Arcimoto's first recall

[Kepesk]

Looks like Arcimoto issued its first recall at the end of last year, which is why we've hearing about the vehicles that have returned to the AMP.

The word is that the new gearboxes are a big improvement. Can't wait to try one.


https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=18...refurl=rss

December 31, 2018 NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V944000
Gearbox May Prematurely Fail

Transmission failure may immobilize the motorcycle, increasing the risk of a crash.

NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V944000

Manufacturer Arcimoto Inc

Components POWER TRAIN

Potential Number of Units Affected 14

Summary

Arcimoto, Inc (Arcimoto) is recalling certain 2018 FUV motorcycles. Incorrect machining of the transmission case may result in premature failure of the gearbox.

Remedy

Arcimoto has notified all affected owners and the motorcycles are within the manufacturer's control. Arcimoto will replace all potentially affected gearboxes with correctly machined and assembled gearboxes, free of charge. Owners may contact Arcimoto customer service at 1-541-683-6293. Arcimoto's number for this recall is 7F7-P4G2A-12.

[SparkE]

Gearbox? Transmission? Well, that can explains part of the surprisingly low efficiency of the FUV.

[Kepesk]

They call it a transmission in the recall but it's just a simple reduction gear.

[Dan21]

Gearbox? Transmission? Well, that can explains part of the surprisingly low efficiency of the FUV.

Almost all 4-wheel EVs have reduction gears. (I can't think of any that don't, but there's always one of something)  Teslas also have a differential, (here's a lnk to a photo of one:  https://insideevs.com/first-up-close-loo...rive-unit/ ) or two in the case of their 4WD models. Arcimotos with two motors do not need a differential gear.

Does anyone here know if AM has traction control in software?

[harriska2]

I’m pretty sure I asked about traction control and was told no.

[DanCooper]

Good. The traction control on the Prius is so stupid that if you get stuck going up a hill you cannot get unstuck. And you can't disable it. I can do a better job with the throttle than traction control, especialy with a twist grip throttle. And I can do as good a job as ABS on the brakes. What is worst is if I try and feather the brakes in a car with ABS. If it has ABS, I just have to mash the brakes and hope for the best.

[CharonPDX]

It is *possible* to disable traction control on a Prius, it just requires a ridiculous set of steps: https://iuseful.com/how-to-disable-tract...n-a-prius/

I did it on my 2004 Prius to get it unstuck once. Only once. Never did it a second time.

[DanCooper]

I have a list of this ridiculous number of steps but I was not able to get it to work. My 2009 Prius died at 135,000 miles - engine oil consumption went sky-high and due to California and federal regulations, the repair costs would have been more than the car was worth. This is a cautionary tale about the unintended consequence of environmental regulations. I replaced it with a 2011 Prius. The traction control algorithm on this one is much better, but I still wish I could easily turn it off.

Where I live, no 2WD car can get up the hill in Winter. I expect that, due to weight distribution, if I put studded snow tires on the FUV it will do it. If it won't, I will put a small motor on the rear swing arm to give some torque up to 10 mph.

[harriska2]

I have a list of this ridiculous number of steps but I was not able to get it to work. My 2009 Prius died at 135,000 miles - engine oil consumption went sky-high and due to California and federal regulations, the repair costs would have been more than the car was worth. This is a cautionary tale about the unintended consequence of environmental regulations. I replaced it with a 2011 Prius. The traction control algorithm on this one is much better, but I still wish I could easily turn it off.

Where I live, no 2WD car can get up the hill in Winter. I expect that, due to weight distribution, if I put studded snow tires on the FUV it will do it. If it won't, I will put a small motor on the rear swing arm to give some torque up to 10 mph.

I have a 2017 Subaru Impreza with a button to turn off traction control. I didn’t understand your concern with ABS but my Impreza has saved me from 2 accidents so far from people pulling out in front of me because they either didn’t see me coming or thought I had a stop sign.

[CharonPDX]

Yeah, modern ABS controllers are going to a better job than manually feathering the brakes possibly could. And yes, with ABS, you just floor the brake pedal and let it do its job. Much easier to do when in "panic stop" mode than the concentration needed to properly feather. (Yes, on pure ice, a well-trained driver may be able to feather effectively when slowing steadily, but not in any "panic stop" scenario.)