Aptera's back...Solar Electric Vehicle

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by samwichse

I dunno, I looked pretty carefully but didn't see it? ...But maybe I'm missing it on my phone...

Viewing it on a bigger screen probably required. To my eyes, it looked like the right wheel lifted slightly as the left side suspension compressed. The touchdown was the noticeable part.

I just rewatched it at 0.25x speed and 1440p and I'm sure I can briefly see daylight under that right tire. About 1px worth. They shoulda digitally shaded that a bit.

Also just noticed the front wheel skirts are not on the car in that shot.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Can I put videos in an album?)

Just images.

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

With an anti sway bar they could get rid of the hub motors and switch back to a traditional geared motor with half shafts, should save $10,000

And it would be significantly faster than my ancient 2011 leaf. The leaf at full battle rattel on a wet road appears to be at least a full second faster at every marker. That little thing should easily mop the floor and run circles around an obsolete relic like the original leaf.
It's really looking like direct drive hub motors don't offer anything over a regular motor and great box.
They definitely cost more, appear to be very heavy, make the vehicle significantly slower and will contribute to "unsafe at any speed" handeling.

[redpoint5]

I for one, appreciate oil pan's subtlety.

[Isaac Zachary]

I really hope Aptera succeeds. To be honest, I love the idea of driving an EV, but there aren't any EV's out there that appeal to me. They're the same sedans and crossovers just made with electric motors, Leaf and Teslas included. The cyber truck is different, but isn't ever going to be in my price range.

What I hope for is more versions of the Aptera. 4 wheels, 4 doors, 5/6 seats or more. But with ultra aerodynamic body styling.

It's either that or I take a Model 3 and aeromod the thing to death and put solar panels on it.

[oil pan 4]

Normal looking cars with 2 or 4 doors is what most people will buy.
I hope they are successful. But they are not going to be unless they offer a machine that is the same price or cheaper than a normal looking car and it can run circles around normal looking cars.
Cause right now it looks like they are basing success on "it looks different".

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

What I hope for is more versions of the Aptera. 4 wheels, 4 doors, 5/6 seats or more. But with ultra aerodynamic body styling.

Edison2.

edison2motors.com/facts-figures

• Winner of the $5 million Mainstream class of the Automotive X Prize
• An internal combustion engine powered VLC in X Prize on-track testing achieved 110 MPGe (EPA combined)
• An electric VLC recorded 245 MPGe in the EPA 5-cycle test (combined) and 350 MPGe using X Prize metrics (Roush Laboratories)
• A VLC prototype with a Smart Car driveline achieved 89 MPG (highway), compared to 41 MPG for the Smart
• The VLC demonstrated the lowest drag ever recorded at the GM Aero Lab for a multi-passenger car (0.160 Cd)
• The VLC holds the best coastdown numbers ever achieved at Chrysler’s Chelsea Proving Grounds
• At the X Prize the VLC posted a peak lateral acceleration of 1.18g on a skid pad, the fastest speed through the double lane change, and shortest stop

[Isaac Zachary]

When I was a kid cars where cool. There were lots of cars and not necessarily much more powerful than the rest, but each was cool in its own right. The older air cooled VW's and the muscle cars were still driving in their natural habitat. Then there were the hot hatches, the import tuners (even if their exhausts sounded like farts), and cars that were quite different like the Toyota MR2 and Pontiac Fierro and the Mazda RX7. Even minivans were cool since you could also go for a mid-sized Chevy Astro or Ford Aerostar. Or you could get a mid-engine super-charged Toyota Previa.

Most of those vehicles weren't the fastest nor the most practical. But they were cool and fun to drive in their own right.

Today we live in the CUV invaded apocalypse. If you want a vehicle you get a grey CUV. If you want to be cool you get a grey CU-EV. If you really want to really stand out you get a blue CU-EV.

Today's vehicles compete on screen size and how few seconds to 60mph.

What's cool about Aptera is they're trying to make an ulta efficient EV. This will help solve a lot of problems.

• A lot of people rent and don't have a way of installing a 240V level 2 charging system on the apartment. But if the car is efficient enough they could maybe get by with just running a 120V 15A extension cord to their car out the apartment window.
• If the car is ultra efficient you won't need such expensive quick charging infrastructure, lower wattages would suffice. Or charge up much faster with such chargers.
• Cars could be priced lower with smaller batteries and still get you as far or father than they can now.

All of these things would be the benefits of ultra efficient EV's. Or we can just keep driving lame, boring sedans and CUV's forever and ever.

[freebeard]

When I was a kid it was fenderless Model As and bullet-nosed Studebakers. I saw Ron Courtney's X-51 on the streets of McMinneville. Now it's in some museum.

The older air cooled VW's and the muscle cars were still driving in their natural habitat. Then there were the hot hatches,

It was fun watching Beetles blow the doors off Big Block Chebys.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by freebeard

It was fun watching Beetles blow the doors off Big Block Chebys.

Ya! We'd go down to the 1/4 mile and watch them race. I remember one Beetle in particular with "The heartbeat stops here!" painted on the side.

Not that I have anything against Chevy's. I loved Chevy's too. My sister's first car was a 2 door '73 Malibu she bought for $50 and bored out the block to put in bigger pistons and a huge Edelbrock carburetor and headers. The thing would peal rubber!