Service Dept back up and running, at least somewhat.

[CharonPDX]

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.

[SparkE]

I highly, highly, highly recommend that you buy a smart trickle charger for your 12V battery. (Is it easy to access the posts for charging?). The 12V battery seems to be the weak point in all EVs : the car won't un without it, as it powers all the computers and sensors in the vehicle. I have a 12Amp "standard", "the battery died and I need to charge it" smart charger, so I also acquired a trickle charger that I can plug in overnight.

I have this one : https://www.amazon.com/CTEK-56-865-Autom...B006CQ9BMO .

It is AGM-safe/aware, charges at 0.8A until the battery reaches about 14.4V, then steps down amps to keep voltage about 14.4V until "full saturation charge", then sits "ready" : "float" @ 13.6V for 10 days, then "pulse"/"check" after that, testing every few minutes to see if voltage has dropped below ?12.7V?, and will start charging it to 14.4V again. It is "plug and forget". It is basically my "once a month make sure the battery gets fully charged and everything dissolved into the acid solution, so nothing is stuck to the plates" health kick for the battery. If you are leaving your vehicle sitting for several days, plug it in overnight, then once a week (overnight).

If I didn't already have a "regular" (fairly high-amp) charger, I probably would have bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/CTEK-56-959-CHARG...00GODGN9E/

since it is more versatile. It charges at both 0.8A and 4.3A, has a "test the battery / alternator" function, has a "recondition" function (NOT for AGM batteries!) to try to salvage a dead battery, it has a "hey it's really cold" mode (batteries should be charged differently when it is near or below freezing), and since it charges at 4.3A, can realistically be used to recharge a very low battery in a reasonable amount of time. (For my charger, if it hasn't switched out of "bulk" charge to "absorption" charge by the time I go to bed, I unplug it, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in. It has a limit of 10 hours of bulk charge per "plug in", as a safety feature.

Although the charger is not "wet rated" (works immersed) I have used it outside in the rain (under the car hood) as it is rated for "whatever that dust-sealed standard" is.

Since it sounds like your battery was completely drained, which is (VERY) bad for all types of batteries, you really should keep an eye on the 12V battery, and find a local supplier where you can buy another if needed. Completely draining a lead-acid battery shortens its life considerably.

The other thing that could be a life saver (not really "life saver", hyperbole there) is one of those small, light Li-Po (lithium) "jump starter" batteries. Keep it in a small bag next to the door that you use when heading to the EV (do NOT leave it in the EV), about half charged, and just carry out the bag when you drive the FUV. You can attach it to the poles of your regular 12V battery and it will allow you to drive the vehicle home (or to an auto store to buy a new battery).

[CharonPDX]

I do have a small trickle/maintainer one - unfortunately, you have to remove an interior panel with a screwdriver to get at the battery.

[DanCooper]

Does the FUV have a 12V power outlet (cigarette lighter type or other)? You can just plug a trickle charger into that. You don't need a smart charger, just one small enough that its current cannot damage the battery. I have a pickup truck that sits for months at a time. I never used to be able to start it. Now I keep a small solar panel on the dashboard, plugged into the lighter outlet. It always starts right up. If Arcimoto put a small panel on it, wired to the battery, it would completely avoid the problem. Or a built-in trickle charger would do the job too.

[harriska2]

It seems either the DC DC power supply is defective/not properly chosen or the 12v battery isn’t managed at all by a separate system. Without a separate system the 12v battery could be charged too hard and/or it isn’t dissipating heat due to where the battery is located (according to spouse) thus killing the battery. The fact that Arcimoto isn’t sending people out into the field to figure this out while they are shut down bodes very badly for them. Apparently (according to spouse) they should look up specs on the battery and compare that to a multi channel data logger that tracks several spots for temp around battery and voltage to battery from DC DC power supply. They need to track data while the Arcimoto is sitting there doing nothing, while getting charged, and while running with the motors going. 12v batteries could even be getting hot with the drives for motors (inverters) running nearby. We’d run these tests ourselves but ...

[harriska2]

I do have a small trickle/maintainer one - unfortunately, you have to remove an interior panel with a screwdriver to get at the battery.

I hope by next week they post how and when they will allow drop offs and how/when they will start picking vehicles up for repair. If not (or if they are specific enough) I will press them. Please keep us updated.

Yesterday from Mark F on FB (can’t remember if you are in the group Arcimoto FUV Club):

“the service department is not closed. We are travel limited at the moment due to the virus, but we are working our way, albeit more slowly than we would like, through our service backlog. We very much appreciate the patience of our early customers through this period.

Regarding the 12V, and learning from these vehicles generally, we have a list of engineering improvements we are working on now that should make this much less of an issue- from reducing parasitic drain when the vehicle is off to looking at super caps instead of lead acid for the 12V system. Both existing and new customers will gain the benefit of these learnings.”

Also yesterday from Michael Biron from same thread:

“Our service team has been diligently clearing through recalls and repairing vehicles and have only made adjustments out of concern for safety. Some of you may have had recent work in California and Washington right before this shutdown had occurred we were also getting through Portland. 

We have since cleared through the work we had in our shop and those Portland customers who have not had recall work completed should be hearing from our driver who is bringing those vehicles back to our shop when we can sanitize and perform this work in safety. Also it’s understandable that there are delays during these moments we are continuing to address each and every issue. Make sure to contact support@arcimoto.com or 541.780.0032 as our techs are on call and also monitoring here.”