Comments by "N. Bruce Nelson" (@n.brucenelson5920) on "Donut" channel.

  1. Aptera is pure form follows function - not some fickle fashion statement.
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  2.  @Capt.Kira_FoeHammer  Elio Motors has always been a fake. Aptera Corp founders have successful backgrounds. Chris Anthony took his last company public as CEO.
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  3.  @stephen3164  You are completely correct. The entire Aptera vehicle was conceived of as a niche vehicle, just as the first Tesla was. It is just that that niche has turned out to be considerably larger than the founders ever expected. This is what has caused the delay as Aptera switches from low volume vacuum resin infusion production to stamped carbon fiber/SMC. Even though only a fraction of owners will find Solar very useful, it will not take huge numbers to save millions of lives over the next century. That is why the solar panel contribution shouldn't be ignored. See the paper on this "Quantifying Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Human Deaths to Guide Energy Policy by Joshua M. Pearce and Richard Parncutt
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  4. They are already producing production parts. The first validation vehicles will come together early next year and start validation testing. If all goes well, the first production vehicles could be delivered as early as end of next summer. (that might be a bit optimistic, but it is coming.)
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  5. Yes. It will not only cool the cabin, but also the battery pack and wheel/inverter cooling circuits when the vehicle is traveling at slow speed or stopped for charging. It takes in cool air from under the front windshield cowl and blows the heat out vents in the rear.
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  6. Aptera will be voluntarily crash tested to the same standard of every other car or truck in the US by a third party- FMVSS Part 200. The results will be published, unlike many SUVs and trucks for sale in the US.
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  7. It doesn't take much due diligence to see that they are nothing alike. The Aptera company founders have a record of successful startups, including a lithium battery company that Chris Anthony took public as co-founder and CEO.
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  8. You need to do your homework. Even in Iowa, where I will get perhaps 1/2 the maximum daily range, it will likely meet most of my driving requirements from solar alone.
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  9. You could convert a miata, but it would lose more range due to rolling and wind resistance, for starters.
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  10. I 5 seater may be next in line.
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  11. It is not just for stability. It compresses the air less between the wheel pants and the body and improves the aerodynamics as well.
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  12. The 1000 mile range model won't be available for years yet - It will require taller form factor batteries that aren't in production yet. It will also be the least efficient of all the models. If V2G becomes available, I could see a case being made for it, however.
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  13.  @stefen2157  There is hardly a lack of space compared to other cars of similar size. The rear cargo area holds 32 cu ft of storage, and will accommodate long items - or sleep 2 rather tall people for camping trips. The bigger limitation may not be space, but total weight capacity, which is stated to be 500 lbs. Rather good for its purpose, and not out of line with other 2 seat, 4 wheel vehicles.
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  14. Handles would interfere with air flow. I will report on my experience with one in snowy Iowa.
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  15.  @garywozniak7742  And even a tall couple can sleep in the back.
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  16. The original pricing for the base model was targeted at $25,900 in 2020. I expect that the first production models will come in under $40,000 - perhaps significantly under, but they won't announce pricing until they know what their costs will be, perhaps middle of next year. Battery prices - a big part of the total- have been falling.
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  17. You have not yet grasped the purpose or benefits of the design. However with right to repair, owners can do whatever they wish with one.
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  18. There are more than 45,000 paid pre-orders now. Perhaps only 30% or so of those will close, but the vast majority of the potential market has never even heard of Aptera yet. Once they start to experience the performance and cost of operation, sales will go through the roof!
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  19. My wife and I rode in a 2WD prototype and they are Amazing fun - not what you expect from an "economy car". AWD is better than the first Tesla Roadsters.
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  20. The shape was designed in the early '80s by A. Morelli. The physics of it hasn't changed.
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  21. It is NOT yet a production car, but I am convinced now that they will get there. Parts ARE being produced now. I expect first deliveries late summer, after crash testing and other validation work is completed.
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  22. I did due diligence on both companies. Elio was a fake. The Aptera founders both have a record of building successful companies. Chris Anthony took his last company public as CEO and it is still rated a strong buy.
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  23. Watch for my posts regarding the performance of an early model in Iowa.
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  24. ​ @MiscellaneousMcC  I don't know the answer to the effect running the heat will have on range. There will be need for both keeping the passenger(s) warm, and maintaining the battery pack at a suitable temperature. I think we will find out more about this during the validation phase of the testing of the first production vehicles this coming Spring. My guess is that it will be adequate down to -20 below F, and possibly further, but definitely with a range hit. As far as performance in snow, I currently drive a gen 1 Honda Insight through Iowa winters. It weighs about the same as an Aptera will, and the track of the rear wheels is narrower than the front, so it has to displace more snow. I have found that with proper snow tires it is adequate. Aptera will have superior traction control, with the ability to sense wheel slip and adjust torque every 2.5" of tread travel. There will be snow fall that is deeper than Aptera or any other small car can handle, but once the roads are plowed I think it will be better than many, at least in the AWD versions. A prototype has already been tested on a ski slope in Switzerland with the snow above the bottom edge of the wheel pants, and it did fine.
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  25. The NACS connector Aptera is using is no longer a "specialized charging port" but the North American standard, thanks to Aptera's efforts. Aptera Corp only started in 2019, so wrong again. It appears you are incapable of understanding simple math with your "3 to 5"months to charge your car statement. The first shipping LE models will be able to charge their batteries from empty to full in about an hour at a Tesla charging station. We will know more exactly once the PI models complete their validation work.
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  26. It passes the Moose Test. It would be pretty hard to do. Even the Robin had to be modified to get it to flip on Top Gear, and this is no Robin.
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  27. The batteries for the 600 and 1000 mile range vehicles are the same as in the present 400 mile range design - just taller form factors. They are in development now, and when they reach the production stage, the battery packs can be built. We will have a better idea of the actual range once the 400 mile production intent vehicles are validated.
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  28. It is a result of the aerodynamic design requirements and the safety function of the doors.
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  29. Where does this come from? Aptera Corp was only founded in 2019, when the design of the vehicle began. Of course, failure is still an option, but at present they have done a better job managing their money and making progress towards production than Tesla did during their startup phase. You are welcome to ask me questions or do your own research.
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  30.  @yourhandlehere1  Anyone who understand the reason for them knows that they are not "silly".
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  31.  @tonyn3227  Tesla started by shipping defective cars and came within an hour of bankruptcy before they finally had a fix for their defective transmissions Aptera is doing validation work before they ship, and will be able to handle repairs under warranty.
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  32. @user-iu2ft6sp6d That is likely to be true at the beginning. But it could change quickly. Aptera has even said it will make CAD files available to companies that wish to make aftermarket parts. I think we will see the largest aftermarket develop since the VW Bug, due to their friendly policy.
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  33. Much of the safety concern over 3 wheels came in the wake of Top Gear modifying a Reliant Robin to make it look easy to turn over for comic purposes. The Aptera is a tadpole configuration, has a much lower center of gravity due to the wheel motors and battery pack, and passes the moose test - it is better in this regard than many 4 wheel cars on American roads. The three wheels reduces rolling resistance, allows for a more aerodynamic shape, and reduces weight, cost, and tire costs. For its mission, it is a win all around. It will be publicly crash tested next year to FMVSS Part 200 automotive safety standards by a third party. They wouldn't go to this expense voluntarily if they didn't know it would do well.
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  34. I live in Iowa, and expect it to do well in the Launch Edition form. I will report on my experience.
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  35. That information will become more available with the testing of the production intent validation models, and reports from the field from owners of early deliveries. Of course range will be lower. 100 +F days are within the design range, as are - 20F days.
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  36. There are no flat surfaces for the wind to push against. You hardly feel gusts even at speed. Most 3 wheelers aren't designed like this.
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  37. Not this car or company. Aptera Corp. was founded in 2019, and has a completely different corporate structure thn Aptera Inc. and the drive train of the vehicle has nothing in common with what you are referring to.
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  38. I have driven the Elise, and ridden in an Aptera prototype. That is an apt comparison. I think the 0-60 time of the Aptera AWD of around 4.0 seconds is similar to the Elise. They are certainly not what you expect from an "economy car".
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  39.  @tims8603  Yes. And is therefore a much simpler and less expensive vehicle to operate and maintain than even the Insight has been for us.
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  40. The gamma already had one crushed by a BMW driver backing into it. It was repaired in about a week. The production ones can be replaced in minutes by new, as well as repaired.
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  41. The Maxeon cells used in the Aptera panels are sold in fixed panels by Maxeon directly with a 40 year warranty and a stated efficiency of 88% of the original over that time frame. Advances in Solar tech probably mean that the solar panels on most Apterae will be replaced long before that, due to lower cost and increased efficiency.
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  42. Both my wife and I have ridden in an Aptera prototype. It is no Gremlin (which my brother owned). Although the primary design goal is efficiency, the AWD acceleration is better than at least the first 200 Tesla Roadsters made. It is a blast! Production is still around a year away.
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  43. Aptera's shape is not some fickle temporary fashion statement that will go out of style. It is pure form follows function. It has existed in its basic form since an A. Morelli shape published in 1982, and built by several organizations, including MIT.
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  44. Compared to what? Don't forget to compare the total cost of ownership and use.
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  45. Just a correction - no version of Aptera has ever gone bankrupt. The first Aptera, Inc. company was a partnership that kicked out the founders in 2009, changed their plans, and then found they could no longer raise money for their new direction. They then liquidated the company in 2011. there was never any bankruptcy, and the vendors were paid and customer deposits returned.
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  46.  @eslachance  Yes. This is mis-information that has been repeated over and over.. The former Aptera CEO who was appointed by Idealab even claimed to be the founder at one point. Steve and Chris have just decided not to confront the false narratives out there directly, but both have been busy starting and running new successful companies. Chris Anthony even co-founded and as CEO took a lithium battery company public, which he left to get Aptera Corp going again.
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  47. Of course it can do both Mulholland and Pikes Peak without issue. It is light weight and has plenty of torque. Both my wife and I have ridden in an early Aptera prototype and the performance is eye opening. The AWD model can do better than the original Tesla Roadster in acceleration and not risk breaking a transmission, which happened so often that on demo days in 2008, Tesla needed a stack of spare transmissions and a crew to change them out while they were giving demo rides.
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  48. Aptera was designed to meet US laws.
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  49. This is what pure form follows function design looks like.
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  50. I live in rural Iowa and hope to find out. I will post video.
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