Looking for comments from initial purchasers

[miamisunray]

Hello all,

 I am interested, and I am sure a lot of pre-order SRK folks also are anxious to hear what the initial owners are thinking of their SRK's?

 I have a pre-order myself, as does a good friend of mine here in Miami Dade County Florida. So far we have both come up with a few suggestions that might benefit SRK owners such as flexible solar panels for the poly carbonate roof .....A window on the driver side when fully enclosed ... An extremely efficient battery charger to give the SRK a few extra miles in case one finds one self out in the boondocks somewhere out of charge etc.

Hope everyone is enjoying the initial run of us are Kays and we can hardly wait to receive hours in the near future! As an extra question, does anyone know if it's possible to determine exactly what number in line the rest of us are to receive our SRK's?

Thanks all and I will be looking at this forum now that I have posted myself

[Rickb]

Welcome Miamisunray from the inland northwest!  It's still some time before the initial Signature Series owners receive delivery of their SRKs.  Arcimoto stated on ther Facebook page they are currently in the build phase with expected delivery by the end of the year.  I believe there are only 4 or 6 Signature Series SRk's to be road tested by the early adopter owners. 

The enclosure panels are in the design phase since the frame specs were recently locked in on the ETC SRK.  They are engineering hinging options that connect the panels to the frame.  Mark F. Commented that they would be posting renders of the finalized design soon.......followed by fabrication and assembly.  My understanding is that the enclosure windows will be operable......time will tell.  Also, hard and soft sided enclosure options were mentioned.

As a fellow reservationist, I share your enthusiasm for this concept.  There have been no formal SRK numbers assigned.  I ass.u.me that when delivery dates are confirmed they will be shipped in the order the reservations were received.  Seems logical.

Last heard was that they made some major improvements on the ETC Builds that increased range and improved handling and braking with final specs to follow.

If you happen to be Facebook fan...........bounce your ideas regarding solar panels and fast charge off the A-Team.  They generally respond on their Facebook page within a couple hours of posting a comment or question.

[paravil]

As a pre-paid customer, I miss regular info on their website. Not everyone´s on Facebook (it took me over a year to exit ... and I still don´t believe them when they promised to delete my account and its content). Interest in the SRK has only one outlet, and that is their website blog. I can´t understand why so little effort is made to promote the project. Advertising is expensive: a regular website entry costs nothing!

[Rickb]

The regular update info and providing fans the opportunity to interact, react, and ask questions (answered within a few hours) is exactly why they have a FaceBook Page.  It's social networking......exactly what we are doing here with a direct link to Arcimoto's CEO willing to respond to all questions.  There is alot of effort to support the project with minimal cost on the Arcimoto FaceBook Forum.  The regular website info generally changes quarterly or after major spec changes have been announced.  

I am not a fan of Social Media, but decided to open a Facebook account to use as a tool to frequent several new vehicle startup's Facebook Pages for daily updates..........the sole purpose of my Facebook account.  I have 0 Facebook friends and provide no personal info..

[Kepesk]

As for preorder numbers, I think I can help somewhat.  I preordered in summer of 2011 (if memory serves), and they told me sometime later that I am number 66.  They had more than 140 during the summer of 2015, but I don't know how many more.  They announced their 500th preorder on January 29 of this year, and they hit 1100 in early September.

Hopefully that helps narrow down your number?

Though a recent change to their FAQ page suggests they may not deliver in exact order:

By pre-ordering now, you’ll save a spot in our initial production run based on your region, and the deposit price will be applied to the final vehicle price. 

Those who place a pre-order now should expect to receive their vehicle toward the end of 2017, dependent on your region. We will be delivering to the west coast states first, followed shortly by shipping east and eventually overseas.

[DanCooper]

I didn't find any recent discussion on the facebook page.

I don't think solar panels on the roof is a good idea. I calculate that a day's charge would give about 2.5 miles added range. I would rather have a clear roof and see the sky. I will add two 250W solar panels to my roof array, which will get me around 20 miles a day, which would be my typical amount of driving. If I am out driving while the sun shines, the panels will sell power to the grid, and I will buy it back at night.

[Rickb]

As for preorder numbers, I think I can help somewhat.  I preordered in summer of 2011 (if memory serves), and they told me sometime later that I am number 66.  They had more than 140 during the summer of 2015, but I don't know how many more.  They announced their 500th preorder on January 29 of this year, and they hit 1100 in early September.

Hopefully that helps narrow down your number?

Though a recent change to their FAQ page suggests they may not deliver in exact order:

By pre-ordering now, you’ll save a spot in our initial production run based on your region, and the deposit price will be applied to the final vehicle price. 

Those who place a pre-order now should expect to receive their vehicle toward the end of 2017, dependent on your region. We will be delivering to the west coast states first, followed shortly by shipping east and eventually overseas.

It would be interesting to know what Arcimoto's planned production numbers are per month once Reservation SRK assembly begins.  

The ElectraMeccanica Team announced that they will start by assembling 20 Signature Series Solos per month and ramp production.   Reservationist Solo # and delivery dates have been confirmed.

[DiscjockeyDale]

Welcome to the community miamisunray. Make yourself at home and enjoy the site!
We're always looking for the latest info on the SRKs, and we have some of Arcimoto's best as members.
What amazes me is realizing how small the Arcimoto operation actually is.
From humble and modest beginnings can come great things.

IMHO, I think that windows in the SRK enclosures are a must.
An enclosure with little air flow on a rainy day in mid-July in most locations would be unbearable.
And it would be especially so in FLA. There are going to be a lot of people everywhere that will want to just get in and drive...
And have no time and/or desire to take the enclosure off and on according to temperature fluctuation.

I've looked up some information on EV mounted solar panels in the past.
Unfortunately the amount of actual charge and miles gained per time makes them almost useless.
The tech has a ways to go before that changes.
Instead of me trying to remember and post the whys and why-nots, here's a link...
https://content.sierraclub.org/evguide/b...be-pie-sky

By an extremely efficient battery charger, I'm guessing that you mean a small generator.
I have a small "Red Cross" batter booster for my 12v ICEs that works pretty well.
I couldn't imagine hauling around a battery booster big enough to power an EV though.
I think an on-board small gas or diesel generator would be a good idea.
Just enough to eventually get you to the next charge if you miscalculate a little.

That brings to mind the question of how long it will be before the AAA and other road side services...
Start carrying quick charge stations on their rigs. Any thoughts on that?

Anyway, it's great to have you as a member and I look forward to your input.
With it's positive reviews and taking into account the success of the more expensive Spyder and Slingshot...
I'm predicting that  the SRK is going to take the world by storm. Here's to that. Cheers!

[DanCooper]

Most AC powered battery chargers are pretty efficient these days. If we want to charge it from a generator, we may as well have a gasoline powered vehicle like the Elio. Converting energy from gasoline to mechanical to AC to DC to chemical to DC to mechanical again to run an EV loses energy at each step.

This, by the way, is why hydrogen vehicles are such a stupid idea. It looks efficient if you wave a wand and say here's the hydrogen. In the real world hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, and very inefficiently. In theory it could be produced from renewable energy, but nobody is doing it. The technology and economics remain untested.

Now if you wanted to drive cross-country in an SRK, the most efficient way (other than charging stations every 100 miles) would be a motorized trailer. Take a small car engine and automatic transmission. It pushes the EV, and the batteries can be charged by regenerative charging if needed. Simple in theory, but the control and safety issues are more than I would want to mess with. When my SRK is ready I will drive to Oregon with a trailer to haul it.

[Rickb]

Welcome to the community miamisunray. Make yourself at home and enjoy the site!
We're always looking for the latest info on the SRKs, and we have some of Arcimoto's best as members.
What amazes me is realizing how small the Arcimoto operation actually is.
From humble and modest beginnings can come great things.

IMHO, I think that windows in the SRK enclosures are a must.
An enclosure with little air flow on a rainy day in mid-July in most locations would be unbearable.
And it would be especially so in FLA. There are going to be a lot of people everywhere that will want to just get in and drive...
And have no time and/or desire to take the enclosure off and on according to temperature fluctuation.

I've looked up some information on EV mounted solar panels in the past.
Unfortunately the amount of actual charge and miles gained per time makes them almost useless.
The tech has a ways to go before that changes.
Instead of me trying to remember and post the whys and why-nots, here's a link...
https://content.sierraclub.org/evguide/b...be-pie-sky

By an extremely efficient battery charger, I'm guessing that you mean a small generator.
I have a small "Red Cross" batter booster for my 12v ICEs that works pretty well.
I couldn't imagine hauling around a battery booster big enough to power an EV though.
I think an on-board small gas or diesel generator would be a good idea.
Just enough to eventually get you to the next charge if you miscalculate a little.

That brings to mind the question of how long it will be before the AAA and other road side services...
Start carrying quick charge stations on their rigs. Any thoughts on that?

Anyway, it's great to have you as a member and I look forward to your input.
With it's positive reviews and taking into account the success of the more expensive Spyder and Slingshot...
I'm predicting that  the SRK is going to take the world by storm. Here's to that. Cheers!

AAA has already thought of that:
http://www.plugincars.com/aaa-introduces...07663.html