Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Aptera’s Electric Car (Almost!)
As we speak, the TED 2009 (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference is well underway, and one of their star contributors, as far as green transportation goes, is Aptera Motors.
Normally a secretive company, Aptera chose this venue to be the first public debut of their new, pre-production “2e” electric car and gave attendees who signed up test rides (the list filled up quickly). At the same time, they released detailed feature sheets, discussed performance specs, toured the onboard software, and on and on down the list.
Where to start? After the jump!
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First, the videos. This first one is of an Aptera spokesperson who stuck around the conference with an older Aptera while test rides were ongoing in the new 2e. He discusses the 2e’s features.
Full transcript here. The highlights: he starts off by referring to the 2-seat vehicle as part of the “2-series”, and mentions the future “4-series” for someone with a larger family — likely a reference to the “Palomar”. He contrasts Aptera’s 0.15 drag coefficient with typical cars getting 0.3 (even the Prius only gets 0.26, while the Hummer H2 gets 0.57, plus a much larger cross-sectional area).
He references the lightweight composite construction and the major strength advantages it offers, highlighting an incident where a reporter for Autoweek nearly knocked his teeth out trying to damage the car with a sledgehammer (he failed). He also notes that you can’t get trapped inside a composite vehicle in an accident; unlike steel, which warps, composites either bounce back or give completely; they cannot deform permanently.
In regards to safety, he first addresses performance and handling, since the best solution is to not have an accident in the first place. The 2e’s stability from its low-slung weight and wide stance gives it the same cornering rate as a Porsche Boxster (he is clear to specify not the “S” model Boxster). Its braking distance is slightly shorter than that of a Mustang GT. The official acceleration time is “under 10 seconds”, but according to the rep, “it’s actually a little less than 8 seconds, but we like to undersell.” More on this later.
In regards to passive safety, he covers the rear-impact zone, front impact/crumple zone, door impact beams, airbags, seatbelt interlock, and so forth.
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February 8th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Good news. Thanks.
I am so glad that Aptera’s marketeers seem to be getting more comfortable with informing folks. I think it shows the company gaining maturity and confidence with their product.
Hope they succeed and hope I can get a test drive before too long.
Now if they would just fix their puerile website I could go find something else to whine about.
February 9th, 2009 at 3:57 am
This sounds like a good competitor for a Ford “Probe” of around 1955 or so. That was an aerodynamic exercise using a 1.5 liter engine to get excellent fuel mileage for a 5 passenger sedan. Ford even went to the expense of providing flexible “skirts” for the front wheels to allow a wide tread and still turn the vehicle. zro to 60 was said to be around 12 seconds, but from 60 to 90 it easily out accelerated a car with 2.5 liter engine. That “Probe” was only good for about 50 mpg. Oh! the aerodynamic drag coefficient was reported at 0.15
February 9th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I like the Aptera. It really breaks the paradijm. The wide track appears to unnecessarily limit the parking convenience. [Too wide for a parking garage or similiar parking]. Please explain the rationale behind this!!!!
Thanks for your reply.
Joe Papai
February 9th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Nice article review giving more insight into the future of Aptera.
I would be affraid to drive the car around all those big steel SUVs on the road. Seems like 3 wheels might have a tendancy to flip easier if hit from the side. Where’s the crash test report ?? That must be the other half of the ‘ALMOST’ statement.
Is our society really ready for this change ? I suppose with the CEO being number 1600 on the waitlist is a good sign
I love the idea of the Aptera but I think some road changes have to be made. The Aptera scenario seems similar to the SMART car : Such a tiny spec that is lost on the freeway amidst gargantuan soccer-mom vehicles….but they are out there.
February 9th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
These guys have been running with the ball so long that they no longer know which direction the goal line is in. The vehicle is priced for the guys in the upper corner offices. Why would they give up the Mercedes and Lexus foe something like this. They can easily afford gas no matter what the price is. How many blue collar workers are there that can afford this vehicle? NOT MADE FOR THE MASSES!
February 9th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
I am really impressed with it. The hybrid for up here in the northwest makes sense to me. 330 mpg??? I doubt the 4 passenger would do that but 150 mpg would be great as well. I think I would feel like I’m getting into an aircraft. The whole concept makes sense to me. Now I’ve got to find out where they are and visit them and hopefully get a test drive.
February 10th, 2009 at 12:58 am
rschmidt: The average sale price of the Prius isn’t “made for the masses”, either. For the next few years, “green” will be the new “big”; companies will be able to treat mileage or battery-drive the way they used to tout seating, cargo space, or 4WD. Why not just roll with that? The most important thing about selling is to understand the market!
One important thing to remember about the Aptera is that it’s getting around safety requirements by being a motorcycle. Dumping it right into mass production would probably provoke the NHTSA a bit. Having this limited-production initial release will help them get some safety data, so they can be more confident about letting everybody have one.
February 16th, 2009 at 2:12 am
One comment or question I have not heard is: the life or warranty of the lithium ion battery. Include the replacement cost also.
February 19th, 2009 at 3:01 am
Can’t wait to try it…when do you expect the hybrid to be available?
Thanks
Walter
March 13th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Sure seems a whole lot better to me than the best selling vehicle Detroit has to offer. The ford f150 pickup. I wonder if it’s a chick magnet?
August 10th, 2009 at 5:11 am
[...] Motors publicly debuted it Aptera 2e during TED 2009 this past February, but the company has announced that it will modify the interior [...]