Arcimoto

Arcimoto, founded in 2007 in Eugene, Oregon, aimed to revolutionize city transportation with its three-wheeled electric vehicles (EVs). By 2016, their state-of-the-art Fun Utility Vehicle (FUV) offered a compact, efficient alternative to cars, seating two passengers in tandem with optional enclosures for all-weather adaptability.

However, with nationwide retail expansion still years away, they needed a digital-first sales strategy. Partnering with Poeta Digital, which subcontracted me for UI/UX design, we set out to create an interactive online showroom—one that let customers visualize, customize, and engage with Arcimoto’s EVs as if they were seeing them in person.

The Vision: A Fully Immersive Digital Buying Experience

From the beginning, the focus was on making the showroom feel high-end—something that aligned visually and experientially with brands like Tesla, Ducati, and Porsche. Arcimoto wasn’t just another EV startup; it was introducing an entirely new class of vehicle. The digital experience had to reflect that innovation.

1. 3D Interactive Vehicle Configurator
At the heart of the showroom was an interactive vehicle builder. Users could:

• Swap colors on the fly.

• Add accessories like doors or cargo storage and see them appear instantly.
• Rotate the 3D model and explore the vehicle from multiple angles.

Since 3D web technology was still in its early stages, a separate development team was dedicated to the research and implementation of the viewer. I focused on crafting a seamless experience—ensuring that customization felt intuitive, responsive, and engaging.

2. Mobile-First Design for Sales & Customers
Arcimoto wanted this tool to be just as functional in a retail setting as it was for customers at home. That meant a tablet-first approach—designing the UI so that sales employees could easily walk potential buyers through the experience on-site. It also meant optimizing for phones, ensuring customers could interact with the showroom just as fluidly on a mobile device.

3. Brand-Driven Visual Aesthetic
To reinforce Arcimoto’s brand identity, I developed a mood board based on premium automotive brands. The design was sleek, minimal, and modern—mirroring the clean lines of the vehicles themselves. This approach extended to the interface, typography, and high-impact imagery, all designed to evoke the next generation of transportation.

4. Action-Packed Video Library
EVs are best experienced in motion, so we knew video would be a key driver in the digital showroom. Instead of standard product overviews, I designed a dynamic layout where:

• Each video was paired with a short, compelling description.
• Videos were edited to start with action—skipping slow intros and diving straight into high-energy driving sequences.

This approach immediately pulled users in, giving them a visceral sense of what it felt like to drive an Arcimoto.

The Proposal: Securing the Project with a 25-Page Pitch Deck

Before we even started building, I led the creation of a 25-page in-depth pitch deck and proposal for Poeta Digital, designed to win over Arcimoto’s stakeholders. The deck itself reflected the vision of the showroom—modern, sleek, and visually captivating. It wasn’t just a list of features; it told a story about how Arcimoto could break through traditional automotive barriers by leveraging cutting-edge digital experiences.

Challenges & Roadblocks

• Technological Limitations of Web-Based 3D
  • At the time, rendering complex 3D models in a browser was still a challenge. A dedicated R&D team was tasked with ensuring smooth performance, while I focused on UI optimizations to ensure interactions felt fluid.
• Logistical Complexity of a Fully Interactive Builder
  • As development progressed, it became clear that the infrastructure needed to support a real-time vehicle configurator—especially across mobile devices—was more complex than initially anticipated. Managing real-time asset loading, performance optimization, and keeping interactions seamless became a major hurdle.

• Ensuring a High-End Look Across Devices
  • A mobile-first design ensured the configurator worked just as beautifully on tablets and phones as it did on desktops.
• Balancing Speed with Visual Fidelity
  • High-quality textures and real-time reflections had to be optimized to maintain quick load times without compromising on visuals.

Outcome: A Pivotal Learning Experience

Despite the ambitious vision and promising early progress, the project ultimately never saw a final release. The combination of technological hurdles and logistical complexity made the 3D builder too cumbersome to fully implement at that time. Instead, Arcimoto opted for a more traditional website built in-house, prioritizing a streamlined, more practical approach to their online presence.

However, the impact of this project went beyond just the digital showroom. The work served as a huge morale booster for the Arcimoto team. It helped solidify their focus on high-tech efficiency and redefined how they approached their digital strategy moving forward. The project reinforced their brand identity as an innovative force in EV transportation and laid the groundwork for future digital experiences.

Conclusion

This project was ahead of its time—what Arcimoto aimed to achieve in 2016 is now standard practice for high-end automotive brands. It was a glimpse into the future of digital car buying, proving that even if an idea doesn’t make it to launch, the process of innovation can be just as valuable as the final product.