Licensing is difficult in Texas

[DanCooper]

The direct sales ban means Arcimoto cannot put up a factor-owned sales or service center in those states. If someone goes to Oregon (or any other state that does not ban direct sales), buys an FUV, and trailers it home, they can't say anything about it.

[Rickb]

........or orders online and has it delivered to the nearest free enterprise, direct to consumer, friendly neighboring State address and drive/trailer it home from there.

No legal way to prevent a factory trained FUV servicing contractor/partner.  Service can be provided by an established storefront mechanic or by a mobile FUV Ranger providing needed service to your front door.  Parts can be mailed directly from Arcimoto to the DIY FUV owner that possess the required mechanical skills.  Servicing should be minimal and simple.  My local mechanic can do tires, brakes, windshield wiper blade replacements, and I’m talented enough to wash the dust off.

[DanCooper]

I expect to service the drive train myself, because there are no EV dealers of any kind near here and my independent mechanic won't work on electrics, not even the Prius drive train. I hope Arcimoto will have a good service manual, but in any case I can figure it out.

I am used to long distance maintenance. My first bike was a 200cc James. There was only one dealer in North America, in Saskatoon. I have no idea how a small bike found its way from Saskatoon to New Mexico. So if anything broke, I wrote to Saskatoon, and if they didn't have it, I wrote to Birmingham, England. So when it was down it stayed down for a while.

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And speaking of Prius, mine died last week. Oil consumption went sky high, and took out the catalytic converter. My Prius was built to California standards, which means I could not use aftermarket parts in the exhaust system. It would cost me more than the Blue Book value to fix it.I understand that that kind of engine failure happens to Priuses from time to time, but most of them last much longer. So I traded it in for another Prius (built to 50 state standards). Keeping my fingers crossed.

And I note that California's excessively bureaucratic regulations, intended to reduce pollution, will actually have the opposite effect, because people will steer clear of cars subject to those regulations. Let's don't push for the FUV to be anything but a motorcycle. Anything else will make it easier for the bureaucrats (in cahoots with the oil companies) to slap it down.

[PAX]

I expect to service the drive train myself, because there are no EV dealers of any kind near here and my independent mechanic won't work on electrics, not even the Prius drive train. I hope Arcimoto will have a good service manual, but in any case I can figure it out.

Maintenance on the FUV should be minimal.Much less complicated than a Prius.  The motor controller and other electrical parts are the trickiest but I suspect they will be set up with self diagnosis.  And the battery has to be treated with total respect.  

I am also hoping and expecting a good service and owners manual

[shome]

RickB wrote "........or orders online and has it delivered to the nearest free enterprise, direct to consumer, friendly neighboring State address and drive/trailer it home from there."

Out-of-state vehicle purchases require a registration from that state before they can be brought in to my state and re-registered. That can be expensive since registration and sales tax fees must be paid in both states. It also adds an extra registration delay. A local dealership is required so my state can charge dealer franchise fees. To buy a Tesla here, a local dealership would act as an intermediary. I have wondered if someone like carvana could be a Arcimoto "dealership". Carvana has probably already faced the state bureaucracy and tax burden.

[Trik]

From SC Code of Laws Title 56, looks like we do not even have a definition for what the FUV is so this could get fun. Maybe  they will consider the seat a "saddle seat", still not sure how it will be registering it though.

Text of (30) effective until November 10, 2017.

(30) "Automotive three-wheel vehicle" means every motor vehicle having no more than three permanent functional wheels in contact with the ground, having a bench seat for the use of the operator, and having an automotive type steering device, but excluding a tractor or motorcycle three-wheel vehicle.

Text of (30) effective November 10, 2017.

(30) Reserved.

Text of (31) effective until November 10, 2017.

(31) "Motorcycle three-wheel vehicle" means every motor vehicle having no more than three permanent functional wheels in contact with the ground to include motorcycles with detachable side cars, having a saddle type seat for the operator, and having handlebars or a motorcycle type steering device, but excluding a tractor or automotive three-wheel vehicle.

Text of (31) effective November 10, 2017.

(31) Reserved.

[Rickb]

Shome, I ass.u.med that the anti-direct to consumer legislation banned dealerships, not an individual’s ability to order a vehicle on-line and have it delivered to their door. Tesla takes on-line orders and uses dealerships in adjoining states for customer pickup/delivery or if over 160 miles deliver the vehicle directly to your front door. Your State would refuse to register and license your on-line purchased FUV motorcycle classed vehicle?

[shome]

I am a few miles away from a Tesla "Design Studio". There I can see and test drive a few cars there. I can order online or at the design studio but the delivery is to a local service center. There are many service centers and design studios in my state so I don't have to go out-of-state. I think Tesla is walking a fine line avoiding the states dealership franchise fees. Those that pay the dealership franchise fees are objecting to paying if Tesla does not have to pay, too. The state likes the extra tax revenue from the dealerships. Tesla is challenging these state limitations in court as interference in interstate commerce.

I do not own a Tesla but I ass.u.me any registration paperwork is handled at the service centers.

I have no idea how my state will treat an FUV bought online. Precedents will be set with the first deliveries.

[DanCooper]

If a private person in another state bought an FUV and then sold it to you, what could they do? Can they block used car sales from another state? Wouldn't that violate the principle of free trade between states? You wouild have to pay taxes twice, probably.

This whole thing has nothing to do with safety and all to do with increasing bureaucracy, limiting free trade, increasing regulations, and taking away individual freedoms. Those who call themselves conservatives shoiuld be uip in arms about it. If they aren't, they should be held to account.

[thomriddle]

I expect to service the drive train myself, because there are no EV dealers of any kind near here and my independent mechanic won't work on electrics, not even the Prius drive train. I hope Arcimoto will have a good service manual, but in any case I can figure it out.

Maintenance on the FUV should be minimal.Much less complicated than a Prius.  The motor controller and other electrical parts are the trickiest but I suspect they will be set up with self diagnosis.  And the battery has to be treated with total respect.  

I am also hoping and expecting a good service and owners manual

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I asked Kyle at Arcimoto about service manuals because I intend to do much, if not all, of the service on mine. He said there will definitely be a mechanic's oriented service manual. I also understood from him that their plan is to train selected existing service centers (automotive/motorcycle?, he didn't say) wherever there are customers. I didn't question him on the last part but if your FUV is the only one within 100 miles, likely in first few years in states other than west coast, then you may be on your own for turning wrenches. I'm prepared for and expect that to be the case until the FUV becomes a household name.