Green Transportation Gets Fashionable with the Arcimoto Pulse

The trend of innovation amongst electric car developers seems to follow along several very distinct pathways. For some there is a focus on developing hybrid cars that marry the idea of electric and fossil fuels, while others simply hope to continue making the cars they already have on the production lines but without the carbon emissions belching, fossil fuel powered engines. Another pathway is making electric vehicles smaller and smaller in order to cater to more urban settings. Sometimes this seems to only be a response to making up for the shortcomings of electric vehicles such as range of battery life or small engine power. However, sometimes making electric vehicles smaller is simply a matter of practicality. Here we introduce the Arcimoto Pulse.

The Arcimoto Pulse plans to bring small size and practicality to the green transportation market in a new way. Boasting only three wheels and enough room for two average sized people, the Pulse was designed by Arcimoto to solve one of the biggest problems they believe effects modern transportation. On their site, they ask how often you look onto the street and see someone driving a rather large, four person car without passengers. Odds are pretty high that for the most part that is what you'll encounter. So, in order to streamline and make transportation more efficient and green, Arcimoto cut down all excess size and added an electric engine. According to Arcimoto, the Pulse will be able to satisfy the requirements of nearly 90% of everyday drivers who need only to travel to work, run errands, or visit recreational hotspots.

One of the Pulse's more interesting selling points is that it does have one of most unique designs seen in green transportation. According to Arcimoto, the three wheel design was deliberately chosen to provide stability and control while minimizing energy that might be wasted with a larger, heavier frame. The Pulse has a top speed of 65 miles per hour with three different maximum ranges from 40-160 miles depending on the battery package a buyer would choose. The current prototype, with a 40 mile range, relies on lead-acid batteries, but the longer range battery packs seen in other prototypes typically used the lithium ion batteries we are so used to seeing in use in electric vehicles. Arcimoto also promises that the battery will have a rather short recharge time of only 4-7 hours.

Since the Pulse is still only a prototype it is not quite ready to enter the green transportation market full scale. Currently, Arcimoto is preparing their latest prototype for entry into the finals of a business competition in November, but they believe that once finalized the Arcimoto Pulse could sell for around $17,500 for a basic package. As far as personal transportation goes, Arcimoto does present a rather unique and fairly stylish look compared to some of the other small sized urban electric vehicles. It will not be until the Pulse is on the road, however, that we will be able to see how it stacks up in comparison.

Photo Credit: Arcimoto