We’ve seen a decent number of electric concept vehicles cross our screen over the past year. Needless to say I think we’ve all, unfortunately, grown a little numb to the idea until we see them actually fly past us in the car-pool lane. Well….. just the other day we found ourselves ogling the screen at the latest adaptation of the EV… the Pulse by Arcimoto ($TBD). It’s a pretty cool looking little rocket that will propel you (and a friend) up to speeds of 65 MPH with a charge lasting 4-7 hours (guess that depends on the chub-factor of you and your passenger… and if you like ta thump dat music!). We could go on and on and on and on and on, but I’d rather let the uber-geeks who were smart enough to wire this thing together do the talking. so watch them below… and fun specs after the video. Peace!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFChTmTSk0E&fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&border=1]
The three-wheeled Pulse is Arcimoto’s third fully-functional prototype electric vehicle and serves as a representative concept of one of the vehicles we intend to bring to market built on the Arcimoto Platform.
Stand on any busy street corner and watch the cars go by. What you typically see is a single person driving upwards of 5,000 lbs. of steel. Ask those folks where they’re going and it’s usually a 5-mile trip to the store, or their 10-mile morning commute. Tack on fuel and maintenance costs for that vehicle, and the expense in wasted resources and energy adds up quick for an individual, let alone the multiplicative effect across the whole of society.
Why haul around thousands of pounds of steel and many cubic feet of unneeded space for daily commutes, a trip to the grocery store, or visiting grandma across town? Drive something that fits. Drive the Pulse.
The Pulse is designed from the ground up to satisfy 90% of everyday drivers. Most of us drive fewer than 40 miles per day, and usually alone but sometimes with another passenger. We took those parameters and set out to build the most efficient vehicle possible without sacrificing comfort, style, or the joy of driving.
Three wheels means less drag on the road while the “reverse trike” (two wheels in front) formation provides a highly stable platform for superior handling at high speeds. The form of the vehicle is as small as we could make it while still providing ample space in the subsequent iteration to comfortably fit two passengers of above average height, or for plenty of storage while traveling alone. The tandem seating makes for a slimmer footprint on the road, simplifying driving and parking, enhancing stability on the three-wheeled platform and providing a unique driving experience by placing the driver in the center of the vehicle.
You don’t have to change the way you drive. In fact, if you are the “typical driver” described above, you will find the Pulse to be a more efficient and more enjoyable implementation of the way you already drive every day.
Arcimoto has shown the Pulse up and down the west coast, from San Jose to Seattle. We’ve listened to feedback from many hundreds of interested prospective customers to guide the design refinement of our products.
Prototype 3 (Pulse) Specifications
Electric motor Advanced DC 85 ft·lb torque, 65hp Batteries Eight 12-volt Odyssey lead-acid batteries Top speed 65 mph Seating capacity 2 Body Space frame with full roll cage
Crumple zonesTransmission Two stage 7.5:1 fixed ratio gear reduction via chain and intermediate shaft Suspension Front: Double A-Arm, coil over shock suspension
Rear: Single-sided swing armBrakes 3-wheel hydraulic disc brakes
Mechanically actuated parking brakeCharging 110 volt/15 amp, charges in 4-7 hours Fuel economy MGPe est. 190+ equivalent* Features
- Power locks & windows
- Remote-sensor keyless entry & lock
- AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA/USB capable stereo system
- 3-point seat belts
- Recycled PET floor mats
- Interior & exterior LED lighting
12 volt auxiliary power outlet
