The FUV can reach a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h) and sports an estimated city range of 102.5 miles (165 km). Arcimoto claims that the FUV reaches an efficiency of 173.7 MPGe.
https://electrek.co/2020/11/30/arcimoto-...c-vehicle/

just wondering under what conditions does the FUV reach an efficiency of 173.7 MPGe the reason I ask is have a gut feeling that overall in the real world its actually much less?!

this is because for sake of argument lets say the high voltage battery in the FUV stores about 20KwH of energy 

27:32 [THE FUV BATTERY] ...it's 19.2 (KwH)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dje2WD_YfpQ&t=27m32s

AND on average 1 KwH of energy creates about 1lb of CO2 AND lets also assume that burning 1 gal of gas in an internal combustion engine creates about 20 lbs of CO2 AND lastly from news articles lets estimate that the range of the FUV is about 100 miles 

(NOTE all these figures have been rounded off to make the mental calculations simple)

on average, one kilowatt-hour creates 1.13 pounds of carbon dioxide
https://www.blueskymodel.org/kilowatt-hour

On average, one gallon of gasoline produces a little over 18 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2)
http://www.blueskymodel.org/gallon-gas

...IOW the FUV uses 20KwH of energy to go 100 miles AND since 20 KwH creates about 20 lbs of CO2 AND that 1 gal of gas (looking at the chemical combustion process) creates 20 lbs of CO2,... so the real world efficiency of the FUV is actually about 100 MPGe ??? (this to me seems more real world ball park figure for MPGe because of the high parasitic current draw caused by among other things the "high voltage" battery pack always charging the 12 volt electronic brains system battery)

https://www.gmforum.com/howto/1998SM/par...edures.pdf

"over all" wish the energy use (in an FUV) to travel a given distance was better than 100 MPGe, but from my own short term experience having the FUV (here in San Diego), its been pretty nice to have a windscreen along with heated seats to run errands and goto covid events like,...

https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news...lboa-park/

actually given the small size and maneuverability of the FUV we were able to avoid the gridlock at this drive-up event (where there were lots of SUVs)

the other day 2020.11.19 my FUV was delivered AND by coincidence the stock was up 69% which I take is a good sign from the gods,... ;-)

noticed on Facebook there were instructions on how to convert the headlights to LEDs, but since I don't do Facebook I was not able to down load the "how to"



https://www.facebook.com/notes/arcimoto-...852499316/

another item I want is to upgrade is the ignition switch (to a marine spec RFID ignition switch)

https://www.digitalguarddawg.com/keyless...ine/pbs-m/

I'd like is a lockable "waterproof" compartment for registration and proof of insurance

...so anyone try a motorcycle license plate locking compartment like??? 

https://www.aerostich.com/license-plate-...tment.html

figure it would be nice to basically have a motorcycle license plate locking compartment keyed the same as the optional arcimoto rear "cargo" box,... which I'll use to hold (just in case) an "LED Road Flares Safety Turn Arrow Light Emergency Roadside Flashing Flares Safety Strobe Light"

https://www.amazon.com/Flares-Arrow-Emer...B07SGY8ZTR

lastly instead of a custom paint job,... thought of a bumper sticker to socially signal some scientific/stock market humor

https://ibb.co/BfSS67w

Has anyone found where there might be accessory power to tap for a dashcam system. The USB plugs and all fuses always have power and there is no ignition system to tap into (as it has no gas engine). We just want the dashcam to work only when the vehicle is on.

Nevermind, found a plug that fit the bill.

There are many back-up cameras on the market, each with their pros and cons. I did not need the ability to record so that helped narrow down the field. I had my sights on a Garmin system after I used one of their systems on our former Slingshot. The Slingshot came with an OEM backup camera but I used the Garmin cameras in an unconventional way. I installed a camera on the front and on the right side of the Slingshot. This aided in parking the Slingshot because it had a long front end and helped prevent curb strikes on the side.

Anyway, back to the FUV. I got a Garmin DriveSmart 55 with the BC40 camera (link takes you to the Garmin website. I purchased mine through Amazon). The camera comes with an aluminum mounting bracket that is sized for a car's license plate. I simply had to cut it down to size and mounted it so the camera is on the bottom. I thought that if the camera was on top it would obstruct the plate light. The camera is powered by two AA batteries (lithium) that should last about a year. The camera is wireless so there are no wires to run. You just simply tap the blue button on the 55's display to connect to the camera. There is a slight delay while the 55 connects. So far my early tests have been positive.

The angle of the camera can be adjusted. I have mine pointed down slightly so I can better see the tape on the garage floor.






The DriveSmart 55 does come with a suction cup mount. I opted to go with a roll bar clamp mount instead. I have it mounted where a typical rear view mirror would be. I may change this as I found that looking up at the display can be problematic if the sun is in front of me. I don't know - the jury is still out. I ordered a custom made USB cable to power the DriveSmart through the FUV's USB port. I don't have the cable yet so the 55 is using its internal battery for now.



This is the license plate mount that comes with the BC40 camera. I used my bandsaw to cut it down to size. Drilled two 1/4" holes for the license plate mounting screws. Easy.

This is not a perfect setup. But it works for me...for now.

Got my FUV back from the AMP (brake line recall plus investigating an odd motor-power-loss issue I had happen.) Came with a nice bonus - soft door storage pockets with cup holders! (The cup holders are made of "can koozie" type material.) One on each front door.



Ah.... It's nice to have two EVs charging in the garage again...

I always believed that backing up the FUV could be somewhat hazardous since it did not have any backup lights and it made virtually no noise. With pedestrians being distracted by their smartphones, this was a recipe for disaster. So I installed backup lights and a backup beeper. I also added a "kill" switch on the handlebar. The switch was added so I wouldn't disturb my neighbors (I park the FUV backwards in the garage).

I may add a backup camera later but this solution provides the audio/visual cues to those behind me.









Side Note: I posted this mod in this forum and not on Facebook. Although I have posted in the FB group, it's really not my first choice.

Squared (FUchsia Violet Fun Utility Vehicle) arrived last week!

Made in the shade!  
There had been some talk about having more tinting at the top of the windshield to help block afternoon sun.  Also, some people, like me with my Midwestern complection, don’t like to have the sun bearing down from above.  I solved both these issues with some 50/50 see through vinyl that sign shops use to print on and apply over vehicle windows.  In my case, I had some printed with a grey color and installed it on the inside of the windshield and underside of the roof.  I didn’t want to completely block out the roof but this makes it much more comfortable for me to drive on a sunny day.  And it also improves the screen visibility of my dash/backup camera.  It was not easy to install this on the concave surface of the roof without a few wrinkles but I’m happy with the results.  I’ll keep you posted as to how well this holds up.

Got “Rei” our Evergreen a little over a week ago, VIN #37 for 2020. I happen to have borrowed Goldie, VIN #12 for 2019.

A couple observations between the newer Rei and older Goldie:

1. Both are silver panels but the molding seems to have changed. It is different but I can't put my finger on exactly how, the trunk looks different on the inside. 

2. Rei has an upgraded computer. The startup sounds are more melodic and loud.

3. Driving without doors is actually really nice. You can totally see the wheels and it is quicker to get in and out. I can see why Mark F doesn't seem interested in doors for his FUV. That said, the back is a bit more windy and I'm not real willing to hold Rusty Q Dog in the back seat without doors. Also storing stuff in the back seat is a little iffy without doors to keep your stuff from rolling around. Good thing our large pizza fit in the trunk 

4. Rei seems smoother. My son thinks it turns at low speeds a little easier. I couldn't tell the difference

5. We also have different back tire and brake pads. 

6. You are now required to have both the left and right seatbelts engaged in order to move.

For anyone wondering if you can rig up a quick button to reset. Apparently not at all possible. My husband was looking at the training rig for technicians and the guys showed how the reboot works. Sorry. Only suggestion hubby had was nice black thumb screws for the small panels and small hands.

Hi Mark/Michael/Darby (if Darby's on here...)  Sorry for the overly-harsh email the other day, it was the only way I could think of to guarantee a timely response...

Just wanted to thank Mark for the rapid call-back, and rapid response to my questions.

Long story short: I was scheduled to have Arcimoto techs come do a couple of "maintenance repairs" plus all the recall items. The scheduled work date was Monday March 23.  On Friday March 20, Arcimoto essentially shut down for the stay-at-home order. My FUV had already been rarely driven for two months because of the issues (major issues would occur when it was raining, and as February/March is prime rainy season in Portland, it meant a lack of driving opportunities.) I tried to get them to honor their March 23 schedule based on the fact that the work could be one person working on it in my driveway, to no avail.

So my FUV sat for another month. But, the weather has been nice of late, so I decided to go for a drive, since the rain issue wouldn't crop up.  But, sitting for three weeks had apparently drained the 12V battery. I charged up the 12V, and the HV was drained. Got the HV recharged, but the vehicle won't start. Contacted Arcimoto to see if this now-completely-undriveable state would qualify for repair. I was told again "we're not operating for now," but then saw a comment on their YouTube update video that they said their service department *WAS* operating.

So I sent my rather annoyed email.

They came up and picked it up today.