I've been mesmerized by the Aptera. The launch video, viewed above, has had over a million views. 84 of the views were from me.
Aptera is an American EV car manufacturer that is doing things right. They concentrated on creating the most aerodynamic and energy efficient car possible. The most efficient shape is a tear shape created from composite materials. The car has three wheels to reduce drag ... okay, so, it's a trike!
One video claimed that a gas powered version of the car achieved 300 miles per gallon.
Because the car is so efficient, they reached a sweet spot where it is possible to move the car for appreciable distance from the solar energy that hits the car. There 2020 design has solar panels from trunk to hood.
They claim that the car can ride for 40 miles from the solar energy absorbed in a single sunny day. This is more than most people drive in day.
Since the car is super efficient, people can charge it with a 110v outlet. Since it requires less energy, it will charge faster than a Tesla. The standard battery pack will hold a charge with a 250 mile range. You can buy additional batteries. The car with 4 batteries has a theoretic range of 1000 miles per charge.
Videos say that the company was formed in the early 2000s. The founders sold the company to a promoter who became involved in some questionable loan programs and financing schemes. The company went bankrupt. The founders reacquired the company in 2019 and are taking a second stab at bringing the car into production.
They are using crowd funding to bring the car to market. The first car was just an EV. Improvements in solar panels and batteries made the solar option feasible.
They are calling the new model Paradigm. The starting price is $25k.
Videos claim that Aptera just leased manufacturing space and is hoping to start fulfilling orders later this year. People who place a pre-order today probably won't see a car until 2022 or 2023 ... maybe never.
This is a referral link . This link loads a coupon which reduces the reservation price from $100 to $70. In theory I might receive a reduction in the price of my car if a person clicked on the link, placed an order and received their car before me. Of course, anyone who makes a reservation through my link will be lower in the queue than me. Also, the chance that I make $25k for a new car in the next few years is remote.
Their domain is aptera.us . Their site lets you configure and order a new aptera car. I decided to go with the silver version (Luna). If I got a car, I would fill the Hive blockchain with pictures of the car in different places. I think the neutral color would look better than either black or white.
Aptera offers a camping kit. This implies that the car is large enough to sleep in. I don't have enough money for gas to go camping. If I had one of these; I could start camping again!
If you are considering buying an Aptera; you should register an account before placing the pre-order. That way your order will be in your account. I did it the wrong way around.
Aptera Timeline
- 2005: Company founded
- 2008: Altera released the Aptera 2 Series
- 2009: Jay Leno bought one.
- 2011: Aptera went belly up.
- 2019: Original founders reaquired the IP for the firm.
- 2020: On December 4, the company launched a crowdfunding campaign for the Aptera Paradigm solar vehicle and began taking orders.
- 2020: On December 14, the company achieved its goal of 3000 pre-orders.
- 2021: In January I placed a pre-oder. I then spammed the Hive blockchain with a post containing my referral link and a blurb about why I am really like this design.
I rationalize the spam because I think that this company is developing the type of car that the world needs. Cars that guzzle electricity are as bad for the environment as those that guzzle gas. I would have written the review without the referral link.
I think Aptera is the perfect vehicle for people using HIVE because it looks a little bit like a bee. We should band together and demand that Aptera release a bright yellow version just for the HIVE blockchain.
I grabbed this promotional photo from Wikicommons. It provides the sun's view of the solar panels on the roof:
I've been planning all of the trips that I am going to take in a vehicle that I cannot afford. I think in 5 years there will be used Apteras in the $10 grand range.
FWIW, I made a profile page for Aptera on my personal site.
Apparently what happened to the first Aptera is this: Aptera hired a new CEO to guide the company through the Federal compliance stage. The Feds do not like three wheeled cars.
The new CEO attempted to get a loan from the Department of Energy. The DOE rejected the loan because Aptera had three wheels. The CEO developed a four wheel design but failed to gain public interest in the four wheeled car and the company collapsed in 2011.
Thanks I will check out your link.
I really like the design of this vehicle and am hoping it will come to Australia.
I saw several posts in the Aptera forum from Australia.
Apparently the car has a modular design. The final assembly can be done in a relatively small factory. The company says that they hope to have micro factories around the globe; so it might be coming to Australia relatively soon.
You can sign up for a free account and talk to other Australians in the forum. You don't have to pre-order a vehicle to join the forum.
Awesome thanks I will look into the forum. And it should work well here with our often lot's of sunshine for the solar cells on it.
The Aptera Sunshine Map shows most of Australia as orange. Of course, most of the people live in a yellow zone. It would be fun to trek through the center of the country on solar alone. You'd have to camp a couple of days, but it would be fun.
The all-wheel drive version is supposed to work great in the outback.
I got the two wheel version. IMHO, the main reason for 4 wheel drive is to get the car unstuck. Since the car is so light weight, I think it might be possible to pull it out when it is stuck. A block and tackle might be enough to get it out of most scrapes.
Block and tackle can do a lot.
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