New Zealand will be the first country outside of the USA to sell a radical new electric vehicle called a fun utility vehicle (FUV) made by American company Arcimoto.
The American manufacturer has blurred the lines between bikes and cars with the two-seater FUV. It has a top speed of 120km/h with a city driving range of 160km before requiring a four-hour charge.
It has two engines while the batteries sit under the seats, helping keep the centre of gravity low.
The FUV is 3.6m long, 1.5m wide, and 1.6m high with a 2m wheelbase and weighs 590kgs.
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”.
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.
The Acrimoto distributor in New Zealand is taking $5000 deposit and then your order goes to the factory.
FUV Founder Mark Frohnmayer has previously said Arcimoto is like nothing else out of America.
“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.
New Zealand-based EV Distributors to deliver a minimum of 160 Arcimoto vehicles over the next four years. To kick off the agreement, Arcimoto has made its first international vehicle shipment, and three FUVs are now bound for Auckland, scheduled to arrive in November.
“New Zealand is an ideal choice for Arcimoto’s first international distribution deal. It is a top tourist destination, environmentally forward-looking, and New Zealand’s vehicle regulatory framework mirrors that of the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards," said Frohnmayer.
"This relationship will inform and prepare our team for the global demand in front of us.”
EV Distributors will maintain exclusive sales and rental rights for New Zealand, and plans to open rental locations where tourists can experience the pure-electric FUV in the adventure tourism capital of the world.
In addition to tourist applications, EV Distributors is working directly with the New Zealand government and commercial industry with the goal to electrify their fleet vehicle operations.
EV Distributors Director Dave Umbers said, “Our relentless search for quality, number-eight ingenuity, and shared values led us to Arcimoto. After one drive in the FUV, we were convinced we had found a clean, sustainable transportation solution that New Zealanders would be proud of … the enthusiasm is palpable for the arrival of the first Arcimoto vehicles in New Zealand.”
Arcimoto has also created the Deliverator, which replaced 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.
