Aptera's back...Solar Electric Vehicle

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

And communism works on paper.

And your point is?

I can see a best case scenario on paper not ever working out.

But the 40 miles per day average is not even close to a best case scenario. It's way worse. But according to you it's even much worse than that. How can you be sure?

[oil pan 4]

I doubt their average factored in days on end with no direct sunlight. The longest I have personally seen overcast skys was 3 weeks straight in maine.
With alternative energy you can't pretend like averages and best case scenarios are going to cut it.

[Isaac Zachary]

And your point is? Cut what? Is it illegal to plug in the car if you have 3 weeks of overcast?

I've seen temperatures as cold as -52⁰F making antifreeze freeze and diesel fuel gel. I suppose owning a vehicle is out of the question for me because I might need to install a block and fuel line/tank heaters and plug in my car on those days.

[oil pan 4]

People seem to be fawning over the idea that it will never need to be plugged in. That makes it attractive to people who live in apartments and can't charge.
Yeah if live in Arizona and only drive 20 miles a day tops.

-52 is exceptionally cold. I'm talking about normal weather bricking this thing with out a charger.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

People seem to be fawning over the idea that it will never need to be plugged in. That makes it attractive to people who live in apartments and can't charge.
Yeah if live in Arizona and only drive 20 miles a day tops.

-52 is exceptionally cold. I'm talking about normal weather brick in this thing with out a charger.

Agreed. Never needing to plug in is unrealistic, unless you're free to not have to go to work whenever you want.

But that doesn't make it impractical. Being able to get 40 or more miles in a day on good days is great IMO (even if those occurred only 170 days a year) and would be worth it for a couple grand over the initial price to me.

Also, depending on public charging costs, it could make it more feasible for apartment dwelling car buyers to get into an EV. If you drive, say 30 miles a day and have a 300 mile range, at worse you'd need to charge up off a public charger once a week. But during sunny summer months you may go for months without needing to charge. Every now and again it might be once every two or three weeks, and like I said as a worse case scenario, once every week. Sure, it's not perfect, but it's still more ideal than having a Tesla that you'd have to charge off of public charging every week, period. That, and if you're charged by kWh, it's also 2 to 3 times cheaper in the Aptera even if you don't get a drop off sunlight where you live.

[redpoint5]

Or someone can get a 300hp 40 mile EV range 40 MPG RAV4 Prime for less money and never worry about trying to maximize UV damaging exposure. This thing is DOA.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Or someone can get a 300hp 40 mile EV range 40 MPG RAV4 Prime for less money and never worry about trying to maximizing UV damaging exposure. This thing is DOA.

The RAV4 Prime is for a completely different group of buyers. Apartment dwellers who dream of some day being able to plug in, but would have to use public charging every day to do so. Therefore they end up using their plug-in hybrid as a hybrid.

The Aptera is for anyone who wants an EV that uses less electricity than a traditional EV. Will it be dead on arrival? Maybe, I'm no expert. If I were to get an EV again it would have to be a used Nissan Leaf to be a second car or a used Tesla or maybe Bolt in some distant future to be a primary car. And those who are new car buyers seem to prefer SUV's and pickups.

[oil pan 4]

It might not be dead on arrival. It may gain a cult following just for being different.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Apartment dwellers who dream of some day being able to plug in, but would have to use public charging every day to do so. Therefore they end up using their plug-in hybrid as a hybrid.

Living in a country where apartment complexes have been more common than detached houses in urban areas, which makes it harder to address the need for a readily-available recharging spot at home, that's a reason which leads me into believing a plug-in hybrid would still make more sense than a full-EV. And the majority of recharge outlets I have seen which are accessible to the public have limited operating hours.

The Aptera is for anyone who wants an EV that uses less electricity than a traditional EV.

As long as "traditional" means trying to proof at any cost that an EV will always outperform an ICE-powered counterpart, with all the toll it charges over the efficiency, I'd much rather take a look at the Aptera if I were into EVs.

and those who are new car buyers seem to prefer SUV's and pickups

Sometimes it's quite frightening how anybody looking for an ICE-powered vehiche has been mostly dictated toward oversized SUVs and pick-ups while something with a smaller footprint could be a better choice overall not only regarding cost but also efficiency. For instance, did you know the current generation of the Suzuki Jimny had to be reintroduced in the European Union as a 2-seater "commercial vehicle" instead of a 4-seater in order to circumvent some stupid regulation which imposes a higher penalty over it compared to larger SUVs with higher overall emissions and a larger footprint?

[Isaac Zachary]

I still want a +4 seat Aptera. That would be the first and only brand new car I'd ever buy if it actually ever exists and if I have enough money at that time...

I guess I'm a lot like crossover owners. I don't care that much if it costs more or is less practical than alternatives. I just love the car design...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV7lF2vrpt4