Arcimoto, the real thing? ($12k tandem EV trike, 70/130 mi. range)

[freebeard]

The Arcimoto/Faction Partnership: Driving the Future Forward

At 3:37 there's a good view of the drivetrain and suspension. [drool]

[NeilBlanchard]

I see there is a steering wheel, now. That is an important change - the steering effort with the handle bar was a very big issue.

[redpoint5]

That was my gripe; steering effort. Personally, I liked it, but most people aren't going to enjoy wrestling their vehicle around.

[freebeard]

Haven't watched that again, but I don't remember a wheel. IIRC the torque vectoring software is on hold or gone.

A self-driving vehicle shouldn't need high steering effort.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

I see there is a steering wheel, now. That is an important change - the steering effort with the handle bar was a very big issue.

AFAIK some ATVs already feature electric power steering with handlebars, so I guess it wouldn't be rocket-science to do the same for the Arcimoto. Either this, or I guess the change for a steering wheel also had something to do with a way to circumvent the need for a motorcycle endorsement on a driver license.

[Piotrsko]

I would think it's just a marketing ploy: handlebars equal bicycle, steering wheel means car. Can't see paying (sorry freebeard) 20 large for a bicycle.

Might still be able to get a harley trike conversion for that, but I aint doing that either.

[freebeard]

I would think it's just a marketing ploy:

If you had followed along, you'd know ditching the wheel was an important architectural milestone.

https://www.wweek.com › technology › 2021 › 04 › 07 › mark-frohnmayer-built-a-three-wheeled-rocket-trike-why-is-it-worth-a-billion-dollars
Mark Frohnmayer Built a Three-Wheeled Rocket Trike. Why Is It Worth a ...
All of Arcimoto's prototypes had a steering wheel. Ditching it would let him put the passengers more upright, shorten the chassis, and cut 600 pounds from the weight.

Early prototypes were nose heavy.

I'm not paying $20k any time soon. Electric bicycles top out at $10k And the (MLM) Cybertrike is projected at $3K but it's currently on hold.

Last I heard the Certified Used FUV program had three examples at $9-12K. I'm leaning toward one of those.

I watched again up until 3:36:

3:29 ...One of the things that we did recently was the program to go ahead and make
3:36 modifications to the steering system. I think the thing that really impressed us about the modular
3:40 design of the vehicle is everything we needed to touch for a drive-by-wire system that could
3:45 be done safely and to make sure it was highly redundant is basically encapsulated in the front
3:51 clip. We've even made steering modifications together over the last several months that we
3:55 know we can take to production and give us more reliability for high-speed driverless operations.

There appears to be no change in steering ratio (I single-stepped through the frames) so it would be 1/2 turn lock-to-lock. I'll ask my sources.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

I would think it's just a marketing ploy: handlebars equal bicycle, steering wheel means car.

Considering motorcyles are perceived in the American market more as a leisure vehicle than as a commuter properly said, while in other countries they're often seen as inherently "inferior" to a car.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Considering motorcyles are perceived in the American market more as a leisure vehicle than as a commuter properly said, while in other countries they're often seen as inherently "inferior" to a car.

I perceive motorcycles as fun transportation, and everything else as not. I also perceive it as cheap performance, while any car that could beat my motorcycle would cost tens of thousands more.

I've never understood why someone would pay so much to have a cager that underperforms my motorcycle, but is considered "fast".

[freebeard]

I've never understood why someone would pay so much to have a cager that underperforms my motorcycle, but is considered "fast".

Luggage?

What I don't understand is the bicycle/car binary thinking. In a thread about a paradigm shifting three-wheel open-air cage.

https://www.motortrend.com › reviews › arcimoto-cameo-fuv-electric-photo-car-first-test-review
Arcimoto Cameo First Drive: Is This the Perfect Camera Car?
3 May 2022The Arcimoto Cameo FUV rides like an ATV with the controls of a motorcycle. ... it ran the quarter mile in 17.8 seconds at 79.0 mph. For reference, a Jeep Compass we tested previously registered ...

https://www.motortrend.com › reviews › 2020-arcimoto-fuv-first-drive-review
Arcimoto FUV First Drive: Sometimes You Just Need a Little Fun
24 Feb 2022Arcimoto's claimed 7.5-second 0-60-mph time feels about right from our butt dyno, though we suspect it could be quicker. The motors feel torque-limited at less than 25 mph, and if you're...

0-60 in eight, 0-80 in eighteen seconds sounds like it's limited on the top end.