An American manufacturer is blurring the lines between bikes and cars with a machine it calls the FUV, or Fun Utility Vehicle – and it’s going to be available in New Zealand.
Priced from $US19,900 the Arcimoto FUV Evergreen Edition has two wheels upfront and one at the back.
The Acrimoto distributor in New Zealand is taking $5000 deposit and then your order goes to the factory.
The FUV looks like an oversized tricycle with a roof — complete with a windscreen and a small luggage area.
There are handlebars — complete with heated handgrips — rather than a steering wheel.
Instead of a petrol engine the FUV uses two electric motors for propulsion and has a claimed top speed of 121km/h.
The maker says the Arcimoto will travel about 160km before requiring a four-hour charge. The batteries sit under the seats, helping keep the centre of gravity low.
The two seats are heated and can be fitted with optional shoulder massagers, while there’s also a phone mount, Bluetooth speakers and magnetic cupholders.
Founder Mark Frohnmayer has previously said Arcimoto is like nothing else out of America, a country known for its fuel-sucking pick-up trucks.
“With the FUV, you save money on gas, time on parking, and your daily commute is transformed into a pure electric joy ride,” said Frohnmayer. “Finally, a practical, American-made solution to the two greatest challenges facing the world today: global warming and getting groceries.”
The manufacturer pitches the FUV as an easy-to-park two-seater that can also be used “as a daily commuter or a last-mile delivery vehicle, a beachside rental or an urban car share”.
Arcimoto plans to release a more basic model priced from $US11,900 at its Oregon production facilities on the west coast of the United States.
And it sees a broader market than people looking for an eco-friendly around-town commuter.
Arcimoto has even created a version called the Deliverator, which ditches the rear seat for a large box designed to carry “a wide array of products, from parcels to pizza, groceries to dry cleaning”.
There’s also a Rapid Responder aimed at emergency services and designed to arrive at the scene of an incident faster and more efficiently than traditional vehicles. – news.com.au