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[Crissa]

[MEDIA=youtube]mwzwEssgqNI[/MEDIA]
Aptera!  Only technically a motorcycle like an Arcimoto, but still a really sexy vehicle.

Hard to say more, as a little runabout, this is the way to do it.  It should get better miles per watt hour than my motorcycle!

https://www.aptera.us/

-Crissa

[mistasam]

1000 miles of range and it looks like a spaceship??  Sign me UP! 

[Crissa]

Weird, I don't know what went wrong with the media tag.

-Crissa

[wavelet]

Unlikely to make it into series production.
It doesn't seem to be meet any desire/need that anyone  has (certainly not the 1000mi version, but also goes for the basic 25kWh 250mi version); it's about the size of a Prius, but only a two-seater, so not a good commuter or family-compatible daily driver, given the price.
Ditto on longer trips.

Even for the base model, since it doesn't qualify for the Federal EV car incentive, it's more expensive than a 40kWh Leaf, and about the same as a Ioniq EV, and more expensive than the current actual prices for the Bolt.

[shayan]

drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.13

Amazing!

[Fran K]

Have we had what is a motorcycle and is there a max weight discussion on here?

Would you buy one without testing it out in blowing rain or at least strong winds.  My guess is that thing would be stopped (by law enforcement of some sort) on I95 on a bridge in New Jersey during windy conditions.

I can't tell if it has rounded tires like a motorcycle (two wheels in a line) that leans or the flat bottom kind for three wheeled "motorcycles" that don't lean.  There is some 4 wheeled creation that the wheels tilt but I doubt that is a motorcycle.

[NEW2elec]

A promo video for those interested:

[Fran K]

I'll go for a how it is made video.

What am I looking at?  Does it have hub motors or a drive shaft up  high?  Wonder how the front wheels flex over bumps, where are the pivots and the shock is way inboard.

[Crissa]

Unlikely to make it into series production.

I suppose, aside from... they already have a factory, a prototype, and a delivery schedule for next year.

I showed this on the Cybertruck forum and several guys jumped for it.  It's the runabout that needs no fuel or introduction.

-Crissa

[TheRan]

I'll go for a how it is made video.

What am I looking at?  Does it have hub motors or a drive shaft up  high?  Wonder how the front wheels flex over bumps, where are the pivots and the shock is way inboard.

Pretty sure those are hub motors, the bits that look like drive shafts are the linkages coming off the steering rack.

Actually, just found confirmation in their FAQs. Go to the performance tab and then click on "What type of wheels does Aptera have?". I imagine the rear wheel on the all wheel drive models (first three wheel drive car I've heard of) is just one of the front hub motors mounted on a single sided swingarm.

https://www.aptera.us/faq

[Fran K]

Perhaps they show the stator and the rotor is inside the wheel?  I found the faq answer.

Elaphe's exceptional in-wheel motor technologies give Aptera exceptional ride comfort, sporty performance, and tunable efficiency to assure the lowest energy usage possible. The standard motor package will be on typical 16" rims with a 195/45/r16 tire.


How fast is Aptera?
All of our vehicles will be 100 mph+ capable. 0-60 mph in our All-Wheel Drive version clocks in as fast as 3.5 seconds and Front-Wheel Drive as fast as 5.5 seconds. Both versions will be RPM limited to just over 110 mph.

They salt the roads around here and use a more corrosive salt than NaCl that can be pumped in places.  Probably best having drive shafts for an all season vehicle?

[caza]

It has the same problems the original aptera had. The design is smart in a lab but not suited for real life.

Most people don't find fuel efficiency to be a big enough problem to justify the sacrifices the aerodynamic design comes with. No rear seats, no big trunk, no way to add a roof rack, etc.

The efficiency of the design doesn't take into account how people actually use cars. Where are you going where you need 1000 miles on a charge, but you don't have space for luggage?

Don't get me wrong, there will be customers, and if the car is made a lot of them will be happy with what they get. But the design is far too narrow minded and limiting to ever be more than extremely niche.

I am really curious what kind of wh/mi this is going to get at freeway speeds though.

[Crissa]

No rear seats, no big trunk, no way to add a roof rack, etc.

Most two-seaters do not have back seats, no.  The Aptera has the same cargo space as a Model 3.  Most people don't put roof-racks on cars, especially not sports cars.

This is just a car to do most the things you do with a car.  Just like the Cybertruck is designed to do most the things you do with a truck,  Neither do the things you expect of a crossover, like have a sporty roof rack in a compact parking space for your surf board or skis.  I think they might fit inside, tho.

-Crissa

[caza]

No rear seats, no big trunk, no way to add a roof rack, etc.

The Aptera has the same cargo space as a Model 3.  Most people don't put roof-racks on cars, especially not sports cars.

It certainly does not.

Most two-seaters are sports cars and get their value from how fun they are to drive and how well they handle. The aptera is not going to move those customers.

The cybertruck has some of the same problems, but it does have a functioning truck bed and space for the kids in the back seat. It's also going to make its owners feel safe with how huge and tank like it is. It has a lot of features the car market is looking for. It definitely makes concessions for style, but it still fits into the most popular category of cars in its primary market.

I'm not saying some people won't like it, just that it will forever be niche.

[Richard230]

Obviously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I wouldn't be caught dead driving around in an Aptera. That thing just looks too weird to my eye.  Even worse than the original Brammo Enertia. I think that if your purpose is to sell electric vehicles in a volume to the general public that will return a profit to your company and its investors, you need to make them look more conventional. However, if you want to make a rolling statement to shock the viewer and rack up YouTube reviews, you make it look like the Aptera. 

The Aptera would be perfect to be featured in a James Bond or science fiction movie.