I agree that the design can be polarizing. But as someone for whom form follows function, the spaceship design is beautiful to me because they were seeking the most efficient shape possible. Aptera has talked about a 4-person 4-wheel version after they bring the 3-wheeler to market, but it will necessarily be less efficient.
Is it less efficient per passenger though? I think it’s best to break down transportation costs per person transported, so even though a bus isn’t the most efficient shape, it would still win because it transports so many more people compared to a car.
Public transport is always going to be more efficient when fully loaded with people, yes. But unfortunately not everyone has access to fast/effective public transport (especially in the US)
@@jaredharmer7047 While you are perfectly correct, public transportation often doesn't go exactly where you want to go, when you want to go. If I want to get groceries a couple miles away does it make sense to take a bus or hail a cab? Maybe. But I'm much more likely to hop on my ebike and get there with less fuss and expense and faster. That was the freeing thing about bicycling when bikes were first invented. You could go where you want, when you want and not have to consult a train or coach schedule. You didn't have to rely on a horse, which fouled the streets with their waste. You got exercise as well. Public transportation makes sense when you have a regular schedule of where and when you want to travel. Like commuting to work where you can attend Zoom meetings. (Well, maybe that needs to be re-examined, too.) I think the important thing is that we have different modes of transportation for different needs. The emphasis should be on lighter vehicles that are operated by human power and/or electricity. Heavier vehicles like pickup trucks should be reserved (rented?) for special tasks and not used to drive to pick up a prescription. Public transportation used for regular trips to specific, recurring destinations.
Thanks for your great work and Aptera enthusiasm, please keep it up! My wife and I are pre-order holders and small-time investors who can't wait to see where Aptera takes us! When not driving, we plan to keep our Aptera securely in a garage, but with external solar panels directly connected for charging.
Great video! I've ordered an Aptera, because I have a ~9 km commute and park in full sun, in zone 7. If it was at all reasonable for me to ride a bike, I would, but due to the nature of the roads there's a good chance I would become a stain on the bumper of a passing truck or car (think 55 mph speed limit, no bike lanes/sidewalks, etc.). I got the 400mi range version as I do take road trips occasionally, and I was never under the impression that I might never need to charge it, that's ridiculous. The economic advantages of the Aptera extend beyond the incredible energy efficiency though. Just three tires to replace and full support for reparability (see Aptera's position on right to repair, and design decisions on parts) are among the other reasons. What many people also don't consider is that the miles per charging time for Apteras should be vastly superior to other EV's as the battery does not need to be as large.
@@kevinconquest9307 This is all pure speculation, but: The short answer, given the best case scenario, assuming all goes relatively well and you place your order now: 2-4 years from now depending on which model/options you choose. Rough estimates. Very rough based on the limited information that I have gathered and the fact that production has not yet begun. Current preorders sit at about 20,000. Initial production will be small, but the they should ramp to their first goal post of 10,000 per year fairly quick. I expect to see this production level hit sometime in mid to late ‘23. I suspect we will see higher production rates sometime in ‘24 or maybe ‘25. If they are able to produce even 4000-5000 units in 2023, I’d be very impressed. Another 10,000 in 2024 would also be impressive and exceed any expectation I currently have in mind. This would put the last of the current 20,000+ preorders being produced in 2025. Their plan is to produce the “special editions” (the name escapes me at the moment) first and then begin proper production with the 400 mile model. Then they plan to integrate the 250 mile model on to the production line. Then the 600 mile model. And finally the 1000 mile model as that model is, and I quote Chris here, “a bit more challenging”. All additions will be added to the production line while they are still producing the previous models. Ordering a 400 mile option ( the most popular model at the moment) might decrease your wait time as they seem to be giving this model some priority early on, while ordering the 1000 mile option might increase that time due to the additional complexity of production/design and delay in initial production. Determining how your wait time will be affected when ordering the 250 or 600 would be most difficult at this time as they are rarely spoken about when they discuss production time lines and total number (percentage) of preorders for each of these models.
I made an excel model taking into account that you shouldn't operate the battery outside the 20-80 percent range if you want it to live a long, happy life. Even with that, I could drive from Phoenix, AZ to Portland, OR over 3 days and only have to do one full charge and one partial charge. This was for the 60 Kwh model. With the 100 Kwh model, it would only take one full charge to make that 1400 mile trip.
Even if you live in a place with not much sun it's still the most efficient EV out there. Even if you have to charge it all the time the fuel cost will still be 1/10th of an ICE car. The solar recharge is just a bonus. If you don't have kids and don't need to use your vehicle as a tool then it's perfect, it's relatively cheap, and the trunk is even big enough for a CostCo trip.
Being retired my 'daily commute' isn't daily. But I found out that I can fit a Hobie fishing kayak in the back, park the Aptera in a sunny parking place near any of our many local rivers and fish my heart out with no charge, no gasoline and minimal maintenance. Electric motors don't need many rebuilds. All in all, I decided to put down a deposit.
Sounds amazing. I was wondering if I could fit a canoe in the back, maybe with the passenger seat down. Personally I'm looking for to using it a mini camper, carting a bell tent to remote locations.
I have a deposit on an Aptera, and I am very skeptical of the benefits of the onboard solar panels. If they help at all, I will be pleasantly surprised. I'm excited about the aerodynamics.
I live in Iowa with about half the solar insulation of San Diego, and I expect that the full solar will easily pay for itself. I also think it will add to the resale value when the time comes, although I expect Aptera to be my last vehicle, and I will probably pass it on to a child or grandchild.
Keep in mind that a kilowatt on an aptera is VERY different than 1 kw on a tesla. The model S tesla gets you 2 miles (for example) on a single kwh. The aptera gets you 10 miles on a single kwh. MEANING that an hour of solar charging has REAL results in the aptera.
Why are you skeptical? The math involved is no more than simple arithmetic. Panels put out X number of watt/hours per day on average day. Vehicle consumes X number of Watt/hours per mile. Add 15% for charge inefficiencies. That's it. I've done similar calculations for my electric vehicles for the last 30 years. It's not rocket science.
Well done on this video. For me I work at home, so my weekly trips are teaching Kundalini Yoga, grocery stores. Going to mountains to hike, etc. I doubt I'd need to charge, unless I'm going on a long road trip. I'm going to get the 600 mile version
How far is your Kundalini class from where you live? I too work from home, except for when I travel for business, which is about 1.5X/month and is usually within 300 miles radius and I stay an average of 3-4 days at each destination, where I would park in plain sun. I also drive into town 10.5 miles round trip (I would ride my bike, but the country roads are a bit dangerous) to teach yoga 3X/week. Since I live in the sticks I take advantage of that time to do my shopping because the grocery store is 2 blocks from where I teach. I don;t teach Kundalini but I have invited Kundalini instructors to expose my students to other traditions and disciplines. I teach mostly vinyasa style flow, with some Ashtanga influences, but coupled in with philosophy Patanjjali's Sutras which I fear is sorely lacking in many yoga classes. People pay on a voluntary sliding scale to make yoga accessible to all and this prevents it from becoming one of those Lululemon crowds. lol We've started a "scholarship fund" for those who are financially strapped. In my view, those who have financial worries often could benefit a lot from yoga but can afford it the least especially in towns where it's become "YaaS!": Yoga as a a Service (for an hefty fee, that is) ...which turns it into a commercialised elitist endeavour. I believe that te gift of yoga should be available for all. Anyways, I'm getting off topic my a league. The Aptera that I reserved is the full-solar 400-mile range one with the off-road package (since I live in the sticks). All the best in your practice and instruction. May you also have awesome students!
@@fanfare100 It's a 23.2 mile round trip to teach a Kundalini Yoga class. There is a charger I stop at usually to top off. Takes about 40% of my battery. I only have 16 KW left on my 2013 Leaf. Thank you for the gift of teaching Yoga to the world. Much needed in this time. I would prefer the class to be donation only based. But the studio I teach at isn't like that. Sometimes I teach at a park & it's donation based or if I do a private gong bath. All donation based.
I’m a big fan of the concept and hope it takes off - between the tiny battery and the extraordinary MPGe I bet they could release a 100 mile version that would be extremely affordable. It’s so efficient you can use PHEV-sized batteries where other cars need at least 30 kWh.
Thank you so much for this video. I reserved the 400 mile version, because, last time that I checked, I am an human being and, even if I plan to go cross-countries, I will need to take nature stops to eat, sleep and do other business. If I make my stops coincide with charging locations that offer fast-charging by the time that I am done with my meal, my Aptera will have more than enough juice to bring me to my next nature stop. Any range farther than this is likely overkill for me. Also, a bit of trivia, NORD VPN is Headquartered out of the Republic of Panama, a traditionally Neutral and Non-Aligned Country without extradition treaties. A country which has never turned over the private properties of its residents to foreign powers.
Very good overview of the "never charge" concept. I live in western Washington state which the annual sunshine is less than Germany. I do have a 4.85kW solar array on my home and can see that about 35 -40 days on either side of the summer equinox I should be able to make full use of all the panels available on the Aptera given clear skies all day as the sun is a bit north of me mid June. I have an annual trip to the east side of the state that is 126 miles one way during that time frame. One day to drive too and one back with two days of play that puts maximum 36 miles on my suv. With the Aptera and a 400 mile battery I should never be less than about 290 miles of range left on the battery in theory and get 160 miles of free energy if I park on the right side of the hotel to catch mornings light. With my suv I leave home with a full tank and have to fill up to half a tank before I leave to return to be comfortable in case there is an accident snarling the various highways. Typical traffic makes it a 3 hour drive. An accident and you might sit an hour going nowhere and then be in stop and go traffic on the west side. Last year it was 5 hours to get home. Right about now you should be asking why so much gas. Well I have to go over three passes, one 3000 feet another 4,100 feet. Starting at sea level with a low of 1900 feet between those passes, ending at 780 feet. The first pass is not as high as the other two but has extremely steep roads on both sides. The uphill has two lanes with one downhill. Going up the right lane has mostly semi's going about 40-45 mph loaded and the other lane is going 65 on average with campers trying to pass the semi's. The rise and fall is equal in height and about 3 miles on either side. That, 10% ethanol added in the summer to gas and my lead foot or fear of someone's road rage attack especially in that area contributes to range loss even in the suv of about 24% or 15 miles per gallon with an 18 gallon tank. I never really thought about it much before this. I am really interested in how good the regen braking is for all wheel drive. I think in reality I may get close to 200 miles of range left in the battery at some point. Unfortunately those will be last to production as they need to work on the torque vectoring system. Right now they do not think they have spare engineers to work on that until the gamma version finishes design hopefully before the end of summer. The research may be done about 6 to 8 months after they start production of the front wheel drive model. Aptera motors signed a strategic supply agreement with Chery Automobile that may speed up the beginning of production by giving Aptera access to Chery's supply chain. Details can be found in the news section of Aptera web site. In general I feel much better about being on a freeway turned parking lot with an Aptera than anything else! This also makes me feel pretty good about going skiing in the winter where the distance is 66 miles to my favorite resort with a base of 5200 feet even in temperatures near zero [f]. Unfortunately due to urban sprawl that trip that in my youth that was 75 minutes [legally] is now 95 on a good day [due to 9 added stop lights] and highly patrolled for mostly a two lane road. Best side benefit is that since it is considered a motor cycle by state law. I can use the freeway HOV [high occupancy vehicle] lane with me as the only passenger like any motor cycle. A 4 wheeled car with only two seats does not qualify and must have both seats with a person in them as any car or van with 2 people can also be in the lane. Can't wait to be pulled over by a state trooper. lol
I spent the first 22 years of my life living in western Wa so I know exactly what you're describing. I live in western Or now and I too am looking forward to being able to drive my aptera to Mt Hood meadows for some skiing! I don't think you could fit two people plus skis without them sticking between you, but it should at least be as roomy as my old corolla and that was fine. Its a 70 mile drive to meadows, lots of elevation, so I'd expect the 40kwh awd version i have on order should have at least 100 mi of range after a day of skiing. Of course the cost of a lift ticket is my biggest problem these days! I used to go to Snoqualmie for 6$ night skiing, now its gotta be 45-50$ at least for a night pass at meadows and day passes are like 80$.
I should mention that 6$ was back when you got a 2-1 from filling at a shell station and on half price nights, so not a fair comparison I guess. But its hard to ski cheap these days.
@@kj_H65f Well just to let you know. At Crystal this year when they got a dump and you went up to buy a ticket the price was $175 a day for 2 feet or better. Prices vary by conditions day to day for one day passes. I have access to Founders rates and get a mid week pass for free as my Sister owned original stock in the Mtn. Those rights to ski tickets have passed threw every company that has bought the mtn due to many lawyers that were part of the original charter creating Crystal. Her husband and I ski free but only go up Tues - Thursday and Friday when Enumclaw stops sending kid up for "PE" classes in skiing. Epic and the other group created a system for the creation of national snow chasers. Crystal finally announced they would again sell mid week passes to just their mtn [early price was $595]. A full access pass for just them was $3000. If you want a parking pass for the upper lot for the season add $4000 to that. They charge to park on the weekends on all but the H lot which has limited shuttle service on weekends only. On weekends the crowds are so big it is worse than the 70's with lift lines in the 40 to 50 minute range at spring break time. They just announced they would tear down the old building where the ski shop is and their management offices to replace the old building with a bigger food services floor and new toilet facilities [finally] with coffee shop and other retail below. The other building will be converted to rentals, repairs and sales and get some updates maybe tear out the old toilets and expand the ski Patrol offices and lockers, which prices on those spiked last year [that will take two years]. Then the next year they will build a new summit house expanding almost 3 fold with retail shops [?] underneath the restaurant along with the ski patrol. The last project starting in maybe 4 years will add a "World Class" 100 room hotel and convention center on the old site of the original rope tows east of the new restaurant. Total investment $250 million. I really don't think they have a handle on what it will really cost but obviously they are not sharing their numbers with anybody. Over 280 ski resorts in this county have closed in about 15 years either due to climate change or their inability to make enough money to upgrade chairs even with those sold used by the big corporations in the resort game. But you got Anthony Lakes!!! I prefer Mt Hood to Timberline but skiing the backside of Anthony... it is very family friendly too. The back end of the aptera they will make the gamma vehicle 4" longer than the alpha design [and a bit more headroom for a 6' 8" person, upper body room along with the tail being a bit wider]. The computer shows it improved drag by 5% so below 0.13 drag! On the aptera owners club channel the creator posted himself laying down in the back. He is 5'10" and had a foot of room for his head and his feet did not go over the edge by the seats and that was an alpha design. So 2 pair of 190cm skis should fit easily with poles and boots as well. My old 210's might touch on the console with the tips hanging over the edge. The three wheel drive has better regen braking as well and while driving up will use more range, going down will give back much if the roads are clear. It might be wise to lower the setting on snow and ice. I am 66 miles from Crystal in Oly. It is now a 1:45 hour drive due to 12 new stop lights from Buckley to Bonnie Lake. The 400 mile pack [possibly 39 to 42 kWh] should lead to no anxiety. If your passenger and equipment combined weight less than 500 lbs you get an extra mile per 30 pounds. I figure with my b in-law and gear [1 pair of skis ea.] we will be about 400 lbs. The only unknown right now is temperature effects on the production intent delta version and how they might heat the batteries for better range which they are exploring. Aptera OC also has the first vid of the static testing of the belly pan which is made of aluminum which has fluid channels built in as the body being composite is super insulated make it cheaper to heat than a steel body. Recent statement suggest they are a lot further on than previously thought on the gamma body and it may be "set in stone" soon. Also that vectored steering may not take as long as previously thought. They have made commitments with key suppliers of the finished modular pieces they will make. They need to pay for molds, frames and stamping parts so they will start getting finished modules at the assembly factory in 6 months from now. It is looking more like they will be able to delivery some in December. I am willing to wait another year and half or so to get mine as I expect they will ramp up to 20,000 per year in that factory in the second year if they can get the batteries. Now that they have over 20,000 orders due to a vid by Rich Rebuilds and Stevon at the wheel to be the only none Aptera employee to drive the beta now that they made it street legal. It is well worth watching especially near the end where Stevon yells at Rich watch this as he drives by!
@@craigarnold1212 You’re quite the writer, and your memory for numbers is astounding! Interesting stuff. I’m in P.A. on the Oly Pen, and an Aptera feels like a nice fantasy, it somehow appeals to me despite all the obvious disadvantages. I’ve got a little NA Miata and a couple of motorcycles, and with the federal and state(?) rebates, a 400 mile range Aptera just might be in my future in a couple years. I think the federal rebate would be for up to 200,000 vehicles, and I wonder if there’ll be a WA State rebate that kicks in as well. I’m also wondering about crash data and crosswind stability data. Again, I ride motorcycles, so I don’t expect an Aptera to ride like a Lincoln town car, but would want to make sure these are not huge issues… this is my second video, so I will learn more I’m sure. Have you sat in one at one of their exhibitions? I do wonder how it drives…
Thanks for the deep dive, good job overall, and definitely provides food for thought. It was my understanding the 100 Wh/mi was based on the 400 mile range vehicle, the most popular (most orders). I'm not sure the if the 100 Wh/mi holds for the 1,000 mi range version due to the higher weight. I also think it would have been a bit more useful to show the 400 mile range version as this is what most people are buying (at least initially) and the range is closer to what ICE and other EV cars get, a more applicable comparison. It would be great to know what the various battery sizes mean in terms of performance, and like you say, how much you would have to spend per year in energy costs or energy units to drive your typical commute. This might also inform people in different solar irradiance zones and with different annual mileage as to which battery size is optimal for them.
I've preordered a fully kitted out apterra. I drive huge distances for work trips, and with the 1000 mile range model I can drive all the way to many job sites without charging & typically the hotel is only 10 or 15 miles from the job so there's a fair chance I wouldn't need to charge while there either. Just pop by a charger for an hour on the way home. :P
When we say "never charge", we could be saying "Net 0" daily kilowatt usage, but it's not "on or off" -- it's ok to get incremental charge from the sun. Also, there is the 8 hours of sitting in the sun while you work. Add in that the aerodynamics give you 600 miles of range to start, and I think we're talking about a HUGE reduction in charging. For example, if your commute is 50 miles round trip (250 miles/work week), you wouldn't have to charge for a couple weeks (regardless of extra solar-charge or not). If the sun helps you along the way, well that's just added. It could be a few weeks before you have to worry about plugging in (which fills 600 miles up overnight).
i ordered one because i can no longer get an electric smart car, i really miss mine. got a nice little kia now (which is awesome) but this thing brings cute back into the equation. plus i live in hawaii so this is kind of a no-brainer. ill be keeping my f150 for towing and moving big stuff.
I had a ride in the Luna prototype, which was admittedly rough. However, Roush Performance has totally redone the suspension. I expect it will be somewhat more compliant, but much more competent at sharp, sudden direction changes than the Solo. I can't wait to experience it for myself.
If Apteras and cybertrucks get on the road it's going to look like what 2020s should look like ! I also think they should understand their range and let people be so pleasantly surprised. Don't like in-wheel motors, but it's inherent to the design.
Incredible achievement and its easy to see how in the future the entire body will be a solar panel just about doubling its range, then there would be some flexibility in the design to trade some range to be able to carry 4 people instead of 2 for example....
So much more affordable compared to a Tesla. I have an order in for a Tesla but would much rather get this, however it's hard to say when production will reliably happen and there is quite a wait-list . I imagine it could be a 2 year wait.
I ordered mine in 2021 (age 73), and my number is under 10,000. The preorders are now over 25k. Production will need to escalate quickly to keep the wait time within reason. I may or may not receive mine by this time next year. I will turn 76 then. Not going to wait much longer as I have a meeting with my maker coming up. Two to three years is a long wait.
Brilliant visualisation I will preorder one, just with 400mi/640km range) because that is the sweet spot for me. No need for more, since longer trips I will anyway do with my Tesla.
I went in to their reservation screen and when customizing an Aptera I noticed that no matter which battery I chose it always said that I would have a 40 mile range with all of the solar panels added. This seemed odd to me as I've noticed that usually as a car gets heavier it gets less efficient. So I emailed them and asked them about this and this was at the heart of their reply: "The solar calculator on the website is based on the combined data of the vehicle’s nominal solar power production and average solar irradiance values in each part of the globe! We are still testing to publish more accurate numbers all around for each battery pack." So basically their numbers are not accurate, but there really isn't anything there that I can see that warns people ordering the car that their calculator is working on incomplete data. So while I was impressed that they got back to me and gave a pretty straight forward answer, it kind of made me wonder what else is missing from what they are telling you. I love a lot of things about the idea of the car, but I'd also be a little concerned about maintenance. Will they have service centers? In one of the test drives the guy representing Aptera was talking about sending people parts when things break down. I wonder how hard it will be to find people willing to work on it if you do have a problem. I have a RAV4 Prime. If I could have their solar panels on the car that could put 5 or 6 miles of range while it's parked 8 + hours, that would make me happy. My plan now is to put solar panels on my house and get my solar energy that way.
You are correct regarding the effect of weight. In fact, Aptera has said that every 30 lbs will cut expected range from the battery by about 1%. They will be updating performance claims when more data arrives, but I think we will find that the quoted figures were somewhat conservative and based on the 100 kW worst case example. Aptera will have traveling service people, just like Tesla does, but unlike Tesla, they grant right to repair and you can use a repair source of your choice. They will open source the repair procedures. The vehicle will have QR codes throughout the body that will take you to a repair video for that area you can pull up on your phone. I have already spoken with my local repair shop in Iowa, and they can't wait to see it and potentially provide service. I don't think it will be difficult at all if your repair people are "car guys". As far as panels on the vehicle go, my wife and I like to camp, and will find the added power during these trips very welcome. I also suspect that full solar will add significantly to the resale value or at least sell faster when the time comes.
@@n.brucenelson5920 - I've been wondering about the weight factor also. I suppose there are a great number of people that don't carry anything but themselves while they drive around but I do. So if all their stats are based on a single driver and they state that 30 lbs will reduce efficiency by 1% maybe someone should publish a video like this one with real world factors included. Let's say add a passenger (180 lbs = 6% reduction), a guitar, guitar amp and 2 brief cases of pedals and accessories (90 lbs = 3% reduction), oh, and a case of bottled beer on ice ;) (we'll say 60 lbs conservatively = another 2% - that is unless you also drink the beer which might drastically increase this reduction factor). This scenario is dreamed up with tongue firmly planted in cheek but you get the idea. I'm sure the Aptera would still be on top of the stack when compared to the competition but the number games need to include these types of variations so potential consumers (me) might not get the wrong idea. Another thing I've not seen is a test drive with the vehicle fully loaded. I wonder how the suspension holds up on rough roads with a fully loaded Aptera?
@@jethro-just-enjoy-reality Good comment. Of course Aptera is operating under the same physics as every other manufacturer. It is just because of the efficiency of the basic vehicle, that small reductions will be More evident. I drive a Gen 1 Honda Insight and can detect the reduction in MPG with the additional load of a passenger or other gear n a way that I never could with other vehicles. I expect that there will be things that some owners will do to improve on the performance, such as fitting special low resistance tires like Honda did, which I don't think Aptera is doing. The acceleration potential on tap even with 2WD is so much fun that I think a lot of drivers will be hard pressed not to make use of it on occasion, which, of course will reduce the range potential. I can't speak to the suspension performance, since I only rode in an alpha prototype, but I have a lot of confidence in the experience of Roush Performance and expect that the suspension will perform well.
I'm a big fan of the entire concept but I doubt I'll ever own one. I'm retired with a very limited income and currently don't own a vehicle but I would basically be using it for trips to the supermarket/shops/doctor (about 100 miles/month) and even living in central Scotland I'm fairly sure I'd never have to charge. With a very stretched income that is a real big bonus for me. Currently I have to get taxis (4 mile walk to the nearest bus stop) which means a trip to the doctor costs me around £15 each time. Trips to the shops are pretty non-existant (everything ordered on-line) so the freedom something like this would offer is absolutely huge. I did find the video a bit hard to follow simply due to the vast amount of data you were giving us and a rather slow braincell but I did learn a fair amount of stuff so thank you.
One way to calculate it is to look at your yearly miles and compare it to the miles from the solar. Scotland is low yield for sure, but we will still be talking thousands of miles of free charging.
Interesting analysis. I'm not convinced that the 1000 mile range battery is a wise choice. Consider the extra weight, which would be significant, and the extra cost. Part of the idea of the Aptera is to be less impactful on the environment and to rely on so many extra batteries when they aren't necessary defeats the purpose. I'm sure the 400 mile range is going to be perfect for nearly everyone. If you have to charge a couple of times a year, it's still going to be a good trade-off.
Very well done scientific video. Top draw. I am wondering about how well the hub motors can handle normal driving. Since three wheel config is nicknamed "porthole finder" in Germany, the wheels might need to handle a lot of unavoidable stress. Else this is a brilliant concept and focuses exactly on the key factor, efficiency. Still I waiting for a family version with at least 5+ seats. :)
Yeah, it will be harder to avoid potholes in a 3 wheeler, but the efficiency gains are huge. I'm lucky that Austria apparently has the second best quality roads in the world, pot holes are rare, but I'm sure once people get used to driving it, they will become good enough at handling it to avoid most of them. I think a lot of people are looking forward to the 4 wheel / 5 seater.
The distance between the front wheels and the center is wide enough to make avoiding most pot holes rather easy with practice. The second Aptera planned will probably be a 5 passenger, 4 wheel sedan.
I rarely go places on my days off so only driving five days a week this thing would be absolutely perfect for me. I hope they lease soci can get one someday
Seems to have some extra space on its back the tinted edge of the boot to add some more PV cells, plus on the roof too without having to completely block the sun roof, which I suspect creates a feeling of space.
Unknown, but it is fairly safe to assume that like most EVs unless you are pushing the accelerator, the consumption will be only the aux devices like aircon, lights and music. EVs love traffic.
Been watching this car develop for awhile now. So far, impressed, but am skeptical by nature. Since it would be a few years before I could buy a new vehicle anyway, I'll have the luxury of seeing real-world reviews from drivers/owners. Memphis, TN + less than 80 miles a week = should never need to charge. We rarely get anything frozen, but when we do, even my Toyota does not leave home (I take the bus those days), b/c people in this city cannot drive on that stuff, period. They hit everything on and OFF the road, like they're in bumper cars. Sidewalks aren't even safe to walk on.
:) There's still a debate in the UK about making winter tyres mandatory in winter. They get snow every year and people slide all over. Its difficult to drive in snow without the right gear.
What is the stopping distance in comparison to the compact car? What type of driver's license is required in CA.? What type of insurance is required to make it legal to operate.
Just for accuracy, Tesla does get more than the Edmund's report. They just do not count the buffer (which is STILL range). The other vehicles tested does NOT have buffers. That's all.
Yeah but the others don't claim that range officially, which is the difference. Tesla are still the EV king at the moment, it is nice to see the other manufacturers starting to catch up however, just a shame most still look like bricks.
@@passivlife The others BEVs do not have that kind of buffer, so it would not really make a difference for them. What is a couple of miles versus nearly 20 to 30 miles buffer?
This car perfectly fits my user profile. About 30km of daily commute and rarely drives over 100km and very rarely drives over 200km a day. Doesn't need space for more than two 90% of the time and drives alone 99% of the time. Trunk is large enough to carry bigger items. Still sporty and quick enough without losing range thanks to the good aerodynamic efficiency. Never having to plug it in is a huge benefit. 24€ of vehicle tax per year after the ev grace period plus insurance. Now let's see how fast they can deliver for Europe and how much the baswe model costs because the price is sells it. If the importers sell it at MSRP or better and don't put a mark-up on it it will be a seller.
Would you consider a Way we could use this across country trips. So do we need to plug it in every so many miles going down the Interstate across country please. I love the luggage space. But I have to go from California to Florida and to Texas so please do something for folks like us. I don’t want to spend over $40k At the highest or I have to look at a Prius or something else
I plan to purchase a 400 mile range battery model and drive it to Bellingham WA and then to Iowa. At 50 kW DC charging stations it will fill the battery in less than an hour. I will report on our trip when we pick up our Aptera early next year.
Honestly, even if I didn't achieve "never charge" conditions, like say I still need to visit a charger around once per month... I would still be extremely happy
I will be taking delivery of mine shortly - probably early next year. At this point there are already more than 21,000 people with reservations ahead of you. If you are serious, it would be a good idea to get in line. Once production models are on the road, demand will explode.
Its taken into account yes. I was suprised when I got my house PV at how effective a freezing but sunny day is at boosting performance. I once saw a 115% peak in power at the end of winter. Sadly the sunlight hours are simply too short so this boost cannot do much to the overall performance.
There should be more EV with design such as this in the future. 1/ efficiency through aerodynamic and weight reduction 2/ solar on top of body Make sense and smart to me. 1/ increase efficiency smaller battery can be used thus cheaper for the consumer, faster charge and lighter car 2/ cars park in the sun ray most of the time, capture those photons to charge the battery and keep the car cool To me all makes sense and needs to be done. I give Aptera thumb up for their forward thinking. Even though i have the Tesla Cybertruck on order I still want to buy the Aptera.
It will happen for one major reason. Companies can make more profits if they make the vehicles perform better for less money. Your points achieve both. They only reason EVs still look like ICEs is that most manufacturers are half stuck with their billions invested in ICE facilities and half afraid of making a vehicle looks so different that it might not sell.
They are planning a fold out solar awning for campers etc. Plus you will be able to plug in any third party solar generators that output to a standard wall plug.
All great assuming one will be able to leave the car outside during day time every day. I still want to know more about the batteries, the image of the batteries on the site when ordering and the range do not scale appropriately
I wonder if a left foot gas (accelerator) pedal and a steering knob will fit and safely operate my Aptera? I haven't heard from anyone since I have been asking for feedback for quite a while.
Well you can fit more panels on a typical garage roof so you could charge it faster, I think that is what a lot of people will end up doing. The Aptera's 700 Watts is only equivalent to two good solar panels. For a couple of thousand extra you could recharge the Aptera more than twice as fast with a 1.5kw array.
@@rp9674 Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Wondering if the canopy could charge a battery during the day which could charge the Aptera (or other EV) at night.
It would pay to set up a reflective surface at a suitable spot to focus sunlight on the car, to get a boost for the panels, a boost which costs nothing after the reflector is installed.
@Pathfinder George apparently Aptera's cooling system will keep the cabin and outside ambient temperature. However I would not try adding any more while it ismore heat it is sitting in the sun.
Just a note, that if the owner has the LARGEST Aptera battery pack, and it is entirely empty, then at the average consumer price for electricity in the USA they will have to pay about $14 to top off the charge on the pack. That includes about 15% more than the pack stores, due to charge inefficiencies. However in places like San where electricity is outrageously expensive, that charge would cost $40 or so. Of course, if the owner lives in San Diego they will never NEED to charge their Aptera. And in any event, $40 for energy to drive a thousand miles is dirt cheap, considering that I just put $50 worth of gas in my Honda minivan in order to drive 300 miles. So having to pay $14 2 or 3 times a year if you live in snowy MI, well that's piggy bank change. Speaking of which, with essentially zero maintenance costs and unlimited range, and if it just sits for a month unused it more certain than ever to start right up, the Aptera is the ultimate vehicle for college students, though you couldn't pile 6 friends in the back, which is probably for the best.
I love the exterior design of this, but I'm not as much a fan of the interior.. I prefer a more traditional layout with dedicated buttons/knobs for climate control and/or volume, as well as a round steering wheel. The seats don't look too comfy, and the giant screens tacked onto the dash for the cluster and infotainment aren't my style. Pretty much the same reason I don't like Tesla's, and a lot of other too similar EVs. These layouts may be preferred for autonomous driving, but I can care less about autonomy or excessive sensors or such. Would be nice to see some more EVs that are more driver focused and cater more towards automotive enthusiasts, or those that actually enjoy driving. Ford, Toyota, and Volvo/Polestar seem to be doing a better job with keeping the interior layout in their EVs and Hybrids more like any traditional ICE vehicle. Volvo by far has some of my favorite interiors of any vehicle out there.
Screens are better than buttons for a few reasons. Fewer moving parts means more efficient engineering and less problems. Screens can accommodate alternating windows and menus, meaning more functions than a physical console can accommodate.
If you go to Solargis.com you can find the solar PV potential for anywhere on the planet. I use it for my videos because its accurate and unbiased. Maybe it will help you judge it.
For me the Aptera is also a hedge against an uncertain future where EV proliferation and warmer/hotter climate creates higher much higher demand for grid power (e.g. A/C and EV charging). I would not be surprised that eventually, the cost of charging an EV may approach the present cost of gas. In this scenario, I would only want to own an Aptera with full solar.
Really like the idea, but really can't imagine driving this in the winter anyways. Just the body work alone looks like it's designed to lift the wheels off the ground and get stuck rather then plow through deeper sections of snow.
The wheels are relatively narrow. I am not too worried and will probably be able to report on the 2WD performance in snow shortly after picking mine up.
I would be interested in learning what the range/performance drop off is in cold weather. Specs say min operating temp is -20F. Unfortunately where I live we approach that min 3-4 months a year and we have up to a month ranging down to -40F. Lots of sun, just cold. They don't say if they have a battery warmer option for us. I doubt it. As I understand some EV's do include battery heaters as well as coolers to keep battery in best working temp range.
Yeap, so would I. Especially with the unique cooling and heating. PV performs well in cold conditions but the battery will not. Any battery heating will probably cost a lot of range.
Aptera will come with an excellent BMS that will include liquid heated and cooled batteries. Yes range will drop both due to battery performance, but also due to air density.
I find the design quite attractive in its wackiness, and I'm impressed that function is driving form here. But it does seem to be a slightly narrow sort of function. I.E., the warm and well-paved part of the U.S. (or developed world). But outside that area, such as upper midwest, or Canada, or away from urban areas I have one word:SNOW. Just look at those wheel shrouds and think about a foot or more of snow on the road. Even a cleared road will have ridges of snow in various spots that are often much higher than 1 foot and need to be crossed (broken through). Those ridges are often hard, crusted and icy. I guarantee those wheel shrouds would be ripped away before the first month of a Minneapolis winter was over. The same would seem to apply to badly maintained roads in general (broken pavement, lots of potholes or God forbid, dirt and gravel surfaces). This lets out a lot of rural areas, and possibly big swathes of the American south and southwest.
I am a Minnesotan and ordered the 400 with AWD. I have no need to head out in a big snowstorm other than having fun. I have never owned a 4x4 or AWD in my 50+ years of driving here. I know how to drive.
If you expect to never charge your Aptera you will probably be disappointed. I plan to keep mine in my garage and charge it with my solar panels. I have more than enough excess capacity to keep the Aptera charged up. I would rather charge with my solar panels and keep the Aptera in the garage to minimize the sun damage.
It depends on your usage and if you can park in the sun. For my typically weekly driving I would have to plug-in. On weekend trips I might have to plug-in occasionally, particularly in the winter.
Realistically, you're comparing the Aptera 1Kmile version. Doing the math, the 600mil version wouldn't see much difference even in Zone 3. 400 and 250mil versions would have to be recharged more, but you're looking at 5-7 charges instead of 2-3 charges.
2009 is when the Aptera founders lost control of their company. The new vehicle is FAR more advanced than that one was, and the way the new company is structured that is unlikely to happen again.
The info I’m seeing is for daily commutes which include stopping for hours between stops. So what happens if I’m driving 600 miles with a 200 miles battery?
Well the smallest battery is 250 miles so assuming its full at the begining you are driving the 600 miles in one day then you would need to charge it twice along the way. On a sunny day you might get an extra 30-40 miles of range from the solar which would help. The good news is that the cost per mile is much lower for the Aptera than a normal EV and much much lower than a gas car.
@@anaralyla The solar is the primary source of power and should provide enough energy for most daily needs. You can of course plug it in, either to a normal power socket which willl slowly charge it at 13 miles per hour in the US, or 26 in the EU, or you can plug it into a normal fast charge station, which will give you 500 miles of range in an hour, so 250 miles would take 30 minutes.
Honestly i do not care about the "nevercharge" feature... like.. at all. It's kinda just putting solar cells on my car rather than my roof, which likely makes them less efficient and cost effective. As long as i have really good range and need to charge no more than twice on a long trip i am fine. The aptera delivers beautifully there. The feature that i find most lacking is just space. a two-seater with next to no trunk is just not a good fit for most people long-term. If it had a a second row of seats i might even overlook the lack trunk space... but sadly i cannot realistically get an aptera.
So I know the solar panels on top is enough charge for 40 miles so does that mean it’s a separate battery or the sun can recharge the whole car if it just sits and waits? Anybody knows?
I just looked at some youtubes on this vehicle yesterday. They actually have solar panel in 3 options: Roof and Dash (default), front Hood, and Rear Hatch. Yes, when the sun is shining, ( or you are sitting under a street lamp ?) the battery is trickle charging. They have 4 battery pack size options. They just plug in additional modules to make the larger sizes.
If you use the link below it will take you to the reservation page and save you $30 on the resercation fee, so only $70 to reserve your place in the queue. The first Apteras to be produced will be the 40kwh 400 mile, 2 wheel drive versions in the US (then the 25kwh/ 250 mile then the 60kwh then the 100kwh). So if you want one sooner then that is the best to order the 40kwh 400mile version. They wont ask for the full payment until shortly before they are ready to produce your vehicle. Hope that helps!
The point is that these vehicles would be taking the strain off the grid being stood anywhere and still charging , especially in the US were the majority live in apartments with no charge points 😊 genius , I even charge my Tesla via solar, power wall and I live in wales 😊
No. The smallest range Aptera has a 400km battery and then up to 64km extra range per day from the solar on a sunny day. The solar just keeps filling the battery slowly while you drive or are parked.
Yeah that is a bogus comparison chart... My ICE gets 1075KM per tank. Blowing away a Tesla and the aptera because I can recharge and keep going in 5 min, and in all weather conditions.
1075km is very high end for ICE range. The average is less than half that. I'm just comparing to an average ICE, or to be more precise, the current best selling ICE. So no it is not bogus, it is very relevant for most people.
@@passivlife That’s a 17.5 gallon tank 38 mpg. Lots of vehicles nowadays get 30+ miles a gallon And the fact that you had an automobile behind the Tesla for range per full tank shows what a bogus thing that is there’s no car out there that doesn’t go to 300 + miles on a tank of gas.
Unless you're constantly going on 400+ mile trips youll never need to charge outside of home. And even if you are, simply plan out the trip befofe hand so you do other things while your car is charging.
Two problems i have The ICE car used has horrible gas mileage. I'm not sure if in Europe we have that many has guzzlers as in the US 2ndly recharging a tesla is getting real expensive overhere. A Kwh is almost 50cents where i live
@@passivlife SEV? self charging electric vehicle? I mean im absolutely stoked bout the aptera. I would actually buy/finance one if they were available in Austria. Simply not thinking about recharging your car is a lovely thing
The area where I live is full of heavy SUVs and Pickups. This thing gets hit by those cars You are tost. This looks great honestly in a post SUV Pickup era, not until than.
@@n.brucenelson5920 My father is a biker and seen a friend decapitated. There are a lot of reckless drivers out there. You simply have been lucky so far. May it last.
@@digitalzenith6527 Thank you. Yes, I have been lucky. However, I also did a lot to make my luck. Riders who have been riding for more than a year, don't ride within 24 hours of drinking and who wear protective gear, dramatically increase their chances. Aptera will be crash tested and have a better safety rating than many cars on the road now.
the fail with electric vehicles is POWER you still can't carry cans to refill your electric vehicle, it takes minuet or 2 to refill my gas/diesel vehicle to 100% electric is around 1 hour or longer to get to 100% and that is bad for your battery, topping off a gas/diesel doesn't shorten the life of a fuel tank. My current vehicle can seat 6 to 8 and gets around 33mph on the highway going 70mph, I can also tow over 4,000lbs and still maintain 25mpg. The Aptera is closest to a petrol killer car, its only shortcomings are passenger and cargo capacity and still has shortcoming on recharge when battery may run dead but with the estimated range that will be very rare, still wouldn't make trips I have taken 52 hours to drive over 2,400 miles.
The current Aptera is a niche vehicle and is not designed to meet every need. My 400 mile range version will only take around 50 minutes to fill at a DC fast charger. I can still meet my daily driving needs in Iowa plus an occasional round trip to Des Moines or Kansas City on solar alone without ever visiting a fast charger. It will also sleep my wife and I on camping trips and charge while we are camped.
ICE car range is low, sure, but fueling it to 100% takes two minutes. That, combined with the fact that we have refueling stations every 15 meters it seems is what makes range a non-issue on ICE vehicles. Innately they're less useful than electrics. The Aptera, for instance, would be usable even after the collapse of civilization - just leave it in the sun and wait and you can drive again. I'd love an Aptera. I doubt I'd spring for the 1000 mile range variant, the cost almost doubles. Even the base model at 25 grand or something has 250 mile range which would be plenty. I wouldn't mind plugging it in from time to time, still going to be dirt cheap to operate at the efficiency it runs at.
@Passivelife I have some real heartburn in the way you compare the range of an ICE to Tesla. Tesla owner plug in every night so the range remains at max. Whereas ICE owner does not refill the tank everyday so the range keep going down to zero. This is not a straight comparison , it is a conditional comparison. in my opinion it is false.
Hi Anh Nguyen. So you misheard my comparison slightly. I said most ICE owners let their tank drop to about half or one third full before refilling. Letting it drop to zero would be impossible. How would they get to the station to refill? Admittedly in my graphic the bar drops to zero, this may be where the confusion comes from. Over 98% of charging is done at home or at work, normally around 80% at home specifically (Link below for ref). So that part is correct. EVs almost always have max range. In my experience ICE owners let their cars drop to about one third full. Unfortunately there is no official data to support that limited experience. Interestingly the official recommendation I found is to refill at one quarter full because then you carry less fuel weight making the car more efficient, I think most people would ignore that however, preferring to refill more often. Most people refill ICEs as part of routine, either weekly, once every two weeks or monthly, but most people also do not fill up their tank completely. They only put in what they need or what they can afford at the time. Hence why it is impossible to find reliable data here. Do you mind if ask how often you refill your car? Am I right in assuming you drive an ICE? avt.inl.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/arra/PluggedInSummaryReport.pdf
@@passivlife How often Ev owners charge the battery and how often ICE owners refill their tank is irrelevant. The main point is the capacity of an ICE and that of an EV should not be modified by the behaviors of the owners for the purpose of comparison. If you want to discuss how capacities or efficiencies of vehicles to be changed by the behaviors of the owners, that is another subject matter altogether.
@@Kukaboora I think we can't agree on that sorry. Real world use is the only valid comparison imo. In the meantime I did find some (very unofficial) data on reddit that does indeed support my point (which is nice). Seems like most drivers fill up between 1/4 and 1/3 full. So I should really round down the average ICE range to be even lower :)
@@passivlife It is quite obvious we can’t. You changed the definition of vehicle range before doing comparison. The range of any ICE can be restored in less than 10 minutes. For any EV out there, that cannot be done. Once again, user behavior modified features of any vehicle should not be included in fair comparison. It is prone to be biased.
I agree that the design can be polarizing. But as someone for whom form follows function, the spaceship design is beautiful to me because they were seeking the most efficient shape possible. Aptera has talked about a 4-person 4-wheel version after they bring the 3-wheeler to market, but it will necessarily be less efficient.
Totally agree. The efficiency / engineering first approach has produced a stunning vehicle.
Actually they have said it will be a 5 passenger sedan, but things could change.
Is it less efficient per passenger though? I think it’s best to break down transportation costs per person transported, so even though a bus isn’t the most efficient shape, it would still win because it transports so many more people compared to a car.
Public transport is always going to be more efficient when fully loaded with people, yes. But unfortunately not everyone has access to fast/effective public transport (especially in the US)
@@jaredharmer7047 While you are perfectly correct, public transportation often doesn't go exactly where you want to go, when you want to go. If I want to get groceries a couple miles away does it make sense to take a bus or hail a cab? Maybe. But I'm much more likely to hop on my ebike and get there with less fuss and expense and faster. That was the freeing thing about bicycling when bikes were first invented. You could go where you want, when you want and not have to consult a train or coach schedule. You didn't have to rely on a horse, which fouled the streets with their waste. You got exercise as well. Public transportation makes sense when you have a regular schedule of where and when you want to travel. Like commuting to work where you can attend Zoom meetings. (Well, maybe that needs to be re-examined, too.) I think the important thing is that we have different modes of transportation for different needs. The emphasis should be on lighter vehicles that are operated by human power and/or electricity. Heavier vehicles like pickup trucks should be reserved (rented?) for special tasks and not used to drive to pick up a prescription. Public transportation used for regular trips to specific, recurring destinations.
Thanks for your great work and Aptera enthusiasm, please keep it up! My wife and I are pre-order holders and small-time investors who can't wait to see where Aptera takes us! When not driving, we plan to keep our Aptera securely in a garage, but with external solar panels directly connected for charging.
Thanks DemaGeek! Nice to hear your Aptera plans, solar is solar so why not!
Being retired I travel less than 20 miles a day. Being in Florida, the sunshine state, I would never have to plug in.
What I learned from this video is that the EPA needs to increase its speeds for highway range and city range and WLTP is right out.
Great video! I've ordered an Aptera, because I have a ~9 km commute and park in full sun, in zone 7. If it was at all reasonable for me to ride a bike, I would, but due to the nature of the roads there's a good chance I would become a stain on the bumper of a passing truck or car (think 55 mph speed limit, no bike lanes/sidewalks, etc.). I got the 400mi range version as I do take road trips occasionally, and I was never under the impression that I might never need to charge it, that's ridiculous. The economic advantages of the Aptera extend beyond the incredible energy efficiency though. Just three tires to replace and full support for reparability (see Aptera's position on right to repair, and design decisions on parts) are among the other reasons. What many people also don't consider is that the miles per charging time for Apteras should be vastly superior to other EV's as the battery does not need to be as large.
So you know how long it takes to get one after ordering?
@@kevinconquest9307
This is all pure speculation, but: The short answer, given the best case scenario, assuming all goes relatively well and you place your order now: 2-4 years from now depending on which model/options you choose.
Rough estimates. Very rough based on the limited information that I have gathered and the fact that production has not yet begun.
Current preorders sit at about 20,000.
Initial production will be small, but the they should ramp to their first goal post of 10,000 per year fairly quick. I expect to see this production level hit sometime in mid to late ‘23. I suspect we will see higher production rates sometime in ‘24 or maybe ‘25. If they are able to produce even 4000-5000 units in 2023, I’d be very impressed. Another 10,000 in 2024 would also be impressive and exceed any expectation I currently have in mind. This would put the last of the current 20,000+ preorders being produced in 2025.
Their plan is to produce the “special editions” (the name escapes me at the moment) first and then begin proper production with the 400 mile model.
Then they plan to integrate the 250 mile model on to the production line. Then the 600 mile model. And finally the 1000 mile model as that model is, and I quote Chris here, “a bit more challenging”. All additions will be added to the production line while they are still producing the previous models.
Ordering a 400 mile option ( the most popular model at the moment) might decrease your wait time as they seem to be giving this model some priority early on, while ordering the 1000 mile option might increase that time due to the additional complexity of production/design and delay in initial production. Determining how your wait time will be affected when ordering the 250 or 600 would be most difficult at this time as they are rarely spoken about when they discuss production time lines and total number (percentage) of preorders for each of these models.
Very professional video! Anxious to watch future deep dives like this one. U make it easy to understand.
Thanks Todd!
Thanks for the great video. I look forward to seeing more great Aptera content from you.
I made an excel model taking into account that you shouldn't operate the battery outside the 20-80 percent range if you want it to live a long, happy life. Even with that, I could drive from Phoenix, AZ to Portland, OR over 3 days and only have to do one full charge and one partial charge. This was for the 60 Kwh model. With the 100 Kwh model, it would only take one full charge to make that 1400 mile trip.
Even if you live in a place with not much sun it's still the most efficient EV out there. Even if you have to charge it all the time the fuel cost will still be 1/10th of an ICE car. The solar recharge is just a bonus.
If you don't have kids and don't need to use your vehicle as a tool then it's perfect, it's relatively cheap, and the trunk is even big enough for a CostCo trip.
Wouldn't it be great if they had car covers that were basically solar panels and could generate power?
Being retired my 'daily commute' isn't daily. But I found out that I can fit a Hobie fishing kayak in the back, park the Aptera in a sunny parking place near any of our many local rivers and fish my heart out with no charge, no gasoline and minimal maintenance. Electric motors don't need many rebuilds. All in all, I decided to put down a deposit.
Sounds amazing. I was wondering if I could fit a canoe in the back, maybe with the passenger seat down. Personally I'm looking for to using it a mini camper, carting a bell tent to remote locations.
@@passivlife there are inflatable kayaks that would work nicely.
I have a deposit on an Aptera, and I am very skeptical of the benefits of the onboard solar panels. If they help at all, I will be pleasantly surprised. I'm excited about the aerodynamics.
I live in Iowa with about half the solar insulation of San Diego, and I expect that the full solar will easily pay for itself. I also think it will add to the resale value when the time comes, although I expect Aptera to be my last vehicle, and I will probably pass it on to a child or grandchild.
Keep in mind that a kilowatt on an aptera is VERY different than 1 kw on a tesla.
The model S tesla gets you 2 miles (for example) on a single kwh.
The aptera gets you 10 miles on a single kwh.
MEANING that an hour of solar charging has REAL results in the aptera.
@@notcseliot Exactly!
I wish other makers would go farther with aero design
Why are you skeptical? The math involved is no more than simple arithmetic. Panels put out X number of watt/hours per day on average day. Vehicle consumes X number of Watt/hours per mile. Add 15% for charge inefficiencies. That's it. I've done similar calculations for my electric vehicles for the last 30 years. It's not rocket science.
Well done on this video. For me I work at home, so my weekly trips are teaching Kundalini Yoga, grocery stores. Going to mountains to hike, etc. I doubt I'd need to charge, unless I'm going on a long road trip. I'm going to get the 600 mile version
How far is your Kundalini class from where you live? I too work from home, except for when I travel for business, which is about 1.5X/month and is usually within 300 miles radius and I stay an average of 3-4 days at each destination, where I would park in plain sun. I also drive into town 10.5 miles round trip (I would ride my bike, but the country roads are a bit dangerous) to teach yoga 3X/week. Since I live in the sticks I take advantage of that time to do my shopping because the grocery store is 2 blocks from where I teach. I don;t teach Kundalini but I have invited Kundalini instructors to expose my students to other traditions and disciplines. I teach mostly vinyasa style flow, with some Ashtanga influences, but coupled in with philosophy Patanjjali's Sutras which I fear is sorely lacking in many yoga classes. People pay on a voluntary sliding scale to make yoga accessible to all and this prevents it from becoming one of those Lululemon crowds. lol We've started a "scholarship fund" for those who are financially strapped. In my view, those who have financial worries often could benefit a lot from yoga but can afford it the least especially in towns where it's become "YaaS!": Yoga as a a Service (for an hefty fee, that is) ...which turns it into a commercialised elitist endeavour. I believe that te gift of yoga should be available for all. Anyways, I'm getting off topic my a league. The Aptera that I reserved is the full-solar 400-mile range one with the off-road package (since I live in the sticks). All the best in your practice and instruction. May you also have awesome students!
@@fanfare100 It's a 23.2 mile round trip to teach a Kundalini Yoga class. There is a charger I stop at usually to top off. Takes about 40% of my battery. I only have 16 KW left on my 2013 Leaf.
Thank you for the gift of teaching Yoga to the world. Much needed in this time. I would prefer the class to be donation only based. But the studio I teach at isn't like that. Sometimes I teach at a park & it's donation based or if I do a private gong bath. All donation based.
@@RajGiandeep On the other hand, if you were to teach Hatha Yoga, your recharge rate would most likely be higher. Ha!
@@babaluto clever ;)
I’m a big fan of the concept and hope it takes off - between the tiny battery and the extraordinary MPGe I bet they could release a 100 mile version that would be extremely affordable. It’s so efficient you can use PHEV-sized batteries where other cars need at least 30 kWh.
A 100 mile version would be great! Good call. Especially a cut down no frills version.
I love the technology in the wheels, this is what the world needs, not even for the environment but for the future!!
Thank you so much for this video. I reserved the 400 mile version, because, last time that I checked, I am an human being and, even if I plan to go cross-countries, I will need to take nature stops to eat, sleep and do other business. If I make my stops coincide with charging locations that offer fast-charging by the time that I am done with my meal, my Aptera will have more than enough juice to bring me to my next nature stop. Any range farther than this is likely overkill for me.
Also, a bit of trivia, NORD VPN is Headquartered out of the Republic of Panama, a traditionally Neutral and Non-Aligned Country without extradition treaties. A country which has never turned over the private properties of its residents to foreign powers.
I'm a human too! Is the smaller battery version available with solar also, that would be my choice. Of course depending on price.
Lovely video bro. I’m glad to be your 100th subscriber! :D keep up the good work!
Very good overview of the "never charge" concept. I live in western Washington state which the annual sunshine is less than Germany. I do have a 4.85kW solar array on my home and can see that about 35 -40 days on either side of the summer equinox I should be able to make full use of all the panels available on the Aptera given clear skies all day as the sun is a bit north of me mid June. I have an annual trip to the east side of the state that is 126 miles one way during that time frame. One day to drive too and one back with two days of play that puts maximum 36 miles on my suv. With the Aptera and a 400 mile battery I should never be less than about 290 miles of range left on the battery in theory and get 160 miles of free energy if I park on the right side of the hotel to catch mornings light. With my suv I leave home with a full tank and have to fill up to half a tank before I leave to return to be comfortable in case there is an accident snarling the various highways. Typical traffic makes it a 3 hour drive. An accident and you might sit an hour going nowhere and then be in stop and go traffic on the west side. Last year it was 5 hours to get home.
Right about now you should be asking why so much gas. Well I have to go over three passes, one 3000 feet another 4,100 feet. Starting at sea level with a low of 1900 feet between those passes, ending at 780 feet. The first pass is not as high as the other two but has extremely steep roads on both sides. The uphill has two lanes with one downhill. Going up the right lane has mostly semi's going about 40-45 mph loaded and the other lane is going 65 on average with campers trying to pass the semi's. The rise and fall is equal in height and about 3 miles on either side. That, 10% ethanol added in the summer to gas and my lead foot or fear of someone's road rage attack especially in that area contributes to range loss even in the suv of about 24% or 15 miles per gallon with an 18 gallon tank. I never really thought about it much before this. I am really interested in how good the regen braking is for all wheel drive. I think in reality I may get close to 200 miles of range left in the battery at some point. Unfortunately those will be last to production as they need to work on the torque vectoring system. Right now they do not think they have spare engineers to work on that until the gamma version finishes design hopefully before the end of summer. The research may be done about 6 to 8 months after they start production of the front wheel drive model. Aptera motors signed a strategic supply agreement with Chery Automobile that may speed up the beginning of production by giving Aptera access to Chery's supply chain. Details can be found in the news section of Aptera web site.
In general I feel much better about being on a freeway turned parking lot with an Aptera than anything else! This also makes me feel pretty good about going skiing in the winter where the distance is 66 miles to my favorite resort with a base of 5200 feet even in temperatures near zero [f]. Unfortunately due to urban sprawl that trip that in my youth that was 75 minutes [legally] is now 95 on a good day [due to 9 added stop lights] and highly patrolled for mostly a two lane road. Best side benefit is that since it is considered a motor cycle by state law. I can use the freeway HOV [high occupancy vehicle] lane with me as the only passenger like any motor cycle. A 4 wheeled car with only two seats does not qualify and must have both seats with a person in them as any car or van with 2 people can also be in the lane. Can't wait to be pulled over by a state trooper. lol
I spent the first 22 years of my life living in western Wa so I know exactly what you're describing.
I live in western Or now and I too am looking forward to being able to drive my aptera to Mt Hood meadows for some skiing! I don't think you could fit two people plus skis without them sticking between you, but it should at least be as roomy as my old corolla and that was fine.
Its a 70 mile drive to meadows, lots of elevation, so I'd expect the 40kwh awd version i have on order should have at least 100 mi of range after a day of skiing.
Of course the cost of a lift ticket is my biggest problem these days! I used to go to Snoqualmie for 6$ night skiing, now its gotta be 45-50$ at least for a night pass at meadows and day passes are like 80$.
I should mention that 6$ was back when you got a 2-1 from filling at a shell station and on half price nights, so not a fair comparison I guess. But its hard to ski cheap these days.
@@kj_H65f Well just to let you know. At Crystal this year when they got a dump and you went up to buy a ticket the price was $175 a day for 2 feet or better. Prices vary by conditions day to day for one day passes. I have access to Founders rates and get a mid week pass for free as my Sister owned original stock in the Mtn. Those rights to ski tickets have passed threw every company that has bought the mtn due to many lawyers that were part of the original charter creating Crystal. Her husband and I ski free but only go up Tues - Thursday and Friday when Enumclaw stops sending kid up for "PE" classes in skiing. Epic and the other group created a system for the creation of national snow chasers. Crystal finally announced they would again sell mid week passes to just their mtn [early price was $595]. A full access pass for just them was $3000. If you want a parking pass for the upper lot for the season add $4000 to that. They charge to park on the weekends on all but the H lot which has limited shuttle service on weekends only. On weekends the crowds are so big it is worse than the 70's with lift lines in the 40 to 50 minute range at spring break time.
They just announced they would tear down the old building where the ski shop is and their management offices to replace the old building with a bigger food services floor and new toilet facilities [finally] with coffee shop and other retail below. The other building will be converted to rentals, repairs and sales and get some updates maybe tear out the old toilets and expand the ski Patrol offices and lockers, which prices on those spiked last year [that will take two years]. Then the next year they will build a new summit house expanding almost 3 fold with retail shops [?] underneath the restaurant along with the ski patrol. The last project starting in maybe 4 years will add a "World Class" 100 room hotel and convention center on the old site of the original rope tows east of the new restaurant. Total investment $250 million. I really don't think they have a handle on what it will really cost but obviously they are not sharing their numbers with anybody. Over 280 ski resorts in this county have closed in about 15 years either due to climate change or their inability to make enough money to upgrade chairs even with those sold used by the big corporations in the resort game. But you got Anthony Lakes!!! I prefer Mt Hood to Timberline but skiing the backside of Anthony... it is very family friendly too.
The back end of the aptera they will make the gamma vehicle 4" longer than the alpha design [and a bit more headroom for a 6' 8" person, upper body room along with the tail being a bit wider]. The computer shows it improved drag by 5% so below 0.13 drag! On the aptera owners club channel the creator posted himself laying down in the back. He is 5'10" and had a foot of room for his head and his feet did not go over the edge by the seats and that was an alpha design. So 2 pair of 190cm skis should fit easily with poles and boots as well. My old 210's might touch on the console with the tips hanging over the edge. The three wheel drive has better regen braking as well and while driving up will use more range, going down will give back much if the roads are clear. It might be wise to lower the setting on snow and ice. I am 66 miles from Crystal in Oly. It is now a 1:45 hour drive due to 12 new stop lights from Buckley to Bonnie Lake. The 400 mile pack [possibly 39 to 42 kWh] should lead to no anxiety. If your passenger and equipment combined weight less than 500 lbs you get an extra mile per 30 pounds. I figure with my b in-law and gear [1 pair of skis ea.] we will be about 400 lbs. The only unknown right now is temperature effects on the production intent delta version and how they might heat the batteries for better range which they are exploring. Aptera OC also has the first vid of the static testing of the belly pan which is made of aluminum which has fluid channels built in as the body being composite is super insulated make it cheaper to heat than a steel body. Recent statement suggest they are a lot further on than previously thought on the gamma body and it may be "set in stone" soon. Also that vectored steering may not take as long as previously thought. They have made commitments with key suppliers of the finished modular pieces they will make. They need to pay for molds, frames and stamping parts so they will start getting finished modules at the assembly factory in 6 months from now. It is looking more like they will be able to delivery some in December. I am willing to wait another year and half or so to get mine as I expect they will ramp up to 20,000 per year in that factory in the second year if they can get the batteries. Now that they have over 20,000 orders due to a vid by Rich Rebuilds and Stevon at the wheel to be the only none Aptera employee to drive the beta now that they made it street legal. It is well worth watching especially near the end where Stevon yells at Rich watch this as he drives by!
@@kj_H65f Skis should be an easy fit behind the seats.
@@craigarnold1212 You’re quite the writer, and your memory for numbers is astounding! Interesting stuff. I’m in P.A. on the Oly Pen, and an Aptera feels like a nice fantasy, it somehow appeals to me despite all the obvious disadvantages. I’ve got a little NA Miata and a couple of motorcycles, and with the federal and state(?) rebates, a 400 mile range Aptera just might be in my future in a couple years. I think the federal rebate would be for up to 200,000 vehicles, and I wonder if there’ll be a WA State rebate that kicks in as well. I’m also wondering about crash data and crosswind stability data. Again, I ride motorcycles, so I don’t expect an Aptera to ride like a Lincoln town car, but would want to make sure these are not huge issues… this is my second video, so I will learn more I’m sure. Have you sat in one at one of their exhibitions? I do wonder how it drives…
Thanks for the deep dive, good job overall, and definitely provides food for thought. It was my understanding the 100 Wh/mi was based on the 400 mile range vehicle, the most popular (most orders). I'm not sure the if the 100 Wh/mi holds for the 1,000 mi range version due to the higher weight. I also think it would have been a bit more useful to show the 400 mile range version as this is what most people are buying (at least initially) and the range is closer to what ICE and other EV cars get, a more applicable comparison. It would be great to know what the various battery sizes mean in terms of performance, and like you say, how much you would have to spend per year in energy costs or energy units to drive your typical commute. This might also inform people in different solar irradiance zones and with different annual mileage as to which battery size is optimal for them.
Would look Great in Israel!
This one evokes an emotional response.
Espicialy in the “Over-Lander” configuration!
as soon as it's released I'll see if I can finance this motorcycle.
I've preordered a fully kitted out apterra. I drive huge distances for work trips, and with the 1000 mile range model I can drive all the way to many job sites without charging & typically the hotel is only 10 or 15 miles from the job so there's a fair chance I wouldn't need to charge while there either. Just pop by a charger for an hour on the way home. :P
Nice.
When we say "never charge", we could be saying "Net 0" daily kilowatt usage, but it's not "on or off" -- it's ok to get incremental charge from the sun. Also, there is the 8 hours of sitting in the sun while you work. Add in that the aerodynamics give you 600 miles of range to start, and I think we're talking about a HUGE reduction in charging. For example, if your commute is 50 miles round trip (250 miles/work week), you wouldn't have to charge for a couple weeks (regardless of extra solar-charge or not). If the sun helps you along the way, well that's just added. It could be a few weeks before you have to worry about plugging in (which fills 600 miles up overnight).
i ordered one because i can no longer get an electric smart car, i really miss mine. got a nice little kia now (which is awesome) but this thing brings cute back into the equation. plus i live in hawaii so this is kind of a no-brainer. ill be keeping my f150 for towing and moving big stuff.
Awesome, I daydream of living in Hawaii with my Fiat 500e electric!
@@rp9674 its very expensive to live here. weather is nice though.
@@pezpengy9308 I lived there 7 years, I mostly have selective memory about it. I love to visit, always wish I could stay longer. Enjoy !
I test drove a three wheeled Solo vehicle. Of course the ride is noticeably less smooth. But I hope apterra does better with the suspension system
I had a ride in the Luna prototype, which was admittedly rough. However, Roush Performance has totally redone the suspension. I expect it will be somewhat more compliant, but much more competent at sharp, sudden direction changes than the Solo. I can't wait to experience it for myself.
The downside is the third wheel goes in the center of the road, less options for dodging obstacles.
If Apteras and cybertrucks get on the road it's going to look like what 2020s should look like !
I also think they should understand their range and let people be so pleasantly surprised. Don't like in-wheel motors, but it's inherent to the design.
Yeah man it’s true! The future is here! Soon we will have robots walking around we have drones already l!
@@dangr3957 I wish we could fix humans!
Incredible achievement and its easy to see how in the future the entire body will be a solar panel just about doubling its range, then there would be some flexibility in the design to trade some range to be able to carry 4 people instead of 2 for example....
So much more affordable compared to a Tesla. I have an order in for a Tesla but would much rather get this, however it's hard to say when production will reliably happen and there is quite a wait-list . I imagine it could be a 2 year wait.
I suspect it depends a lot on the model and where you live, but I think there is at least a year to wait if you place an order today.
@@passivlife 21,000 pre-orders in now.
I ordered mine in 2021 (age 73), and my number is under 10,000. The preorders are now over 25k. Production will need to escalate quickly to keep the wait time within reason. I may or may not receive mine by this time next year. I will turn 76 then. Not going to wait much longer as I have a meeting with my maker coming up. Two to three years is a long wait.
Brilliant visualisation
I will preorder one, just with 400mi/640km range) because that is the sweet spot for me. No need for more, since longer trips I will anyway do with my Tesla.
As solar panels and batteries improve its only going to get better and better and better 😊
I went in to their reservation screen and when customizing an Aptera I noticed that no matter which battery I chose it always said that I would have a 40 mile range with all of the solar panels added. This seemed odd to me as I've noticed that usually as a car gets heavier it gets less efficient. So I emailed them and asked them about this and this was at the heart of their reply: "The solar calculator on the website is based on the combined data of the vehicle’s nominal solar power production and average solar irradiance values in each part of the globe! We are still testing to publish more accurate numbers all around for each battery pack." So basically their numbers are not accurate, but there really isn't anything there that I can see that warns people ordering the car that their calculator is working on incomplete data. So while I was impressed that they got back to me and gave a pretty straight forward answer, it kind of made me wonder what else is missing from what they are telling you. I love a lot of things about the idea of the car, but I'd also be a little concerned about maintenance. Will they have service centers? In one of the test drives the guy representing Aptera was talking about sending people parts when things break down. I wonder how hard it will be to find people willing to work on it if you do have a problem. I have a RAV4 Prime. If I could have their solar panels on the car that could put 5 or 6 miles of range while it's parked 8 + hours, that would make me happy. My plan now is to put solar panels on my house and get my solar energy that way.
You are correct regarding the effect of weight. In fact, Aptera has said that every 30 lbs will cut expected range from the battery by about 1%. They will be updating performance claims when more data arrives, but I think we will find that the quoted figures were somewhat conservative and based on the 100 kW worst case example.
Aptera will have traveling service people, just like Tesla does, but unlike Tesla, they grant right to repair and you can use a repair source of your choice. They will open source the repair procedures. The vehicle will have QR codes throughout the body that will take you to a repair video for that area you can pull up on your phone.
I have already spoken with my local repair shop in Iowa, and they can't wait to see it and potentially provide service. I don't think it will be difficult at all if your repair people are "car guys".
As far as panels on the vehicle go, my wife and I like to camp, and will find the added power during these trips very welcome. I also suspect that full solar will add significantly to the resale value or at least sell faster when the time comes.
Thanks for the information. I appreciate it. @@n.brucenelson5920
@@n.brucenelson5920 - I've been wondering about the weight factor also. I suppose there are a great number of people that don't carry anything but themselves while they drive around but I do. So if all their stats are based on a single driver and they state that 30 lbs will reduce efficiency by 1% maybe someone should publish a video like this one with real world factors included. Let's say add a passenger (180 lbs = 6% reduction), a guitar, guitar amp and 2 brief cases of pedals and accessories (90 lbs = 3% reduction), oh, and a case of bottled beer on ice ;) (we'll say 60 lbs conservatively = another 2% - that is unless you also drink the beer which might drastically increase this reduction factor).
This scenario is dreamed up with tongue firmly planted in cheek but you get the idea. I'm sure the Aptera would still be on top of the stack when compared to the competition but the number games need to include these types of variations so potential consumers (me) might not get the wrong idea.
Another thing I've not seen is a test drive with the vehicle fully loaded. I wonder how the suspension holds up on rough roads with a fully loaded Aptera?
@@jethro-just-enjoy-reality Good comment. Of course Aptera is operating under the same physics as every other manufacturer. It is just because of the efficiency of the basic vehicle, that small reductions will be More evident. I drive a Gen 1 Honda Insight and can detect the reduction in MPG with the additional load of a passenger or other gear n a way that I never could with other vehicles.
I expect that there will be things that some owners will do to improve on the performance, such as fitting special low resistance tires like Honda did, which I don't think Aptera is doing.
The acceleration potential on tap even with 2WD is so much fun that I think a lot of drivers will be hard pressed not to make use of it on occasion, which, of course will reduce the range potential.
I can't speak to the suspension performance, since I only rode in an alpha prototype, but I have a lot of confidence in the experience of Roush Performance and expect that the suspension will perform well.
In short, putting Solar panels in your car roof is a very bright idea.
I'm a big fan of the entire concept but I doubt I'll ever own one. I'm retired with a very limited income and currently don't own a vehicle but I would basically be using it for trips to the supermarket/shops/doctor (about 100 miles/month) and even living in central Scotland I'm fairly sure I'd never have to charge. With a very stretched income that is a real big bonus for me. Currently I have to get taxis (4 mile walk to the nearest bus stop) which means a trip to the doctor costs me around £15 each time. Trips to the shops are pretty non-existant (everything ordered on-line) so the freedom something like this would offer is absolutely huge.
I did find the video a bit hard to follow simply due to the vast amount of data you were giving us and a rather slow braincell but I did learn a fair amount of stuff so thank you.
One way to calculate it is to look at your yearly miles and compare it to the miles from the solar. Scotland is low yield for sure, but we will still be talking thousands of miles of free charging.
Interesting analysis. I'm not convinced that the 1000 mile range battery is a wise choice. Consider the extra weight, which would be significant, and the extra cost. Part of the idea of the Aptera is to be less impactful on the environment and to rely on so many extra batteries when they aren't necessary defeats the purpose. I'm sure the 400 mile range is going to be perfect for nearly everyone. If you have to charge a couple of times a year, it's still going to be a good trade-off.
Great info!!!
Very well done scientific video. Top draw.
I am wondering about how well the hub motors can handle normal driving. Since three wheel config is nicknamed "porthole finder" in Germany, the wheels might need to handle a lot of unavoidable stress.
Else this is a brilliant concept and focuses exactly on the key factor, efficiency.
Still I waiting for a family version with at least 5+ seats. :)
Yeah, it will be harder to avoid potholes in a 3 wheeler, but the efficiency gains are huge. I'm lucky that Austria apparently has the second best quality roads in the world, pot holes are rare, but I'm sure once people get used to driving it, they will become good enough at handling it to avoid most of them. I think a lot of people are looking forward to the 4 wheel / 5 seater.
The distance between the front wheels and the center is wide enough to make avoiding most pot holes rather easy with practice. The second Aptera planned will probably be a 5 passenger, 4 wheel sedan.
I would love to have a rollable solar panel for the front windshield for more power and sun shade. I would definitely pay for that!!
I rarely go places on my days off so only driving five days a week this thing would be absolutely perfect for me. I hope they lease soci can get one someday
Great informative video!
Seems to have some extra space on its back the tinted edge of the boot to add some more PV cells, plus on the roof too without having to completely block the sun roof, which I suspect creates a feeling of space.
What about battery usage while sitting in traffic? or a Will Rodgers once put it "How can they call it traffic if it ceases to move".
Unknown, but it is fairly safe to assume that like most EVs unless you are pushing the accelerator, the consumption will be only the aux devices like aircon, lights and music. EVs love traffic.
I get my best range when traffic is heavy on the freeway, speed sucks energy.
Very beautiful looking car and Puls point free of cost speed car it really human relaxed providing
I wish we could take these from California to Florida even if we need chargers please of please
Been watching this car develop for awhile now. So far, impressed, but am skeptical by nature. Since it would be a few years before I could buy a new vehicle anyway, I'll have the luxury of seeing real-world reviews from drivers/owners. Memphis, TN + less than 80 miles a week = should never need to charge. We rarely get anything frozen, but when we do, even my Toyota does not leave home (I take the bus those days), b/c people in this city cannot drive on that stuff, period. They hit everything on and OFF the road, like they're in bumper cars. Sidewalks aren't even safe to walk on.
:) There's still a debate in the UK about making winter tyres mandatory in winter. They get snow every year and people slide all over. Its difficult to drive in snow without the right gear.
What is the stopping distance in comparison to the compact car? What type of driver's license is required in CA.? What type of insurance is required to make it legal to operate.
Just for accuracy, Tesla does get more than the Edmund's report. They just do not count the buffer (which is STILL range). The other vehicles tested does NOT have buffers. That's all.
Yeah but the others don't claim that range officially, which is the difference. Tesla are still the EV king at the moment, it is nice to see the other manufacturers starting to catch up however, just a shame most still look like bricks.
@@passivlife The others BEVs do not have that kind of buffer, so it would not really make a difference for them. What is a couple of miles versus nearly 20 to 30 miles buffer?
This car perfectly fits my user profile. About 30km of daily commute and rarely drives over 100km and very rarely drives over 200km a day. Doesn't need space for more than two 90% of the time and drives alone 99% of the time. Trunk is large enough to carry bigger items.
Still sporty and quick enough without losing range thanks to the good aerodynamic efficiency.
Never having to plug it in is a huge benefit. 24€ of vehicle tax per year after the ev grace period plus insurance.
Now let's see how fast they can deliver for Europe and how much the baswe model costs because the price is sells it. If the importers sell it at MSRP or better and don't put a mark-up on it it will be a seller.
I like all your talk but will it do a 11 hr drive at 65 mph
Would you consider a Way we could use this across country trips. So do we need to plug it in every so many miles going down the Interstate across country please. I love the luggage space. But I have to go from California to Florida and to Texas so please do something for folks like us. I don’t want to spend over $40k At the highest or I have to look at a Prius or something else
I plan to purchase a 400 mile range battery model and drive it to Bellingham WA and then to Iowa.
At 50 kW DC charging stations it will fill the battery in less than an hour. I will report on our trip when we pick up our Aptera early next year.
Honestly, even if I didn't achieve "never charge" conditions, like say I still need to visit a charger around once per month... I would still be extremely happy
I want one!
Everything looks cool but they have been on this fr 15 years now? when are they going to produce it? i would buy one if it was ever for sale
I will be taking delivery of mine shortly - probably early next year. At this point there are already more than 21,000 people with reservations ahead of you. If you are serious, it would be a good idea to get in line. Once production models are on the road, demand will explode.
Are you calculating the better efficiency that cells get in colder climates as well?
Its taken into account yes. I was suprised when I got my house PV at how effective a freezing but sunny day is at boosting performance. I once saw a 115% peak in power at the end of winter. Sadly the sunlight hours are simply too short so this boost cannot do much to the overall performance.
There should be more EV with design such as this in the future.
1/ efficiency through aerodynamic and weight reduction
2/ solar on top of body
Make sense and smart to me.
1/ increase efficiency smaller battery can be used thus cheaper for the consumer, faster charge and lighter car
2/ cars park in the sun ray most of the time, capture those photons to charge the battery and keep the car cool
To me all makes sense and needs to be done. I give Aptera thumb up for their forward thinking. Even though i have the Tesla Cybertruck on order I still want to buy the Aptera.
It will happen for one major reason. Companies can make more profits if they make the vehicles perform better for less money. Your points achieve both. They only reason EVs still look like ICEs is that most manufacturers are half stuck with their billions invested in ICE facilities and half afraid of making a vehicle looks so different that it might not sell.
They should have fold-out solar panels too that double or more the surface area of the solar panels
They are planning a fold out solar awning for campers etc. Plus you will be able to plug in any third party solar generators that output to a standard wall plug.
@@passivlife Thanks for the info
The smaller battery would basically be more efficient because it weighs less of course
All great assuming one will be able to leave the car outside during day time every day.
I still want to know more about the batteries, the image of the batteries on the site when ordering and the range do not scale appropriately
I wonder if a left foot gas (accelerator) pedal and a steering knob will fit and safely operate my Aptera? I haven't heard from anyone since I have been asking for feedback for quite a while.
Nice square wheel ICE car graphic.. LOL!
What if you parked an Aptera underneath a solar canopy when not in use or maybe a detached garage with a solar array on top of it?
Well you can fit more panels on a typical garage roof so you could charge it faster, I think that is what a lot of people will end up doing. The Aptera's 700 Watts is only equivalent to two good solar panels. For a couple of thousand extra you could recharge the Aptera more than twice as fast with a 1.5kw array.
Or any EV, it would go farther in the Aptera. I wouldn't cover those solar panels with other solar panels though.
@@rp9674 Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Wondering if the canopy could charge a battery during the day which could charge the Aptera (or other EV) at night.
@@mobileprofessional you could probably do that with an off-grid solar system cheaper. (As opposed to grid tied)
@@rp9674 yuppers ... a dedicated array just for vehicle. 🚗
It would pay to set up a reflective surface at a suitable spot to focus sunlight on the car, to get a boost for the panels, a boost which costs nothing after the reflector is installed.
right until it melts your infotainment screen :D
@Pathfinder George apparently Aptera's cooling system will keep the cabin and outside ambient temperature. However I would not try adding any more while it ismore heat it is sitting in the sun.
Just a note, that if the owner has the LARGEST Aptera battery pack, and it is entirely empty, then at the average consumer price for electricity in the USA they will have to pay about $14 to top off the charge on the pack. That includes about 15% more than the pack stores, due to charge inefficiencies. However in places like San where electricity is outrageously expensive, that charge would cost $40 or so. Of course, if the owner lives in San Diego they will never NEED to charge their Aptera. And in any event, $40 for energy to drive a thousand miles is dirt cheap, considering that I just put $50 worth of gas in my Honda minivan in order to drive 300 miles. So having to pay $14 2 or 3 times a year if you live in snowy MI, well that's piggy bank change. Speaking of which, with essentially zero maintenance costs and unlimited range, and if it just sits for a month unused it more certain than ever to start right up, the Aptera is the ultimate vehicle for college students, though you couldn't pile 6 friends in the back, which is probably for the best.
I love the exterior design of this, but I'm not as much a fan of the interior.. I prefer a more traditional layout with dedicated buttons/knobs for climate control and/or volume, as well as a round steering wheel. The seats don't look too comfy, and the giant screens tacked onto the dash for the cluster and infotainment aren't my style. Pretty much the same reason I don't like Tesla's, and a lot of other too similar EVs. These layouts may be preferred for autonomous driving, but I can care less about autonomy or excessive sensors or such. Would be nice to see some more EVs that are more driver focused and cater more towards automotive enthusiasts, or those that actually enjoy driving. Ford, Toyota, and Volvo/Polestar seem to be doing a better job with keeping the interior layout in their EVs and Hybrids more like any traditional ICE vehicle. Volvo by far has some of my favorite interiors of any vehicle out there.
Screens are better than buttons for a few reasons. Fewer moving parts means more efficient engineering and less problems. Screens can accommodate alternating windows and menus, meaning more functions than a physical console can accommodate.
They save money for the company.Those switches are often custom so it costs a lot to make1@@0IIIIII
Link Posted to Reddit r/ApteraMotors.
And I tweeted it as well
When are they (Aptera) going to bring this damn thing to market?!! Would be nice to give gas stations the one finger salute as I drive on by them..
Hopefully mid 2024. That's the plan anyway. They need one more big round of funding before they can start producing.
How about up in the Arctic circle in the summertime.
If you go to Solargis.com you can find the solar PV potential for anywhere on the planet. I use it for my videos because its accurate and unbiased. Maybe it will help you judge it.
I deadass thought this was some kinda flying car 🤣
Can't wait to drive this on the highway with transport trucks, in a blizzard, or a windy day.
Because of the shape, there will be little influence from wind. Even my 1800 lb Gen 1 Honda Insight does well, and Aptera will be even better.
For me the Aptera is also a hedge against an uncertain future where EV proliferation and warmer/hotter climate creates higher much higher demand for grid power (e.g. A/C and EV charging). I would not be surprised that eventually, the cost of charging an EV may approach the present cost of gas.
In this scenario, I would only want to own an Aptera with full solar.
Hopefully competition from other car makers will force evs to become more and more efficient. Aptera is showing what can be achieved.
Why doesn't a company sponsor a "Across Australia Challenge" to test Aptera?
I just need it to sound like a Jetsons car
Really like the idea, but really can't imagine driving this in the winter anyways. Just the body work alone looks like it's designed to lift the wheels off the ground and get stuck rather then plow through deeper sections of snow.
It was not designed for snow mate ..
@@coldhardtruth333 Exactly, so why worry about how well it can charge?
The wheels are relatively narrow. I am not too worried and will probably be able to report on the 2WD performance in snow shortly after picking mine up.
I would be interested in learning what the range/performance drop off is in cold weather. Specs say min operating temp is -20F. Unfortunately where I live we approach that min 3-4 months a year and we have up to a month ranging down to -40F. Lots of sun, just cold.
They don't say if they have a battery warmer option for us. I doubt it. As I understand some EV's do include battery heaters as well as coolers to keep battery in best working temp range.
Yeap, so would I. Especially with the unique cooling and heating. PV performs well in cold conditions but the battery will not. Any battery heating will probably cost a lot of range.
Aptera will come with an excellent BMS that will include liquid heated and cooled batteries. Yes range will drop both due to battery performance, but also due to air density.
I find the design quite attractive in its wackiness, and I'm impressed that function is driving form here. But it does seem to be a slightly narrow sort of function. I.E., the warm and well-paved part of the U.S. (or developed world). But outside that area, such as upper midwest, or Canada, or away from urban areas I have one word:SNOW. Just look at those wheel shrouds and think about a foot or more of snow on the road. Even a cleared road will have ridges of snow in various spots that are often much higher than 1 foot and need to be crossed (broken through). Those ridges are often hard, crusted and icy. I guarantee those wheel shrouds would be ripped away before the first month of a Minneapolis winter was over. The same would seem to apply to badly maintained roads in general (broken pavement, lots of potholes or God forbid, dirt and gravel surfaces). This lets out a lot of rural areas, and possibly big swathes of the American south and southwest.
I live in rural Iowa on a gravel road. I currently drive a Gen 1 Honda insight. I am not worried about the Aptera performance under these conditions.
I am a Minnesotan and ordered the 400 with AWD. I have no need to head out in a big snowstorm other than having fun. I have never owned a 4x4 or AWD in my 50+ years of driving here. I know how to drive.
If you expect to never charge your Aptera you will probably be disappointed. I plan to keep mine in my garage and charge it with my solar panels. I have more than enough excess capacity to keep the Aptera charged up. I would rather charge with my solar panels and keep the Aptera in the garage to minimize the sun damage.
It depends on your usage and if you can park in the sun. For my typically weekly driving I would have to plug-in. On weekend trips I might have to plug-in occasionally, particularly in the winter.
Realistically, you're comparing the Aptera 1Kmile version. Doing the math, the 600mil version wouldn't see much difference even in Zone 3. 400 and 250mil versions would have to be recharged more, but you're looking at 5-7 charges instead of 2-3 charges.
Been waiting since 2009......
What year is it now? Do I care anymore?
2009 is when the Aptera founders lost control of their company. The new vehicle is FAR more advanced than that one was, and the way the new company is structured that is unlikely to happen again.
The info I’m seeing is for daily commutes which include stopping for hours between stops. So what happens if I’m driving 600 miles with a 200 miles battery?
Well the smallest battery is 250 miles so assuming its full at the begining you are driving the 600 miles in one day then you would need to charge it twice along the way. On a sunny day you might get an extra 30-40 miles of range from the solar which would help. The good news is that the cost per mile is much lower for the Aptera than a normal EV and much much lower than a gas car.
@@passivlife so how long to charge? Do you plug-in or is this really solar only?
@@anaralyla The solar is the primary source of power and should provide enough energy for most daily needs. You can of course plug it in, either to a normal power socket which willl slowly charge it at 13 miles per hour in the US, or 26 in the EU, or you can plug it into a normal fast charge station, which will give you 500 miles of range in an hour, so 250 miles would take 30 minutes.
How do you change a flat tire while in the road?
It has jack points underneath. Supposedly the front wheel pants can be removed quickly (like 5 minutes). Then it is just like changing a regular tire.
Isn't this classified as a motorcycle, not a car since it's three wheels
Honestly i do not care about the "nevercharge" feature... like.. at all. It's kinda just putting solar cells on my car rather than my roof, which likely makes them less efficient and cost effective. As long as i have really good range and need to charge no more than twice on a long trip i am fine. The aptera delivers beautifully there.
The feature that i find most lacking is just space. a two-seater with next to no trunk is just not a good fit for most people long-term. If it had a a second row of seats i might even overlook the lack trunk space... but sadly i cannot realistically get an aptera.
So I know the solar panels on top is enough charge for 40 miles so does that mean it’s a separate battery or the sun can recharge the whole car if it just sits and waits? Anybody knows?
The solar charges the main battery until it's full. There isn't a secondary battery just for the solar.
Whenever sunshine hits the panels they will charge the main battery., even when you're driving.
I just looked at some youtubes on this vehicle yesterday.
They actually have solar panel in 3 options: Roof and Dash (default), front Hood, and Rear Hatch.
Yes, when the sun is shining, ( or you are sitting under a street lamp ?) the battery is trickle charging.
They have 4 battery pack size options. They just plug in additional modules to make the larger sizes.
I need one but im confused on how purchasing works i dont really have a familly or a need for more than 2 seats rn so it would be perfect
If you use the link below it will take you to the reservation page and save you $30 on the resercation fee, so only $70 to reserve your place in the queue. The first Apteras to be produced will be the 40kwh 400 mile, 2 wheel drive versions in the US (then the 25kwh/ 250 mile then the 60kwh then the 100kwh). So if you want one sooner then that is the best to order the 40kwh 400mile version. They wont ask for the full payment until shortly before they are ready to produce your vehicle. Hope that helps!
@@passivlife ah ok so its something imma have to take a loan to get
The point is that these vehicles would be taking the strain off the grid being stood anywhere and still charging , especially in the US were the majority live in apartments with no charge points 😊 genius , I even charge my Tesla via solar, power wall and I live in wales 😊
I wish they would mass produce these.
All in good time
My friend lives 120 km from me. Do I have to stop every 30km to charge
No. The smallest range Aptera has a 400km battery and then up to 64km extra range per day from the solar on a sunny day. The solar just keeps filling the battery slowly while you drive or are parked.
@@passivlife thanks. I missed that in the video.
Why did you upload the other video in RUclips Kids? Re-upload it to the normal RUclips and get more views.
Thanks for the heads up. Fixed!
Yeah that is a bogus comparison chart...
My ICE gets 1075KM per tank. Blowing away a Tesla and the aptera because I can recharge and keep going in 5 min, and in all weather conditions.
1075km is very high end for ICE range. The average is less than half that. I'm just comparing to an average ICE, or to be more precise, the current best selling ICE. So no it is not bogus, it is very relevant for most people.
@@passivlife That’s a 17.5 gallon tank 38 mpg. Lots of vehicles nowadays get 30+ miles a gallon
And the fact that you had an automobile behind the Tesla for range per full tank shows what a bogus thing that is there’s no car out there that doesn’t go to 300 + miles on a tank of gas.
Unless you're constantly going on 400+ mile trips youll never need to charge outside of home. And even if you are, simply plan out the trip befofe hand so you do other things while your car is charging.
I know how to make a never fully charge in any area. But I dont know how these engineers didnt think of this. Only if i had the know how and funds
Two problems i have
The ICE car used has horrible gas mileage. I'm not sure if in Europe we have that many has guzzlers as in the US
2ndly recharging a tesla is getting real expensive overhere. A Kwh is almost 50cents where i live
50 cents! wow, that is the highest I have heard so far. All the more reason for an SEV :)
@@passivlife SEV? self charging electric vehicle?
I mean im absolutely stoked bout the aptera. I would actually buy/finance one if they were available in Austria. Simply not thinking about recharging your car is a lovely thing
@@someguy9520 scheduled release for Austria is 2024, so you're in luck.
Yes the other two can’t get any power from the sun. There will always be sun there might not always be electricity
The area where I live is full of heavy SUVs and Pickups. This thing gets hit by those cars You are tost. This looks great honestly in a post SUV Pickup era, not until than.
I have more than 400,000 miles on motorcycles. Aptera doesn't worry me in the least in this regard.
@@n.brucenelson5920 My father is a biker and seen a friend decapitated. There are a lot of reckless drivers out there. You simply have been lucky so far. May it last.
@@digitalzenith6527 Thank you. Yes, I have been lucky. However, I also did a lot to make my luck. Riders who have been riding for more than a year, don't ride within 24 hours of drinking and who wear protective gear, dramatically increase their chances.
Aptera will be crash tested and have a better safety rating than many cars on the road now.
Anyone have any crash test safety data on this car?
They just finalized the production design. Now they can start producing the production test models for crash testing.
i thought this thing was gonna fly
the fail with electric vehicles is POWER you still can't carry cans to refill your electric vehicle, it takes minuet or 2 to refill my gas/diesel vehicle to 100% electric is around 1 hour or longer to get to 100% and that is bad for your battery, topping off a gas/diesel doesn't shorten the life of a fuel tank.
My current vehicle can seat 6 to 8 and gets around 33mph on the highway going 70mph, I can also tow over 4,000lbs and still maintain 25mpg.
The Aptera is closest to a petrol killer car, its only shortcomings are passenger and cargo capacity and still has shortcoming on recharge when battery may run dead but with the estimated range that will be very rare, still wouldn't make trips I have taken 52 hours to drive over 2,400 miles.
The current Aptera is a niche vehicle and is not designed to meet every need.
My 400 mile range version will only take around 50 minutes to fill at a DC fast charger. I can still meet my daily driving needs in Iowa plus an occasional round trip to Des Moines or Kansas City on solar alone without ever visiting a fast charger. It will also sleep my wife and I on camping trips and charge while we are camped.
😂 I buy Aptera and work as piza delivery 😅😅😅
Bumpy Road then lol
ICE car range is low, sure, but fueling it to 100% takes two minutes. That, combined with the fact that we have refueling stations every 15 meters it seems is what makes range a non-issue on ICE vehicles. Innately they're less useful than electrics. The Aptera, for instance, would be usable even after the collapse of civilization - just leave it in the sun and wait and you can drive again. I'd love an Aptera. I doubt I'd spring for the 1000 mile range variant, the cost almost doubles. Even the base model at 25 grand or something has 250 mile range which would be plenty. I wouldn't mind plugging it in from time to time, still going to be dirt cheap to operate at the efficiency it runs at.
@Passivelife
I have some real heartburn in the way you compare the range of an ICE to Tesla.
Tesla owner plug in every night so the range remains at max.
Whereas ICE owner does not refill the tank everyday so the range keep going down to zero.
This is not a straight comparison , it is a conditional comparison.
in my opinion it is false.
Hi Anh Nguyen. So you misheard my comparison slightly. I said most ICE owners let their tank drop to about half or one third full before refilling. Letting it drop to zero would be impossible. How would they get to the station to refill? Admittedly in my graphic the bar drops to zero, this may be where the confusion comes from.
Over 98% of charging is done at home or at work, normally around 80% at home specifically (Link below for ref). So that part is correct. EVs almost always have max range. In my experience ICE owners let their cars drop to about one third full. Unfortunately there is no official data to support that limited experience.
Interestingly the official recommendation I found is to refill at one quarter full because then you carry less fuel weight making the car more efficient, I think most people would ignore that however, preferring to refill more often. Most people refill ICEs as part of routine, either weekly, once every two weeks or monthly, but most people also do not fill up their tank completely. They only put in what they need or what they can afford at the time. Hence why it is impossible to find reliable data here.
Do you mind if ask how often you refill your car? Am I right in assuming you drive an ICE?
avt.inl.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/arra/PluggedInSummaryReport.pdf
@@passivlife
How often Ev owners charge the battery and how often ICE owners refill their tank is irrelevant.
The main point is the capacity of an ICE and that of an EV should not be modified by the behaviors of the owners for the purpose of comparison.
If you want to discuss how capacities or efficiencies of vehicles to be changed by the behaviors of the owners, that is another subject matter altogether.
@@Kukaboora I think we can't agree on that sorry. Real world use is the only valid comparison imo. In the meantime I did find some (very unofficial) data on reddit that does indeed support my point (which is nice). Seems like most drivers fill up between 1/4 and 1/3 full. So I should really round down the average ICE range to be even lower :)
www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/78wutp/how_often_do_you_fill_up_your_gas_tank/
@@passivlife
It is quite obvious we can’t.
You changed the definition of vehicle range before doing comparison.
The range of any ICE can be restored in less than 10 minutes.
For any EV out there, that cannot be done.
Once again, user behavior modified features of any vehicle should not be included in fair comparison. It is prone to be biased.
you would just buy it and use it and thats the end of it no gas no electricity just car.