Arcimoto brought the eighth iteration of its three-wheeled electric vehicle, the SRK, to CES 2017. This is the version that will be produced this spring in Eugene, Oregon, where the company has its headquarters, and that the first buyers will have delivered to their doors by summer 2017.
It’s been a long road for Arcimoto, which was founded in 2007 in Eugene. For nearly a decade, it was funded privately. Founder Mark Frohnmayer provided the bulk of the cash for the company in the early days using money from his previous company, GarageGames. Now, as the company is preparing to move to its production facility and build SRKs, it has opened an account on Fundable to attract outside investors.
The SRK was never intended to be a full-sized car; it was always meant to be a small, inexpensive, zero-emissions urban vehicle. (Or Fun Utility Vehicle, according to the latest video from the company.) It has two motors at the front wheels and a top speed of 80 mph. It has some creature comforts, like heated seats, but the only cargo space is a basket behind the second passenger. Hard-shell doors are optional, and depending on the state you live in, motorcycle helmets might be required.
But it has an estimated fuel economy of 230 MPGe and a range of more than 100 miles, and it can be charged at any household outlet, either 110- or 220-volt. The first-run of SRKs won’t have climate control or a sound system, though those are in the works for later versions. There may even be a DC fast-charging system for future models.
If you’re into this electric runabout idea right this second, you can put down a $100 refundable deposit on the Arcimoto website, which will apply toward the $11,900 MSRP of the vehicle when you take delivery.