Got to drive the Arcimoto FUV. Fun Utility Vehicle Review. Impressed but Disappointed.

Finally I was able to drive an Arcimoto FUV. The Arcimoto FUV is a three wheeled electric vehicle. A mix between a convertible and a motorcycle. Arcimoto does not sell in Montana and thus I never seen a FUV in real life. This all changed during our Las Vegas vacation where I was able to rent one and put it to the test. Checking the FUV out and driving it on side streets to highways. It was very interesting, definitely a different experience. We had lot's of fun but also found some weak points on this Arcimoto. Watch the whole video to get the details.
Luckily we found a great place to rent the Arcimoto FUV, centrally located in Las Vegas, an easy drive to Red Rock Canyon or the Las Vegas Strip.
Electric Vegas Rentals owned by Alex and his wife Brandi. Both were super nice and accommodating. Alex chose the perfect FUV for us, one that had the new steering that the current models come with. They have themed FUV's like "Vegas", "Freedom", "Cosmo", "Blue Dream" an more. We highly recommend to rent from Alex, https//www.electricvegasrentals.com
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👀Timestamps take you right to that chapter:
0:00 Introduction
1:02 First Look at FUV
2:54 Meeting Alex, Owner of EVR
4:33 Rental day
5:47 Drive, Scenery, Music
6:25 Charging and more
20:26 Starting it, lights, defrost
22:01 Steering at low speed
22:48 Bluetooth, turn signals
24:25 Hard acceleration on I-State, drive, scenery, music
25:27 Some stats before returning
26:35 Noise level
27:00 Returned to rental, stats, estimated range
27:16 My findings and opinion
34:50 Conclusion
EV chargers, Wattsaving: rb.gy/h1mc1
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[@steelelogan8751]

The charge point card hack was my favorite lol

[@Finachetto]

I took delivery of my FUV a few days ago and I simply love it. I live in Southern California in the San Diego area, so the climate is perfect for the FUV. I was aware of Arcimoto's business travails before I bought it, but the product itself is well engineered and a roaring blast to drive. I am having added a backup camera, dashcam DVR, and backup lights and reverse alert sounds. Along with a wide-brimmed hat it is the perfect ride for sunny days!

[@RMTFamily]

Wow, that’s pretty cool. I like how you accessorized your FUV. The back up camera sure helps as it is somewhat hard to see when backing up. And you’re right, back up lights are missing from the factory. Adding those along with a reverse alert is a great idea. Along the coast this is the perfect cruiser. Congratulations on your FUV. Thank you for watching 👍

[@gideonporter537]

Excellent review. Honest. Constructive criticism.

[@barnabasseadog7660]

I use my FUV for a twenty-two mile work commute. Half street and half freeway in San Diego. It's amazing when used within it's specs. Doors make a big difference because they provide some civility on the freeway and provide more storage. I've had my ride up to 83mph on the freeway but you definitely have to work up to it. It's best attribute against any other EV is the rock star parking. I work at the airport and live ten miles from the beach. Next year I beta test my Aptera. FUV life, yo.

[@RMTFamily]

That’s a decent ride to work. Do you charge at work or just at home? San Diego is definitely a great place for year round use of an FUV. It sure has a parking advantage. People keep telling me it goes over 80mph but I don’t know, it was plenty fast feeling at 75mph. You’re right, doors sure are an improvement. Aptera!? Cool. You be able to drive for free. Well at least without having to charge😉😀 Keep us updated on your FUV adventures and about your Aptera. Thank you for watching👍

[@barnabasseadog7660]

@@RMTFamily I charge at work for free, because it's a pay lot. But I can fit between barriers and get out like a motorcycle.

[@peteandtessTube]

We have a Bolt EUV and we Love it! So it was interesting to see some comparisons in the comments. The Bolt is a full use vehicle in that it is compact but very secure on the highway as well. I would see this FUV as a recreational vehicle on light traffic local roads and resort environments. Personally I’d be very nervous on a highway surrounded with bigger vehicles. Nonetheless I think it’s a great invention and hope it catches on. I would love to rent one on vacation somewhere. I don’t think I would buy one at 20k but I’m thinking about buying some stock shares. I think your final thoughts are on point. This is a great little EV to run errands around town or its other formats as a golf cart or factory truck. I love the innovation. I hope they succeed but I hope they get the price down so more people can afford it.

[@RMTFamily]

💯 I totally agree with you. If you buy some FUV stock you could loose it all, but if these things catch on it could be a huge money maker since it is a penny stock. If you rent one let me know about your experience. Thank You for watching👍

[@peteandtessTube]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, it strikes me as ironic that I’m easier to make a decision to buy a stock than buy a product. I’ve been lucky to make a lot of money on the safe bets but like everyone I’d love to find that Tesla or that Amazon before they were household names. The key principals in FUV appear to be young, smart, innovative and energetic. One was hit with a DUI but …. He’s young. The other stumble was failing to release their quarterly report on time… again, not too big a deal. The question I need to answer is… Is the product good and does it fill a niche. I’d say yes, but it’s a stiff price for basically a third vehicle. Right now I’m thinking it’s worth placing a small bet. Just think what a thousand shares of Amazon would be if I had jumped in at 40 a share??? Best of luck to you and thanks again!

[@RMTFamily]

I agree that the product can fill a niche, maybe even more! The product in mild climates is a great commuter all year long. It makes for a great rental vehicle in many places, in some places only seasonal but ATV and snowmobile rentals are seasonal. It's also another option instead of owning a motorcycle. The high price is an issue for many but even worse if one wants to buy one or multiple it becomes a problem. They only sell in a few states. I inquired about purchasing several of them and was contact by one person that told me another person would contact me, but that never happened. I also talked to the guy that I rented the FUV in this video from. He had a similar experience with Arcimoto where they acted like their product is superior and can't be sold to everyone. At least that is how the guy felt he was treated. The former, "drunk"😂, CEO was in it with his heart but probably not the best businessman. The current CEO I don't know about mainly because he was at Atlis that now is called NXU. Another start up that promised a pick-up truck with 500 miles and blazing fast charging, and now goes a different direction, has abandoned that on does charging now. Maybe a good sign that he is no longer with that company but maybe not. Hard to tell. I would love for Arcimoto to make it. I do own some shares for a long time now and gone thru the reverse split with those, currently I have a loss. But you're right they may make it, even make it big, and we could be winners. Only time will tell.

[@GNiessen]

It uses more energy when you are going faster. But you get used to how the plug is oriented. More fun under 50.

[@RMTFamily]

You’re totally right. The switch to the NACS plug would improve ease of use since the J1772 is somewhat hard to plug-in in the dark anyway. By switching to NACS plug, it would be a breeze to plug in and allow owners to take advantage of the Tesla destination chargers. I know this is nitpicking but I think it would help Arcimoto to make this as user friendly as possible. Thank you for watching 👍

[@duanerykhus9425]

Thank you. Price point is high your right Bolt is better option. 👍

[@barnabasseadog7660]

Except it's boring. I look forward to beta testing my Aptera next year. Price point is on par with ICE three wheelers and still cheap as far as EV's go.

[@popeyegordon]

The video is clueless! He ignores the HUGE savings in insurance every year. My FUV insurance is just $132/yr which saves me $7000 in 8 years, the break even point for owning an Arcimoto when combined with all the other savings of a light EV. After that it is free until ready for a battery. You can't say that about any car in existence that is driven on US roads.

[@KalisaFox]

would love one of these as a replacement to a scooter, its just a shame with current price, if they could make a more basic version with less range and targeted the price point of high end electroc scooters (so like 8k to 10k) would be amazing. Also hope they adopt the NACS

[@yulog]

The range is bottom of the barrel now as it is you have to stay around 30-35 mph to get a 100 miles(which would be at a full charge which they dont recommend due to the wear on the battery. If you go any faster the "100 miles" drops significantly.

[@KalisaFox]

perhaps the problem is they tried to be too many things and ended up with the worse stats in each of the things it tried to be. 100 miles is great if it was just a scooter, over 2x range of most electric scooters i see on market, 100 miles is around what a lower end electric motorcycle should get but those can typically maintain higher speeds, they are also typically considerably cheaper as well, the price just puts it in such an awkward spot.

[@yulog]

@@KalisaFox I agree, if your going to push that top speed of 75, I as a consumer will want to be able to use that , but the 100 miles drops drastically to under half that which is very limiting. It could be great for some old farts in Florida, maybe at the Villages where they can go 35 all day long, but for 20K+ they could do better just getting a golf cart and golf carts are readily available.

[@user-mw8xd1pg8g]

I recently drove one. Overall a good experience. But the base price is too expensive with the add on' component I'd like. It should come outfitted with doors (now optional @ $2,500.00) and windows (also optional, don't know the cost). If it did come with doors and windows, I'd pay the $19,000.00 for it.

[@RMTFamily]

I totally agree with you. Fully outfitted with door and windows would bring it up to what they ask for without it. I was hoping the new CEO would get something going, but so far really nothing seems to be happening. Thank You for watching👍

[@brucegraner5901]

Thanks for making this video. I would very much like to see Arcimoto succeed but you made a great point comparing the the price of the FUV to the Bolt although the 25-grand for a Bolt sounds a little low unless you've factored in government and Chevy incentives. Obviously you are not a newcomer to EV life and that adds weight to your opinions of the FUV. If I bought a FUV to replace my 27-year-old car there are two places I'd want to go besides running local errands. Both are about 30-35 miles away. One can be reached at speeds ranging from 20-45 mph and and the other would be at 45mph, right lane on a four-lane state road and I'm having doubts about being able to make that trip after seeing your video. I'd be interested in your opinion as to whether or not you think you could make a 70-75 miles round trip at speeds mostly between 35-45mph.

[@RMTFamily]

Hi Bruce, Congrats to switching from an ICE car to an FUV. We bought our Bolt that had an MSRP of just over $40K, in 2020, without TAX incentives. Only with GM, Costco discount and a little haggling at the dealership for $25,500. One may have to work a little to make sure to know about all possible options, but depending on the state it could be even less. In our case of driving the FUV, I estimated the range at just over 80 miles. We had a good bit of the distance at speeds above 45mph. Las Vegas is pretty easy on an FUV as temperatures are plenty warm for the battery pack to run at its best. Since there is no A/C as in an electric car, only a fan was going to cool the battery while stoped or going very slow. That saves power and allows for more range. Simply said it depends on where you live, when you would do the trip and how adventurous you are. The one trip with below 45mph should work just fine in temperatures above 65°F. The second trip will probably work too, if a little warmer, 70°F+. On the second trip you would always have the option of going slower on the way back based on consumption of the way there. If you do the first trip then you can get an idea of the how second trip would go. I like to say electricity is available everywhere, gas stations are only at every corner🤣. What I mean by that, is that the FUV came with a EVSE that can be plugged into any household type outlet and you get 1kW per hour. For a small battery like the FUV has, that is a decent amount of charge. If you have an option plugging in at your destination and get a few % than you can definitely make without having to be adventurous. I would try. Bring your EVSE along, just in case. You could plug in at someones house, at a gas station (they usually have a plug outside somewhere) or possibly a restaurant if really needed. Chances are you can make it without charging. Speed is range killer, so going slower will save fuel and increase range. Would love to hear from you and how the trips went. Thank You for watching👍

[@brucegraner5901]

@@RMTFamily I haven't bought the FUV yet but your video and range estimates are a big help. I live in the Panhandle of Florida and haven't had AC for years in my car so that's no big deal. But your comments about driving in various ambient temps is a helpful reminder as are your range estimates. Currently, not too many charging stations in my neck of the woods but your idea of getting permission to plug into a convenience store is a good one. I don't know why more convenience stores selling gas don't install charging stations out front. It would be a good opportunity to sell drinks and snacks while the customer spends a half-hour or so putting a little juice back in his or her batteries. Thanks for your input.

[@RMTFamily]

Hi Bruce, Make the switch! You live in a mild climate that is great for an electric vehicle. Unless temps drop below 50°F you will get pretty good range out of the FUV. Charging stations will come. For most people, most of the time, charging is at home where it is the cheapest. The FUV can easily be charged at home. A full charge from on the regular household outlet would be about 18 hours. Commonly it's not at 0% and usually you don't charge to 100% unless needed for a road trip. So even on the provided charger you can get it charged relatively quick. If you have a 240V 20 amp (or more amps) outlet and get a different charger then you cut the charge time down to 1/3 of that with the provided charger. You sure are correct convenience store owners have not figured out yet that they could make money of EV owners, as most EV charging takes a little longer and nobody has to attend the EV while charging, leaving the EV owner lots of time to buy stuff😉😂. Let me know when you make the switch.

[@tumbleweed1976]

Excellent review! For $20,000 buy a new Kia Forte or Soul. Arcimoto FUV is $10,000 at best.

[@RMTFamily]

I would even give $15k but 20 is too much. You certainly can buy something with heat and A/C, doors and much more range. If one can afford it, it’s a cool toy or even a commuter but only in mild climates. Thank you for watching 👍

[@yulog]

@@RMTFamily Yeah way overpriced for what it is, + whether or not the company folds is a crapshoot. If they fold how are you going to get it serviced, where do you get a new battery, How much?. I will say San Diego is by far the best place for batteries the mild climate is less stress on them . I have had 12volt batteries last 10 yrs and sell the car and the battery was fine.

[@user-md6qp9mp4g]

Are completely enclosure doors for bad weather drive?

[@RMTFamily]

Arcimoto only makes half doors. But people had upper door parts made from tent fabric.

[@user-md6qp9mp4g]

​@@RMTFamilyThank You

[@DarthTinderalla-qm9zw]

I just don't understand the point. It's like a motorcycle/quad with a roof so it's slightly better in marginal weather, but is still terrible in bad weather because it has no doors/windows. Would be a decent city ride if it was at least waterproof in winter

[@RMTFamily]

You're not wrong. It is not really for the nasty weather. There are half doors available, from the bottom about half way up and people have had upper fabric type doors/windows made to completely close it in. I guess you could run the defroster for heat when completely closed in. Form some places it's only a seasonal ride for others a year round ride. It's definitely a different product. For someone that doesn't like, or can't ride a motorcycle it's a fun summertime vehicle similar to a motorcycle and then just like a motorcycle you put it away for the winter. It is a lot easier to drive than a motorcycle or atv. Thank You for watching👍

[@harriska2]

I have doors and zippered uppers I stay warm and dry. This morning it was exactly 40 and I didn’t bother to turn on the defrost, heated seats or grip. I’m in Oregon and it rains a ton. No problems with my FUV.

[@RMTFamily]

@@harriska2 Hi, 40F is not so bad. We had 20F and snow this morning with a high of 25F today. It really depends on where you live. I guess now they really only focus on Florida and SoCal. I inquired a few times throughout the years, but they don’t sell to Montana. I would love to test it in 0F weather just for fun. Thank you for watching 👍

[@harriska2]

I got my uppers this padt winter when it was regularly 24-26. Yeah, had the defrost, heated seats & grips on. But it wasn’t horrible. I have doors with pockets, a roof organizer for sun glasses, etc and a rear seat organizer. So putting carry around stuff isn’t an issue.

[@RMTFamily]

@@harriska2 Sounds like you have a fully equipped FUV👍

[@robford8493]

I'll keep my Spyder 😂

[@RMTFamily]

Are you sure?🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@johnnythemaster]

These are a little to open for me. I stick with a car.

[@popeyegordon]

Most owners owned motorcycles previously and this is a huge jump in safety compared to that. Cars are boring and they seal you off from nature instead of being in harmony with it. This is better for your mental health. Eventually, carbon taxes will force you into a light EV unless you are rich. My FUV is 2 years old now and it is my only vehicle plus the only new vehicle I have ever bought. Every time those twin motors wind up, sounding like a jet turbine, it is a thrill as the G force shoves me back in my seat. Everywhere I go I am the center of attention and drivers yell out words like badass! and cool!

[@laxtimercom]

In very unusual situations I can see it (e.g. driving on a small island with little car traffic), but, like a motorcycle, so unsafe in any accident.

[@RMTFamily]

That’s true no crumble zone like a car. It’s a little safer than a motorcycle since it has a roll cage and people are strapped in with two seatbelts. I do like it for low speed driving. In our case going down the Las Vegas Strip was nice. Maybe exploring national parks where the max speed is 45mph is another ok application for it. Any higher speed is not even fun on this.

[@barnabasseadog7660]

This is why you develop Defensive Driving skills like a veteran biker.. I can percieve hazardous situations and avoid them intuitively as a matter of routine. My Arcimoto makes me a traffic ninja in SoCals battlefield-as-traffic commuter world.