Popular Mechanics test-drive the Aptera and comes back impressed
So, Popular Mechanics' senior automotive editor Ben Stewart is a lucky man. He recently drove for 20 miles in the Aptera's teardrop-shaped new electric car. He filmed the drive and got 10 inside-scoop shots. He came back very impressed.
Stewart writes about two Aptera models that are almost production-ready at $30,000 and below: for next year, get ready for the all-electric, 120-mile-range Typ-1 e (this is what Stewart drove); then, by 2009, look for the range-extended gasoline hybrid Typ-1 h, which Aptera says will hit 300 mpg.
The article shows photos from the manufacturing process, analysing construction techniques and design features, such as the 0.11 Cx aerodynamic drag. It also has information on the batteries and capacitors used to boost power. As for the design, Stewart says that the Aptera got more attention than anything he had driven.
Read it yourself.
Gallery: Aptera
[Source: Popular Mechanics, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Art Vatsky 8:53AM (12/22/2007)
What is the turning radius? I am worried about those front wheel spats (covers).
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Tim 10:04AM (12/22/2007)
Very cool! GM could learn a thing or 2 from this company. Digital displays and PV electricity to control the cabin temperature when parked and maybe even add a tiny bit of range when the thermostat allows are excellent features.
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Tim 10:19AM (12/22/2007)
Imagine this vehicle with a 10X range!
GM-Volt.com: Interview with Dr. Cui, Inventor of Silicon Nanowire Lithium-ion Battery Breakthrough
http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/12/21/gm-voltcom-interview-with-dr-cui-inventor-of-silicon-nanowire-lithium-ion-battery-breakthrough/#comments
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Dad 10:23AM (12/22/2007)
Wonder how it does in snow? Or at 10 degrees Fahrenheit? Or when hit by a Toyota Tundra?
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Mort 10:33AM (12/22/2007)
Don't worry Dad, Even though my first instinct is to conserve I am willing to go road warrior with you until it's all gone.
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david 10:41AM (12/22/2007)
Dad,
Probably not as bad as my Gary Fischer Mountain bike I ride to work everyday.
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sherwood 11:29AM (12/22/2007)
According to the fine print on their website, the real gas mileage is 130 mpg with no initial battery charge. This probably is the benchmark for a lightweight hybrid.
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Yanquetino 11:29AM (12/22/2007)
"Wonder how it does in snow?"
It probably wouldn't do well at all with only one-wheel drive. Especially where I live, next to a ski resort. This is probably why at Aptera "a more conventional third model, called “Project X” or perhaps Typ-2, is now in the design phase, with plans for a four-wheeled chassis and seating up for to five passengers."
"Or at 10 degrees Fahrenheit?"
I had the impression that li-ion batteries do not suffer as badly in cold climates as NiMH or lead-acid...?
"Or when hit by a Toyota Tundra?"
Well... what small vehicle would do well in that instance? A VW beetle? A Mini Cooper? A Smart TwoFour? If that is the prime concern... that's why people buy Hummers, isn't it? "Big and safe." In the video Fabro shows how the frame is purposely constructed to absorb the impact in a collision. Will it prove very effective when combined with air bags and seat belts? I suppose only the pending crash tests will verify if such is the case.
If the Aptera does prove comparatively safe... sign me up! I would rather have a "hybrid garage" than a hybrid vehicle: an electric car like the Aptera (for fair weather commuting, shopping, and errands) and our Subaru Outback (for snow, cross-country trips, and towing).
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JUKEBOX 12:01PM (12/22/2007)
No crash tests required, vehicle is titled as
a motorcycle.
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Yanquetino 12:18PM (12/22/2007)
'Tis true that crash tests in this instance are unnecessary, but the folks at Aptera have stated: "We decided not just to meet many of the specs for passenger vehicles, which are set above and beyond the requirements for motorcycles, but we chose to exceed them whenever possible." They also report that: "Our next step is to corroborate the data with live crash tests."
You've got to hand it to them for going the extra mile. Let's hope the tests prove successful.
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why not the LS2/LS7? 12:19PM (12/22/2007)
Lion batteries do worse in cold than NiMH. I'm not sure about lead acid.
It sure is sleek and all. But it appears to be another vehicle (like the T-Zero before it) that ditches all measures of safety for efficiency.
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JUKEBOX 12:31PM (12/22/2007)
First let me say I think this is a great vehicle,
and no doubt MUCH safer than my motorcycle. But
I sincerely doubt it will pass the governments
crash tests for automobiles, ie no airbags,
crumple zones ect. That being said it would not
preclude me from buying one.
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W 12:41PM (12/22/2007)
Uh, did anyone read about the AIRBAGS, SAFETY STRUCTURE, and the regulations that the aptera EXCEEDS? crumple zone? 45 inches of it up front.
Safety is the primary focus, equally important as efficiency.(LS2/LS7)
Will not be sold in colder climes. Snow is a no go for 3-wheelers, duh.
W
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Matt Peckham 2:39PM (12/22/2007)
Figured it out!
It's a Star Wars Imperial Landing Craft!
Totally.
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Dad 3:20PM (12/22/2007)
"13. Uh, did anyone read about the AIRBAGS, SAFETY STRUCTURE, and the regulations that the aptera EXCEEDS? crumple zone? 45 inches of it up front."
Nope, but it is being hit from the side by a Toyota Tundra that scares the cr#@p out of me. The thing is death on 3 wheels! Save some fuel and die in the process, that is not a "good deal".
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Dad 3:33PM (12/22/2007)
" http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1351302783/bctid1351300070 "
For a limited as the vehicle is in it's current form, it is wonderful to watch in action.
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Scott 3:40PM (12/22/2007)
Tundra side impact: The door beam is over 2 times the strength of a "normal" car door beam. How is that not good? seems to be ALOT better than the federal standard requires on ALL passenger vehicles.
Ever see a race car? indy type, formula-1. Why is it that those cars are made of the same materials, are as light, go way faster and as safe as can be, but NO WAY can this be? please.
W
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Yanquetino 4:23PM (12/22/2007)
Dad: In the video tour, Fabro specifically points out on the Aptera:
"Moving backwards, we have a cross-car beam that's much larger than what's in typical vehicles, that's designed for transverse loads; we have a structure underneath the composite structure that'll carry that load up to the roof and to the roll bar; we have side-impact protection at the hip point, on both sides of the vehicle; a chromally roll structure that ties both sides of the vehicle together; and we have side-impact beams in the doors that are much stronger than what's necessary by federal regulations."
I don't know if all those components would manage to save your life if a Toyota Tundra hit you from the side, but... I doubt you'd fare much better in any other sub-compact vehicle! I guess that's another part of the price our society is now paying for migrating to huge SUVs. Shall we all just drive Hummers and Tundras and Tahoes then?
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Matt Peckham 4:42PM (12/22/2007)
one thing to note on side impacts:
You are sitting much higher up than in a regular subcompact. That will allow the Aptera frame to take more of the brunt, where in a subcompact, the door and window area would have to take the brunt of the force.
The big question I have is, if it's so roomy inside (I'm guessing you sit pretty close to your copilot)... ok, so if it's roomy like a car inside, how WIDE are those wheels? I drive a Sprinter, which is narrow but long. This thing just seems too wide for a parking space to me.
Any ideas there?
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Bill 7:39PM (12/22/2007)
Aptera's claims to safety mean absolutely nothing until the vehicle is put through the same crash tests as are 4-wheel passenger vehicles.
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