This post was originally published on September 29, 2022.
While it’s tempting to avoid high fuel bills, the range is the only thing that worries EV buyers. The Aptera Electric Car uses aerodynamics, materials that keep it light, and solar energy to increase range. It can convert solar energy into a powerhouse with a range of around 40 miles per day, which means it theoretically never needs to be plugged in for charging during daily driving.
Aptera Electric Car
Aptera has a very airplane-like design which, according to the company, helps it with a drag coefficient of 0.13 and only uses 100 watt-hours of energy per 1.6 km. This means that its 100 kWh battery pack can offer a total range of 1,600 km.
At the recent Move America mobility conference in Austin, TX, we heard a presentation from Chris Anthony, current CEO of San Diego-based Aptera Motors. , it was powered by an internal 110 hp engine that propelled the front wheels to deliver a 060 mph time of 9.0 seconds and 200 mpg.
Instead of delivering cars, Aptera Motors, Inc. was wound up in 2011. Then, in 2019, original founders Chris Anthony and Steve Fambro reformed Aptera Motors Corp. with a crowdfunding campaign to build a solar-powered electric car billed as “the world’s first electric car” Never charge “electric vehicle”.
But cloudy-weather drivers don’t have to worry, the car is designed to include 25, 40, 60, or 100 kWh batteries, the larger of which offers a range of 1,000 miles, possibly in total darkness.
That leaves us super skeptics of the company as a whole, but here’s Aptera’s proposal for its new solar-powered electric car, which the company estimates it can sell for $ 25,900.
Aptera Electric Car Specifications
| PRICE | $25,900-$46,000 |
| DESIGN | Front- or front/rear-motor, FWD/AWD, 2-pass, 2-door hatchback cycle |
| MOTORS | 2 or 3 x 67-hp/295-lb-ft permanent-magnet-type wheel-mounted electric |
| TRANSMISSION | 1-speed auto |
| CURB WEIGHT | 1,800-2,200 lb (mfr) |
| WHEELBASE | 108.0 in |
| L x W x H | 172.0 x 88.0 x 57.0 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 3.5-5.5 sec (mfr est) |
| EPA FUEL ECON | Not yet rated |
| EPA RANGE | 250-1,000 miles (est) |
| ON SALE | 2022 |
Inwheels Engines
The rebuild Aptera moves the electric drive to the hubs, freeing up space on board and allowing torque to be vectored. Small 50 kW (67 hp) Elaphe wheel motors must not overload the suspension with unsprung masses.
Be standard and would provide 060 mph acceleration time in the 5.5-second range, with an option to power the third rear wheel and reduce that time to 3.5 seconds.
The one thing that has never changed in Aptera in its transition to a solar-powered electric car is its extremely light and extremely robust passenger cell made up of just four composite parts.
The fully assembled “body in white” weighs less than 800 pounds. Three-wheeled vehicles are considered motorcycles and closed three-wheeled vehicles avoid the need for helmets and motorcycle driving licenses, but Aptera swears it will meet all 700 safety requirements in the event of a traffic accident.
To this end, there is sufficient energy absorption in the front and side beams in the doors, but the high door sills and the extreme curvature of the body side in multiple directions are believed to help push Aptera back when ‘he was struck by another vehicle.
And the windproof teardrop shape with fully keeled wheels is now believed to achieve a drag coefficient of 0.13.
Auto Cooling
To bypass the drag of a traditional grille, and fan cooling system, Aptera claims to have developed a method to build microfluidic channels into the composite resin skin that makes up the bottom and sides of the car to radiant heat like the skin of an animal.
This is how the battery, motors, and solar panels are cooled. How such a system can be integrated into a cabin air conditioning system is another question.
We have serious doubts about the effectiveness of a pure heat pump air conditioning system that uses skin radiation, so there may be a condenser and a fan for the air conditioning system.
More Efficient compared to other EV’s
Ultra-light body, ultra-slim aerodynamics, and tires with very low rolling resistance help make the solar-powered Aptera electric car four times more efficient than typical electric sedans and earn around 16 miles per kWh.
Think of every customer who chooses the 100 kWh battery with solar panel, except perhaps those planning marathon tours through the vast, dark expanses of Nunavut, Canada, or Siberia.
But if that’s your problem, then you should check out Aptera’s hatch-mountable tent. Opening and restraint net for pets.
The roof panel solar module will come standard on all models and is said to be capable of providing 20 miles per day of solar charge in sunny climates such as southern California.
Covering the hood and hatch with solar panels increases the total area of the solar panels to around 3 m, which, with a current efficiency of 24 percent, means that they capture 700 watts of energy. This adds $ 900 to the price and increases the daily solar range to 43 miles.
That’s more than the average commuter traffic, and that’s how Aptera realizes that commuters (at least where it’s usually sunny) can “never load” their car.
Simplified and Distributed Manufacturing
Aptera has selected Munro and Associates of Sandy Munro to apply its lean design methodology, which will cause Aptera to outsource the majority of the vehicle. The final assembly involves assembling six main assemblies into the composite body: front and rear suspension modules (including motors), instrument panel, battery, and interior.
Retail will be completely online, and CEO Chris Anthony dreams of one-day meeting local demand with small local assembly facilities close enough to the customer to enable the factory to pick up to solve a thorny problem: transporting Vehicles on three-wheelers.
Maintenance
With minimal maintenance required for any electric vehicle, Anthony said his company adheres to the right to repair movement. This involves manufacturers disclosing all repair and maintenance procedures online to enable owners to repair and repair their vehicles.
Aptera will ship parts to customers worldwide. There would be a warranty program to fix things, presumably at an established network of auto service centers.
Production to begin in 2022
Anthony freely admits that global supply chain issues related to COVID have delayed production, but said the company is testing its “beta” prototypes and appears to be on track to finalize the production plan of Aptera Electric Car this year and enter production in 2022, working to fill an order book of 12,000 pre-orders.
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