Marcos Nolan

The result of a side project during the design of Arcimoto's Gen5, exploring a single-seat, fully-enclosed, self-driving tri-wheel form with an emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency. Being a self-driving vehicle concept, the Kitefin's interior eschewed typical features such as a steering wheel and other controls, featuring instead a variety of displays and a large touchscreen for the single intended occupant.

Lacking the need for intakes, I opted for a minimalist front end, taking advantage of large expressive headlights to go with the streamlined appearance of the vehicle as a whole. The roof is composed of solar panels, and a small storage area is located behind the passenger, above the rear wheel.

Ideation & Development During the development of Gen5, interest grew in depicting a variant of the Arcimoto vehicle that would be fully-enclosed, as on earlier concepts, and geared mainly toward autonomous driving solutions of the near future. Visually, aerodynamic efficiency was to be the greatest deciding factor when it came to stylistic decisions. Development of what would eventually be called the Kitefin (following convention at the time of naming vehicle concepts after shark species) began in 3D. Upon being given basic dimensions and locations of passenger and components, I began work on developing surfaces that would evolve into the final form.

Once the exterior had been molded to a sufficient level of completion, I focused on details. Following are a collection of sketches exploring rear end styling.

3D Model