourselves (I hear your thoughts), but in relation to your vehicle’s capacity, are you being efficient with your means of conveyance?

According to data by the U.S. Census bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), 76% of drivers commute alone and don’t travel more than 30 miles per day. That’s a large percentage of us riding solo in empty sedans and SUVs who could greatly reduce our environmental (and wallet) impact if there was an alternative way to get around.

This is the burr under the saddle of Arcimoto president Mark Frohnmayer, and he means to offer such an alternative with his two-seat, three-wheeled all-electric “FUV” or “Fun Utility Vehicle.”

In places like Arcimoto’s home state of Oregon, areas that have been more apt to adopt both electric vehicles and alternate ways of personal transport, the three-wheeler sounds like a smart fit. But what about in a city like New York, where people are quite set in their ways, despite the commuting challenges the island of Manhattan presents? A visit from Mark and the FUV to the East coast provided me an opportunity to see how it would fare. You know how the saying goes, “if you can make it here…”

Fish Out Of Water

In a city that’s seen it all, the Arcimoto FUV stands out as an odd piece of work. At first glance, the FUV looks like a see-through damselfish with two big wheels at the front instead of fins. These wheels are the ones doing the driving, each propelled by an electric motor that collectively generate the equivalent of around 81 horsepower. A 19.2kWh battery packed into the front gives the Arcimoto about 100 miles of range, but if you hammer it the whole time at its 75 mph top speed, you still get 30 or so miles of travel. Manhattan’s about 22 square miles, just for reference. 

The rest? Two seats and a storage container above the solo rear wheel, with a windscreen and roof connecting it all. It doesn’t sound like much, but that’s kind of the point: We’re not really traveling with more than this on a regular basis anyway.

Simple sure, but much of my apprehension around the FUV revolved around how accessible it would be. Why get this over a motorcycle? As it turns out, there isn’t a high skill barrier that will keep folks away. Its three-wheel nature allows it to be classed as an autocycle, that nebulous in-between legal space that keeps it from being a full-on motorcycle and thus doesn’t require a helmet while riding in New York. This is more than a technicality as the FUV doesn’t quite behave like a motorcycle… or anything else, really.

Bike handlebars facilitate steering and twist-throttle, and that’s about all you need to get going. The three-wheeled nature of the FUV means no need to balance or stand the FUV at rest, no counter-steering or clutch to kick. It’s motorcycling without any of the skills needed to ride a motorcycle. 

The ease of use means riders can fully utilize the extra agility provided by the Arcimoto, something very welcome as we cruised through the city. Nobody enjoys driving though Manhattan but anyone who has knows what a free-for-all it can be. Hesitation is frowned upon, or at least honked at, and getting out of the way quickly determines if you’re the one progressing or if you’re going to be stuck while every cabbie on 2nd avenue overtakes you. While it helps to be able to execute quick actions through traffic, the FUV’s width still puts it behind bikes that can thread narrower gaps. 

Between that and a suspension that chatters the teeth on some of NYC’s more neglected patches of road, those are really the harshest things to say about the FUV’s run through the city. Beyond that, the ride was incredibly enjoyable. New Yorkers can be chatty when they want to be, especially when you’re in a funky doorless contraption sitting at a red light, leading to Frohnmayer fielding all the “what is that thing” questions at every intersection.

Indeed, the open nature of the Arcimoto allowed me to experience the city in a way I hadn’t been able to before, and without the need to pedal a bike though a sea of cars that could take me out with a simple tap. Not having that fear allowed me to take in the sights of this gorgeous city and even talk to Mark without having to shout, thanks to no engine roar and the windscreen shape bouncing my voice back to him (a “happy accident,” Frohnmayer admits). 

Big Apple Applications

With production of the FUV in full swing to satisfy the 4,100 pre-orders on deck, the FUV is well beyond the point of being a mere curiosity. It’s easy to see how this will appeal to the tech-savvy environmentally conscious early adopter crowd, but will it convert car drivers? It’s hard to say. 

During our city-wide shakedown cruise, Frohnmayer outlined many of the potential applications for the FUV, and most lay beyond the “F” part. Mark points out the various deliveries happening around us, either by awkwardly laden bicycles or by huge vans blocking the flow of traffic. An FUV with a storage compartment instead of a rear seat could tackle most of those jobs throughout a city such as Manhattan with far greater ease. A similar unit could allow first responders to arrive at emergencies quicker, and they could administer the on-site care needed either in lieu of or in advance of an ambulance that needs to contend with traffic. 

It’s compelling food for thought, but the reality is that change is slow and often resisted. Stopped at a light, a bike-riding food delivery person started asking me and Mark all about the FUV. The weather had begun changing for the winter by now and this man was clearly bundled up to combat the chill as best he could. As he was visibly cold, windswept, and tired from pedaling an imbalanced bicycle, I asked him if he’d make deliveries in an FUV instead. He said no. 

It’s not outside the realm of possibility to see Aricmoto vehicles crop up in a place like NYC, though it won’t be without obstacles. Apart from the populous settled in its ways, walking and the subway system – such as it is – negates the need for most city dwellers to even own a personal vehicle. If they’re so compelled, bicycles are usually cheaper than the $19,900 asking price for the Evergreen edition (an $11,900 base model is planned), and don’t require charging stations. The answer is perhaps not appealing to individuals but integrating in a big way like the Citi Bike program or as a major commercial fleet. Would you get in an FUV instead of a cab? How about as an Uber or Lyft that you don’t have to share with anyone? 

Time will tell, and though Arcimoto has come a long way, it would need to prove itself in the city that never sleeps. I think it has a fighting chance.