If the Uniti One achieves these targeted perfor-
mance specs, it will clearly surpass those of the
currently available Club Car Onward and STAR
Sirius. It also has the advantage of being fully-en-
closed, although it surely would not be a big deal
to provide an open top option. Suitable for travel
outside the gated community? Possibly, depending
on NHTSA safety regulations. Suitable for use on
the golf course? Clearly not. Although lacking in
this respect, the Uniti One could find a home with
non-golfers and those preferring all-weather com-
fort to a needs-be storm-sheltered PTV.
The 3-wheel option: The Arcimoto
As a second example, here is the U.S.-built Arcimoto.
Classified as a motorcycle in most DMV jurisdictions,
the Arcimoto has vastly superior performance specs
to the currently-available PTVs (as noted below), can
be fully-enclosed or open, and with the proper tires,
usable on your favorite greens.
The Arcimoto, is a three-wheeled vehicle and would
be as much at home in a gated community as in an
urban environment, and on the roadways between
the two. Some of the key specs:
Top speed: 75 mph
Range: 100 miles
Battery: Lithium ion
Charger: 120 V or 240 V
Charge time: 8 hrs. or 4 hrs
As note the Arcimoto can be fully enclosed. This
vehicle clearly bridges the needs for suburban and
urban environments—and the golf course.
An interesting aspect of the Arcimoto is the fact it
uses electric motors at the two front wheels, making
it clearly a vehicle of advanced design. The Arcimoto
was recently demonstrated at The Villages in Florida.
According to the company, it met an enthusiastic,
thumbs-up reception, with some reservations re-
garding use on the community’s golf courses. In an
interview with the company earlier this year, I was
assured that this issue could be resolved.
What will it take for a transition to take place?
The transition could be characterized as moving
from a “golf-centric” vehicle to an “urban-centric”
vehicle. The urban-centric UMV can be designed for
use both inside and outside the gated community,
where, now, the golf-centric PTV currently reigns.
Arcimoto three-wheel electric MUV
There are essentially two things needed for the tran-
sition to take place:
• First, a golf car manufacturer needs to step out
and take the lead in vehicle development and
promotion;
• Second, the consumer, both inside and outside
the gated community must be persuaded that
this new class of products, the UMV, is a wort
while purchase.
Neither one of these events is inevitable, but there
is a great deal of enthusiasm with regard to the
alleviation of congestion and pollution on the part
of government entities—to which start-ups, such
as Uniti and Arcimoto, are responding—that will be
influential in market development and consumer
perceptions.
We have the technology
One very important factor to take note of is the
fact that the underlying technology is in place to
allow the transition to take place. Range anxiety,
in technical terms anyway, is fading fast under the
impact of lithium battery technology and DC fast
charging. Electric motors are becoming more and
more powerful, using permanent magnet and axial
flux technologies.
Regulatory restrictions could raise issues pertaining
to on-road use. The Arcimoto skins that cat and
carbon fiber developments may put the crash test
barrier to rest for good.
I am personally optimistic that the UMV market will
develop and become clearly defined over the next
five years.
Contact Steve at [email protected].
Or check out our website at www.smallvehicleresource.
com, where you will find an extensive database of vehi-
cle models and can make side-by-side comparisons of
vehicles based on a full set of specifications.
MAY 2019
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