Category Archives: Aptera

Final touches being put on the Aptera

Aptera

First of all, the electric Aptera Typ-1 will now be known as the Aptera-2e.  I would prefer Aptera Raptor or something cool, but that’s just me.  I can never remember cars with a bunch of numbers and slashes in their names.  Here is the company’s reasoning behind this attempt at simplification:

The challenge is that, with the name Aptera Typ-1, we have two names vying for attention: ‘Aptera’ and ‘Typ-1.’ With that in mind, we have decided to simplify the name and call the vehicle the Aptera-2e, where the 2 designates the number of passengers and the e denotes the electric powertrain.  Our sentiment is that with this convention, the vehicle name will rarely be spoken apart from the brand.

Secondly, the car will now have traditional rear view mirrors and a single fin mounted camera on the roof for optimal visibility and user friendliness.  Tom Reichenbach, chief engineer of Aptera, explains:

By moving to a single camera and screen – in conjunction with more traditional side-view mirrors – drivers are now placed in the safest, most practical and familiar setup.  We worked hard to make these changes without compromising our core mission of minimizing drag.  Through our comprehensive aerodynamic studies we’ve been able to design mirrors that slip right through the air.  And because the body-mounted cameras created air pockets that disrupted airflow over the vehicle, the change to the overall drag has been minimal.

Source: Aptera

On the Aptera

Aptera

The Aptera is another three wheeled electric car that will be technically classified as a motorcycle once it hits the road. The vehicle will come in two models, the Typ-1e and the Typ-1h, an all electric model and a hybrid model respectively. The electric version will be able to travel 120 miles on a charge and accelerate from 0-60 in 10 seconds with a top speed of around 85 mph. Not as fast as it looks, but at $27K for the electric and $30K for the hybrid, the Aptera is a worthwhile investment if you want a head turner that saves the environment as well as your gas fund. The Aptera seats two comfortably and is safer than it looks according to the Aptera site, where you can reserve your own Typ-1e for $500 down. Production will start in late 2008.

Google.org recently donated $2.75 million to Aptera and Actacell, a Lithium-Ion battery producer. Touchstone Energy Cooperative wants in on the action too, with a shameless Aptera plug to show they’re environmentally conscious. But the video gives you a good view of the car: