Aptera 3

As of 2020 the Aptera 3 is the first planned production vehicle for the relaunched California startup, Aptera Motors. It will be a two-seat, three-wheeled passenger, high-efficiency battery electric vehicle (BEV). It will feature three wheel hub motors and an estimated range of up to 1600 km (1000 miles) with its largest battery pack.[1]

Aptera 3
The Aptera 3 solar powered EV
Overview
ManufacturerAptera Motors
Production2020 (to commence)
AssemblyUnited States: San Diego, California
DesignerJason Hill
Body and chassis
Class
Body style3 door hatchback Coupé
Layout3 wheel hub motors
Powertrain
Electric motor3 x 50 kW from Elaphe Ltd.
Battery40 or 60 or 100 kW·h lithium-ion
Range400 or 600 or 1,000 miles (1,600 km) EPA
Plug-in charging
  • standard AC L1, L2 and
  • DC CCS
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,743 mm (108 in)
Length4,369 mm (172 in)
Width2,235 mm (88 in)
Height1,422 mm (56 in)
Curb weight800 kg (1,800 pounds) for standard 60kW-hr version
Chronology
PredecessorAptera 2 Series (never produced)

Efficiency

Its unique aerodynamic design and lightweight resin composite construction has been calculated to allow it to achieve that range by requiring less than 100 Wh of energy per mile, making it about 2.5 times as energy efficient as a Tesla Model 3.[1]

Size

Although a three-wheeled Coupé for 2 passengers, the Aptera will not be a small car. It's overall height (56 inches), width (88 inches) and front wheel tracking distance (77 inches) will be higher and wider than a Toyota Prius or a Tesla Model S. The Aptera's wheelbase (108 inches) is longer than a Prius's. At 172 inches long, it will be about 4 inches shorter than a Prius. However the Aptera will have a larger luggage capacity (25 cubic feet) than a Prius (21.6 cubic feet) or a Tesla Model 3 (15 cubic feet).[2][3]

The Aptera 3 "Never Charge" EV profile
Front view with doors open, showing 10" clearance

Solar and Battery Powered

Embedded solar cells will contribute up to an additional 41 miles per day from sunlight alone under ideal conditions.[4] Since most users travel less than 30 miles per day, this feature will allow many users to seldom, if ever, need to plug it in to charge the batteries. Thus the Aptera is being promoted as the world's first "Never Charge" EV.[4] The company's web site features a calculator to allow individuals to estimate how often they would need to charge an Aptera based on where they live and how much they drive.

The Aptera will also be able to charge from standard 120 and 240 volt AC outlets using standard Level 1 and Level 2 charging station equipment. It will also accept high speed charges from CCS DC chargers.[5]

Three 50 kW (67 horsepower) in-wheel electric motors will power it. The in-wheel electric motor provider has been selected to be Elaphe Ltd.[6]

Planned Configurations

Several solar panel and battery configurations are planned, at price targets ranging from $34 to $59 thousand.[7]

Both Standard and Long Range editions are specified to do 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds. A Performance Edition is also planned, specified to do that "in 3 seconds flat".[8]

The Standard Edition will have a 60 kWh battery pack and the Long Range Edition will have the 100 kWh battery pack.[8] Both will be electronically speed limited to a top speed of 120 mph. A less expensive, lighter edition with a 400 mile range from a 40 kWh battery pack is also planned.[1]

Availability

As of October 2019, the first prototypes of the revised Aptera BEV were planned for the first quarter of 2020.[9] In February 2020, the CEO, Chris Anthony, stated that if the required $2.5 million funding was in place, production could begin in 9 months.[10] Later that month the company announced it had raised enough funding to see the Aptera 3 into production by the end of 2020. Now the plan is to build and test development vehicles through the 3rd quarter of 2020, then move from development into production by the end of 2020.[11]

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gollark: Lies!
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gollark: Yes, the Raspberry Pi is very evil that way with display/camera support.
gollark: Given Disney's blatant hacking of the government, anything copyrighted in the US will quite possibly remain copyrighted until the heat death of the universe.

References
  1. Voelcker, John (2019-08-28). "Exclusive: 3-Wheeled Aptera Reboots as World's Most Efficient Electric Car". IEEE Spectrum. IEEE. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  2. Anthony, Chris (2020-02-18). "Aptera - Ask a Question". Wefunder. Wefunder Inc. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  3. "Aptera, it's HUGE! Surfboards, kayaks, or luggage, it carries them all with ease!". shoutout.wix.com. Aptera Motors Corp. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  4. "Aptera Motors Corp. | Electric Vehicles". Aptera. Aptera Motors Corp. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  5. Anthony, Chris (2020-01-02). "Aptera - Ask a Question". Wefunder. Wefunder Inc. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  6. Aptera_Motors (2019-10-16). "Our first vendor visit and audit of Elaphe Propulsion Technologies in Slovenia". Facebook. Facebook. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  7. "Invest in Aptera Motors". Wefunder. Wefunder Inc. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  8. Anthony, Chris (2019-09-14). "Aptera - Ask a Question". Wefunder. Wefunder Inc. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  9. Anthony, Chris (2019-10-25). "Aptera - Ask a Question". Wefunder. Wefunder Inc. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  10. Anthony, Chris (2020-02-13). "Aptera - Ask a Question". Wefunder. Wefunder Inc. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  11. Anthony, Chris (2020-02-28). "Aptera just closed a $2M private round!". Wefunder. Wefunder Inc. Retrieved 2020-02-28.


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