[NeilBlanchard]

I'm passing along further comments:

[Before] you get to our cabin first you must work your way through our sidepods and outriggers. Those are there for the absorbing purpose mostly. Further our chassis is a diamond. When you hit it in the side it becomes longer and when you hit it in the front it becomes wider...

it is all about gradual deceleration / speed adjustment.

Our car will be much safer in some crashes and it will be less safe in others. The best advice is to not get into a crash in the first place. That is why it stops 42 feet shorter than the requirement with the no drag X prize brakes. It is easier to stop (turn) a light car. Once again physics prevails.

In the end we can only do so much. If you run straight into a Chevy tahoe with no overlap you loose. We can not help that. It is a rare type of accident but then...

The 17 G above is with a (I believe) 4000 lbs car as mandated in the FMVSS. In effect we end up sliding sideways but without serious injury... Scary but better than in most other cars...

This still needs a lot of work but it is the lowest hanging fruit and the only real way to do this. The idea that a car is safe because it is made from composites or that a car is safe because it is heavy or because it has a strong frame rail alone is not enough. This is hard to do but it can be done.

Everything is a give and take. The art is finding the best compromise.

Also:

At the X Prize shakedown all the teams were in for a surprise about how tough the requirements are. This is after all for 10 million dollars. We race for a living and in some places had real trouble, which we will overcome. The fact that the Aptera had difficulty in the lane change and then passed it with a three wheeled vehicle is a tribute to them for having done the job well. Three wheelers are inherently not as stable. (They may have other offsetting advantages). As a matter of fact the Aptera was very nice. The build quality exceeded my expectations and it looked better in the flesh than on photos.

All teams ate humble pie. Even the Tango was on the ragged edge. He consumed way too much electricity. It was not obvious but we could tell from the sound under acceleration. He will be lucky to go 50 miles if he continues to drive the way he did. We really like Rick and he has done a tremendous job but the laws of physics are not negotiable. His car weighs 3000 lbs...

The fact is Aptera did well, looked good and have something to say. The fact is the X Prize is real and the tests are hard.

The fact is there is a reason why GM has not built a 100 mpg car to date. It is hard to do.