Aptera Reboot - Improved

[freebeard]

Aptera has 3,000 preorders for solar-powered 'never-charge ...
https://www.businessinsider.com/apte...v-2020-12?op=1
Aptera's vehicles will cost $25,900 to $46,900. Aptera Motors Aptera was founded in 2005 and ran out of money in 2011, but reformed in 2019.

Or spend $5-25K less and get 80% with an Arcimoto.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Hub motors could likely survive in urban driving.
75mph pot holes and other high speed driving appears to destroy them.
But then you are spending money on a car that's 15 years newer than my leaf, costs close to the same and is less capable. Might as well spend $5000 more and get a car that can carry more people and cargo and go on the highway.

If I were single and without children I'd go for the Aptera and want to drive it all over the country. If it gets double the e-mpg then that's half the time at places to charge, or twice the distance per hour of charging. When I would do trips in my Leaf when I had it I also did a lot of charging at not just L2 stations but also at L1, that is, regular 15A outlets. For an example, at a camp site, hotel or friend's house, as well as other odd locations. The charging infrastructure really hasn't changed that much so being able to charge twice or three times "faster" at these low power outlets would appeal to me.

[oil pan 4]

You only don't have to change it if you drive less than 40 miles per day, it's sunny just about every single day, never use the heat and AC, ect.

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

If I were single and without children I'd go for the Aptera and want to drive it all over the country. If it gets double the e-mpg then that's half the time at places to charge, or twice the distance per hour of charging. When I would do trips in my Leaf when I had it I also did a lot of charging at not just L2 stations but also at L1, that is, regular 15A outlets. For an example, at a camp site, hotel or friend's house, as well as other odd locations. The charging infrastructure really hasn't changed that much so being able to charge twice or three times "faster" at these low power outlets would appeal to me.

How do they know it will get twice the e-mpg? Did they build one and test it?

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

You only don't have to change it if you drive less than 40 miles per day, it's sunny just about every single day, never use the heat and AC, ect.



How do they know it will get twice the e-mpg? Did they build one and test it?

According to How Stuff Works the initial prototype got 230mpg, and I do believe that was fuel based, not e-mpg. So e-mpg should be better than that, like in the realm of two to three times better. Of course who knows what kind of mileage the finished product will get (or if there'll really ever be a finished product). But that would be the whole point of buying a vehicle like this. If it doesn't get substantially better mileage that would be like the Prius actually getting only 20mpg, or a if Ferraris started to be sold with 100hp engines with a 75mph governer. Why buy one?

If I recall correctly L1 charging in my Nissan Leaf put on about 5 miles of charge every hour. If this could do about 3 times better mileage per kWh then you could charge at about 15 miles each hour off of a standard 120V outlet. Thats about what the 3.3kW charging Leafs charge at on level 2 charging. Again, that's a big "if".

[samwichse]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

You only don't have to change it if you drive less than 40 miles per day, it's sunny just about every single day, never use the heat and AC, ect.

How do they know it will get twice the e-mpg? Did they build one and test it?

I mean, they do have it built. Watch the video.

But it makes sense. Take a model 3, reduce its frontal area by 30-40%, reduce its drag coefficient by 42%, reduce its rolling resistance by 1/3, then reduce it again for the weight reduction of a lightweight composite 2 seater and the smaller battery size required because of all the other things.

[freebeard]

These guys do a good job on the details:

Aptera Beats Tesla? | In Depth

At 25:06 it says add hood and hatch solar. The roof is 'estimated', the hood and (never seen) hatch are 'up to'.

I like the first principles. A sun-lit parking lot full of Apterii would be a complete infrastructure, and if you have to plug one in, it beats everything on miles per charge hour.

[ME_Andy]

I was watching Sandy's video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DhzkUnIh58

This thing has some cool tech. Dissipating heat via the body of the structure is ingenious.

[IamIan]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Hub motors could likely survive in urban driving.
75mph pot holes and other high speed driving appears to destroy them.
But then you are spending money on a car that's 15 years newer than my leaf, costs close to the same and is less capable. Might as well spend $5000 more and get a car that can carry more people and cargo and go on the highway.

Only time will tell of course .. and OEM hype should always be taken with a bit of skepticism .. but so far Aptera and Elaphe the company who makes their wheel motors , both have expressed confidence in up to ~100MPH highway travel pot holes and all.

From Elaphe .. some of the tests compilation video link bellow .. 100 g-force shock tests from different angles , encased in ice , submerged in water , salt water sprays , etc .. etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1alRUqx9UX8

[IamIan]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

According to How Stuff Works the initial prototype got 230mpg, and I do believe that was fuel based, not e-mpg. So e-mpg should be better than that, like in the realm of two to three times better. Of course who knows what kind of mileage the finished product will get (or if there'll really ever be a finished product). But that would be the whole point of buying a vehicle like this.

EPA does eMPG assuming 33kwh per gallon equivalent (on their drive test cycle).

If Aptera does 10 miles per kwh they've claimed = 330 MPGe

If Aptera does 9 miles per kwh = 297 MPGe.

etc.

But it isn't something like coasting down a hill .. It is EPA required to be the miles/kwh (or wh/mile) from driving the specific EPA drive cycle.

https://www.epa.gov/vehicle-and-fuel...s#calforniaEPA

[freebeard]

I poked around a bit and found this:

insideevs.com/news/466481/aptera-uses-more-tesla-parts/

This is why Anthony and Fambro decided to pick a production spot that they can lease and expand according to Aptera’s needs. Apart from the 40,000 square feet space, a nearby capable production facility can be expanded to 100,000 square feet.*

So their running about one year behind Arcimoto.

From Wikipedia:

The 4 Wheeled, 5 or 6 Passenger Aptera
Aptera Motors has stated in the timeline on its web site that it will begin design of a full sized 6 passenger vehicle in the second half of 2020.[4] However, in a more recent interview, the founders stated their next vehicle will be a 4-wheeled, 5 passenger car.[12]

Production Plans
In September, 2020 Aptera published on their WeFunder page an investor presentation document detailing production plans, with planned first customer availability in Q2 of 2021.[13] On December 4, 2020, Aptera Motors revealed the first solar powered Aptera prototype.[14] On the same day Chris Anthony wrote, "Delivery for early orders is end of 2021".[15] On January 11, 2021 he added, "If we can raise funds effectively and COVID doesn't continue to be a significant impediment we should be able to deliver 4 to 6 thousand units in 2022."[16]

edit:
* I guess this is in the video. I'll watch the rest.

Barona dragstrip advertised a meet on 15 Jan. Any news?

Okay, the most amazing thing for me is the heat pump skin radiator. The last car to use skin radiators, so far as I know, was the Stutz Blackhawk.