If this vehicle actually hits the streets in 2008, it’s exactly what I want in a EV: 120 mile range, amazing .11cd, heat and AC, airbags, seating for 2 with 15 bags of groceries [U]and[/U] it gets me into the Cali carpool lanes without a fight for those dang stickers!
If EV fans can get by the George Jetson looks and the fact that it’s a 3 wheeler, it could be a big hit at $27k. Will we see it in 2008?
It could only be better if everything was voice activated and the computer responded with Burt Rutan’s voice.
Ha! True, true… Burt would probably approve of the design, it’s very aircraft derivative, and obviously very aerodynamic. I heard that Aptera’s co-founder is a pilot. The Aptera body, wheel housings/supports and cabin seem very aircraft influenced.
I found a link of the Aptera to Rutan in the article linked below. Rutan won the 2004 $10 million Ansari X Prize and now Aptera, is one of the leaders in the just announced $10 million Automotive X Prize set for 2008-2010: Wired: Automotive X Prize
BTW- I have no connection to Aptera, just interested in it as a EV.
[QUOTE=2-4Trippin;1569]Ha! True, true… Burt would probably approve of the design, it’s very aircraft derivative, and obviously very aerodynamic. I heard that Aptera’s co-founder is a pilot. The Aptera body, wheel housings/supports and cabin seem very aircraft influenced.
I found a link of the Aptera to Rutan in the article linked below. Rutan won the 2004 $10 million Ansari X Prize and now Aptera, is one of the leaders in the just announced $10 million Automotive X Prize set for 2008-2010: Wired: Automotive X Prize
BTW- I have no connection to Aptera, just interested in it as a EV.[/QUOTE]
I was looking at this car and it looks to be one of the higher compeditors in the group… cant wait to see who else out there ends up with something better in terms of performace for a vehicle like that.
How does the aptera [B]not[/B] win the auto x-prise? the hybrid version gets at least 120mpg, and that’s without ever plugging it in. Their business plan calls for building 10,000/year in three years, and it easily beats the emissions requirements.
It’s possible they will run into production problems like the Tesla, maybe I’m missing something.
I placed an order yesterday so I’m in the high 800s on the waiting list. I think the form factor and accessories are fine and I’m sold on the engineering, but from the photos the cabin interior is styled after 1980’s beige-box computers. the steering wheel and dash are beige? Maybe it looks better in person.
Also, I know white will be a cooler temp. and therefore less energy lost to cooling but wouldn’t a black aptera look good?
I wish I could buy one now, 80’s style interior design or not.
I love the white “I am an experimental aircraft” paint. Wouldn’t change it for anything.
There’s only one thing I don’t like about the exterior styling - I wish the back would taper down to a point, like a Quickie or a helicopter, instead of a flat trailing edge shape.
[QUOTE=cogito;1576]How does the aptera [B]not[/B] win the auto x-prise?[/QUOTE]
I’ll put it this way… see what else is going to be out there… there is a team on this site working on something 
so wait and see… from what we have together so far it looks like it will eclipse this in terms of simply gas milage and performance.
[QUOTE=cogito;1576]How does the aptera not win the auto x-prise? the hybrid version gets at least 120mpg, and that’s without ever plugging it in. Their business plan calls for building 10,000/year in three years, and it easily beats the emissions requirements…[/QUOTE]Good question… how could the Aptera lose the X-Prize? The Automotive X-Prize rules and requirements are quite complex. Beyond the base requirements of 100MPG and minimal emissions, even clean electric vehicles will be held to a higher standard of MPG calculation as the fuel required to generate the electricity to charge, will be taken into account.
Vehicle sophistication in the areas of cabin noise and even AWD are credited as criteria to judge entrants. The PRELIMINARY Competition Guidelines are 37 pages long! Auto X-Prize Draft Competition Guidelines 3/07
The revision topics from October are another 11 pages long: Auto X-Prize Revision Topics 10/07
[QUOTE=cogito;1576]I placed an order yesterday so I’m in the high 800s on the waiting list…[/QUOTE]I’m very jealous, but excited to hear about your feedback and experiences with the Aptera factory. Please keep us updated on what they communicate to you…
[QUOTE=cogito;1576]I think the form factor and accessories are fine and I’m sold on the engineering, but from the photos the cabin interior is styled after 1980’s beige-box computers. the steering wheel and dash are beige? Maybe it looks better in person…[/QUOTE]Here’s a pic of a prototype with a rust colored interior, I kinda like it, although the dash still looks beige colored. I heard they will give new owners their choice of interior colors and possibly exterior graphics.
[QUOTE=cogito;1576]Also, I know white will be a cooler temp. and therefore less energy lost to cooling but wouldn’t a black aptera look good?[/QUOTE]I think black would look great, but the heat pump cooling system would have a much more difficult time keeping the interior cool. Even with a white exterior, I wonder if the heat pump system will be able to adequately cool during a SoCal heatwave. White is the color of choice for a reason, it uses the least amount of energy to keep the cabin comfortable…
[QUOTE=FEUS;1579]I’ll put it this way… see what else is going to be out there… there is a team on this site working on something 
so wait and see… from what we have together so far it looks like it will eclipse this in terms of simply gas mileage and performance.[/QUOTE]Can’t wait to see this site’s team entry, please give us info/pictures as they become available. This is an exciting time for EVs…
Trippin,
Where did you find that photo of the aptera w/ the rust interior? Thought I’d seen all the photos. Looks better.
Actually, rather than a black exterior, I’d prefer one with the upper surfaces covered with high efficiency solar cells, not just the small area on the roof.
I wonder what kind of exterior graphics they’re talking about?
I’ll post any info I get from aptera that isn’t readily available on their site.
-C
[QUOTE=2-4Trippin;1589]Can’t wait to see this site’s team entry, please give us info/pictures as they become available. This is an exciting time for EVs…[/QUOTE]
still working on the motor (i think it should be in testing by now?), but as soon as thats done, everything else should be a cake walk
[QUOTE=cogito;1592]Where did you find that photo of the aptera w/ the rust interior? Thought I’d seen all the photos. Looks better.[/QUOTE]I found the rust interior photo Googling for Aptera articles. It’s an obscure photo, I only saw it on a couple of websites. Aptera seems to only be posting the newer photos of the Typ-1 (the “Aptera in the Woods” series and this photo looks to be a bit older. The photo and article are here.
NEW VIDEO and LA Times Article (1/2/08), may only be up for a limited time as LA Times archives their web content: LA Times Aptera article and Video
Thanks for the link, I wish Dan Neil had written the LA Times piece. I’d like to hear his pulitzer prize winning thoughts on the Aptera. I don’t think Neil writes a column unless he can wring a car out for a few days, maybe he’ll do one when the production run begins.
My latest thoughts:
I live on a fairly steep hill, I assume the electric motor has the torque, but will it be slow on hills? Deplete the batteries? Videos I’ve seen so far have been on very flat roads. (Seems like they only drive on the same curved stretch of road in Carlsbad.)
I’ll be interested in hearing the road noise at highway speed. Aptera can’t afford too much noise dampening without trading in some of those mpgs.
Sun visors?
[QUOTE=FEUS;1598]still working on the motor (i think it should be in testing by now?), but as soon as thats done, everything else should be a cake walk ;)[/QUOTE]
I hope they can sell in NJ as well this year.
[QUOTE=vpillay;1617]I hope they can sell in NJ as well this year.[/QUOTE]
I’ll sell my car/motor to anyone anywhere… some of you might just be better off putting it in an existing car… so i’d like to make a nice kit for all of you.
[QUOTE=cogito;1608]Thanks for the link, I wish Dan Neil had written the LA Times piece. I’d like to hear his pulitzer prize winning thoughts on the Aptera. I don’t think Neil writes a column unless he can wring a car out for a few days, maybe he’ll do one when the production run begins.[/QUOTE]
Have you read Dan Neil’s stuff? He always writes with a sense of humor, not your typical “Pulitzer Prize” seriousness. It works perfectly for cars in LA (can’t take that subject tooo seriously!) and his articles are entertaining. Susan Carpenter does the “Throttle Jockey” motorcycle reviews and so I understand how the Aptera got lumped in with her 3 wheeler article. Hopefully Dan will give the Aptera a thorough test when it gets released to the public. The best thing about Mr. Neil? He FIRMLY entrenched in the SUVs are wasteful gas-guzzlers camp, and openly criticizes fuel inefficient vehicles. You go Dan!
[QUOTE=cogito;1608]My latest thoughts:
I live on a fairly steep hill, I assume the electric motor has the torque, but will it be slow on hills? Deplete the batteries? Videos I’ve seen so far have been on very flat roads. (Seems like they only drive on the same curved stretch of road in Carlsbad.)[/QUOTE]At full charge hills will be not be any problem, but they will deplete your battery faster than the flats. Just like your cordless drill, straight out of the charger will be the most power, with a slow decrease in battery voltage (and power) as the charge is depleted. Climbing the hill where you live at the end of the day will be slower than early on in your charge. The best thing to do is plan for plenty of mileage headroom (120 mile range, but use only half), and possibly charge along the way. I plan on plugging in at work, right next to the old GM EV-1 hookups that were installed years ago for those cars. My company rewards carpoolers and alternative transportation users with these kind of perks. I’ll bet many of you could convince your work to do the same if you can find an outside outlet to hook your extension cord to.
[QUOTE=cogito;1608]I’ll be interested in hearing the road noise at highway speed. Aptera can’t afford too much noise dampening without trading in some of those mpgs.[/QUOTE]Those same flat Carlsbad roads that you mention above, certainly have not challenged the Apteras suspension and drivetrain. I think you are right, Aptera faces a huge challenge in providing a vehicle that provides a compliant and safe suspension, while trying to isolate road and drivetrain noise. Notice that there have been very little said about cabin noise from those that have test drove or ridden in the vehicle. Aptera may have told early reviewers that cabin acoustics are being worked out. As ideal a spherical cabin shape and tapering tail are for aerodynamics, internally, those very same shapes tend to FOCUS drivetrain noise on the driver and passenger!
As much as the Aptera team has experience in aerodynamics, composite construction and battery science, I’ll bet some of the big challenges that they are dealing with right now are suspension/drivetrain sophistication and acoustics. And yes, all that stuff makes the vehicle weigh more and drop MPG/range.
[QUOTE=cogito;1608]Sun visors?[/QUOTE]Gotta have them… or some new-fangled liquid crystal, darkening, shaded glass that automatically reacts to low angle sun light and the eye-height of the driver! Sounds like that raises costs and weight… never mind, sun visors!!!
I do not think drive train noise is going to be much of an issue. You only have the motor, belt, and pulley. They are located well behind the cabin.
Road noise may be an issue but I cannot imagine that it could be any worse than driving with the windows down on the typical car.
There are so many different options in car buying these days picking just one may seem near impossible. At one point or another car buying has gotten you down, all the models, looks and makes blur together and give you the same picture? If this sounds like a predicament that you seem to be in maybe you should check out the Aptera. The Aptera is the newest in car advancements and seems to have everyone talking. Steve Fambro, the CEO of Aptera, is extremely adamant about the vehicle being able to be purchased as early as next year. This is exciting news to those of us who are in need of a big change. Whether you’re heading up the street to work or across the country on a business trip this vehicle just might be one for you.
There are many advantages and benefits to owning this new advancement in technology, the list seems to go on and on past safety and into the design of the vehicle. Although this may look like a car it is actually manufactured as a motorcycle. When the vehicle was built it was so small that it was required to be registered as a motorcycle. Although the company was very leery about the motorcycle name, because of the safety issues that may arise, they worked hard to get around some of those issues. The company went beyond their responsibilities to make this one of the safest vehicles available on the market today. The roof, doors and even the passenger side of the vehicle are well above the basic requirements for any vehicle. A few other minor installations that are new to vehicle technology are things such as the airbag in the seatbelts, a front subframe and even a firewall that directs the energy around the passengers. With all of these new features in the Aptera, in the near future a car accident will no longer be a thought in our minds.
Although safety is always a high priority, gas prices seem to be growing on our list of priorities these days. Gas prices are cutting into the paychecks of every U.S. citizen, finding a car that is a little easier on the wallet would be a great success. Therefore, it is great news to hear that the fuel efficiency of the Aptera is claimed to be about 300 miles per gallon at 55 miles per hour. This would make the Aptera the most fuel efficient car in the world; no wonder Californian residents are already on a waiting list to purchase the newly invented vehicle. Along with great gas mileage the customer also has some choices in their purchase. There are currently two different Aptera’s available: the all electric and the plug in hybrid. While the all electric is charged by two large batteries, which on average last about 120 miles, the plug in hybrid is powered by a small gas engine with the help of an electric drivetrain. The all electric is priced at a fair $26,900 where as the plug in is set at $29,900.
The gas mileage is a huge plus to the vehicle but, what about the looks? At first glance you might write it up as a futuristic car that looks more like a toy. The mere 1500 pounds of it seems to be too light to drive anywhere. Nevertheless, the vehicle is all up to par as far as looks go. The three wheeled vehicle has two speeds and does look more like a motorcycle than a car. The classic white looks great next to the dark windows in the front, sides and even the roof. It looks as if any minute the vehicle will take off into space. The futuristic looks do not seem to be an issue. Although, Fambro is still unsure of how the final product will actually end up looking when finally released onto the market.
The benefits of this car seem to be endless and customers cannot get in line fast enough for this great new vehicle. Although we have come a long way since the assembly lines of the Ford motor company’s there seems to still be a pride of the United States in this new invention. The Aptera has changed the face of motor companies and other companies better catch on fast to the new wheels of the U.S. It is only a matter of time before Aptera becomes a household name; not only in California but around the world.
wow i didn’t realize they would cost that little! thats awesome!
The Aptera looks great. I find it to be the model electric car, stylish, futuristic, very usable and very inexpensive for such a brilliantly engineered automobile. Shame they only sell in California…
…on the other hand, from a more Canadian perspective, they wouldn’t last 5 minutes in our road conditions, let alone the dubious handling and rustproofing in the snow, salt and slush – I can just visualize its minuscule rear wheel spinning the back end around like a pendulum without moving the car forwards.
If and when they prove their winter prowess, I’ll honestly say they deserve the X-Prize. But with the way such awards are given (popularity and who-has-more-money-and-influence contest) it’ll bound to be awarded to a terrible GM fuel cell vehicle. Lets hope the panel of judges don’t work for Shell and Chevron.
The Aptera has huge potential, but I find that a significant amount of consumers will find it too futuristic and unsafe being registered as a three-wheeled motorcycle.
Alright, It’s a year later and they should be out any time still!!!