A line of three-wheeled electric vehicles raced across the Lane County countryside at 55 miles per hour.
As they drove through neighborhoods, some people on the sidewalks pulled out their phones to take photos or videos.
Driver Pam Basilius laughed over the wind rushing in through the open window. She said you tend to draw attention when you're in an Arcimoto.
“I feel like a star,” she said. “Everybody always waves.”
Eugene-based company Arcimoto is behind the Fun Utility Vehicle, which looks a little like a wide motorcycle, but with two front wheels and a rounded roof. It charges in a regular outlet and can reach up to 75 miles per hour on the road.
Arcimoto stopped manufacturing these vehicles more than three years ago. Although the company was reportedly once valued at more than $1.2 billion, its stock is now nearly worthless.
Despite this, owners and enthusiasts across Oregon are still gathering to show off their quirky rides. In May, they met at a rally in Springfield.
Kathy Pusztavari, the manager of the consumer website Arcimoto Hub, organized the event. She said she put this together partially because she thinks it's hilarious.
“When you go on the road, and there's a bunch of them going by, people can't figure it out,” said Pusztavari. “Sometimes they're just staring, or sometimes they're like, ‘Go, Arcimoto!’”
But for Pusztavari, her Arcimoto is more than just a conversation starter. She said she bought an FUV after her son, who is autistic, took one for a test drive.
She said the lack of blind spots made it a better option for him than a car. And she finds it convenient for day-to-day travel around where she lives in Corvallis.
“I have gassed up a vehicle myself in Oregon about eight times. I still have to figure out how to gas up a vehicle,” she said. “That’s how much I drive this.”
Dan Robinhold, a substitute high school teacher in Eugene, used to ride a motorcycle, but quit because he thought it was too dangerous. He said he likes riding in his Arcimoto because he can still feel the open air and see the geese flying overhead.
“It makes driving much more social,” Robinhold said. “Someone you know is walking across the crosswalk in front of you, and they don't just wave. They say, ‘Oh, hi,’ and you can have a short conversation as they cross.”
Drivers at the recent rally rode up to a property outside Springfield, where Arcimoto’s former Research and Development Director Brad Harness keeps his collection.
There was a Chick-fil-A-branded delivery vehicle there — called a “deliverator”— and a vehicle skeleton that had been stripped for parts.
Harness now owns a business called FUV Mods, traveling from state to state to make repairs and other aftermarket upgrades.
He said there are a good number of vehicles in the west, but he makes upgrades all over the United States.
Harness offers zip-up windows to keep out the wind, opaque roofs to shield the sun and new third-party brake pads, among other upgrades.
He also recommends that Arcimoto owners get extra sealant added to protect their batteries from moisture. He said that’s been a problem during severe flooding in Hawaii and Florida.
Between the company stock and his own collection, Harness said replacement parts are still plentiful, but the vehicle’s battery modules are proprietary, and that could create challenges.
“You're not going to find another set of batteries that fit in our spot,” he said. “And I don't think another company is going to spend the time to engineer it into our vehicle when there's only 1,000 vehicles total built.”
Arcimoto’s financial issues in recent years, which have included lawsuits against the company, have led to complications for customers.
In 2024, the company’s phone line and website went down. Today, customers say those resources are back up, and Arcimoto has parts and vehicles for sale.
Eugene Weekly reported earlier this year that the company is facing eviction from its Eugene facility. But recent social media posts from customers indicate that it’s still open.
At the rally, attendees cited several potential reasons why Arcimoto didn’t take off — like price, timing, and limited driving range. Arcimoto didn’t respond to a request for an interview for this story.
Pusztavari with Arcimoto Hub said if the vehicles were released today, with gas prices recently topping $5 a gallon in Oregon, they would be flying off the shelves.
“A lot of other EV owners are like, ‘Electricity might be expensive, but not that expensive,’” Pusztavari said. “I think smaller is going to make a comeback.”
Last year, the company’s founder and former CEO, Mark Frohnmayer, started a new business called “Archetrike” and applied for trademarks for electrically powered motor vehicles, three-wheeled motor vehicles, and more.
Little else is known about the project. Frohnmayer told KLCC in June he had “no comment … yet.”
Robinhold, the teacher, said he hopes Arcimoto can sell its design or partner with a bigger car manufacturer.
“I think that's what all our hopes are, is that we'll come back… out of the ashes, resurrected as having somebody else make it,” he said. “Because it's a great little piece of vehicle.”
