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Here's a longer in-depth look at Aptera. One thing I think they should have noted is that the $25K starting price point does not include all the solar cells nor the third hub motor in the back that let's the thing do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. Some interesting things mentioned is that it's not just sleek in the front, but the aerodynamic profile means that a semi really trucking it by you on the highway also doesn't leave much of a wake as it's aerodynamic all around and not just from the front. It apparently also means that you rarely get bug splatter on the windshields as the bugs just tumble over the vehicle riding that laminar flow. Finally, the modular and right to repair emphasis stands in stark contrast to how many vehicles are made today--I think that can lead to some pretty amazing mods coming out for these vehicles.
That's a first drive impression of a near production Lightyear One, mentioned previously as an expensive but efficient vehicle which seems like a really odd niche market. They're only targeting 946 of these as I assume they're hoping collectors with a lot of money will snap them up and provide feedback and real world data. Aside from the oddity of solar panels, it also has hub motors so it's just all around odd. The next goal after this is pretty wild--a mass production ~$30K solar BEV. It's supposed to launch Q4 this year, and it'll be interesting just to see how much power and range they can squeeze out of these things.
Here's a longer in-depth look at Aptera. One thing I think they should have noted is that the $25K starting price point does not include all the solar cells nor the third hub motor in the back that let's the thing do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. Some interesting things mentioned is that it's not just sleek in the front, but the aerodynamic profile means that a semi really trucking it by you on the highway also doesn't leave much of a wake as it's aerodynamic all around and not just from the front. It apparently also means that you rarely get bug splatter on the windshields as the bugs just tumble over the vehicle riding that laminar flow. Finally, the modular and right to repair emphasis stands in stark contrast to how many vehicles are made today--I think that can lead to some pretty amazing mods coming out for these vehicles.
The Aptera is definitely interesting engineering. I think many people have unrealistic expectations of solar energy's potential - it's a relatively low density incident power, and even if you could capture the full spectrum with 100% efficiency, and transduce that to motor power with 100% efficiency, and have a lossless drivetrain, this will still only take you so far. That's why Aptera is so focused on keeping their vehicle super light and super aerodynamically efficient and to have minimal transduction and transmission losses - to get the most out of this limited power, and they've really done an outstanding job.
Some people's minds still jump to the thought of unlimited potential, powered by the sun... a perpetual driving machine powered only by the sun - that's not happening - physics. But, if you think about it, it's very cool that even for *some* people, the Aptera could take care of most daily driving needs just by being parked outside in a sunny spot. And even setting aside the solar ambitions and just thinking of it as a normal EV, all that efficiency means the Aptera can have great range from a modest sized battery - a 60kWh battery gives it a 600 mile range - that's pretty outrageous!
The 41kWh battery also gives it 400mi range, which is for practical purposes, enough. And, using just a 41kWh battery keeps the weight down, it keeps the charging time down, and arguably most importantly, keeps the cost down. The MSRP for this vehicle, optioned with 400mi range, AWD and offering 0-60mph acceleration in 3.5 secs, is just $32,300. Deduct $7,500 for the tax credit, and it's all the way down to $25K.
Last edited by OutdoorLover; 06-23-2022 at 04:11 AM..
Just because the tendency is to not read previous posts, here's a blurb:
"Lightyear One, mentioned previously as an expensive but efficient vehicle which seems like a really odd niche market. They're only targeting 946 of these as I assume they're hoping collectors with a lot of money will snap them up and provide feedback and real world data. Aside from the oddity of solar panels, it also has hub motors so it's just all around odd. The next goal after this is pretty wild--a mass production ~$30K solar BEV. It's supposed to launch Q4 this year, and it'll be interesting just to see how much power and range they can squeeze out of these things."
The Aptera is a cool car on paper but it’s way too small for me. It does start at the price point that I wish we could see entry level EV’s starting at though.
The Aptera is a cool car on paper but it’s way too small for me. It does start at the price point that I wish we could see entry level EV’s starting at though.
The Bolt actually starts there, too. Mine was $25k new in Jan 2020. All of them started at that price point with no government incentives. And the new ones just got a $6300 drop off of MSRP, which also starts them at that price point.
The MINI Cooper SE with the $7500 tax credit actually starts at ~$23k, but only has a 120 mile range so it's not as practical if you want to take road trips in it.
Here's a video from Aptera hamming it up about their "automotive grade" solar design. That term appears to be used by Sono Motors as well for its Sion.
These aren't meant for these vehicles to power solely off of power generated by the solar panels since these are diesel buses, but rather as a supplement to auxiliary power draw.
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