Aptera Eye-Candy: New Photos, New Name
Aptera‘s three-wheeled vehicle — you know, the one that looks like it should be driven by Barbarella — is supposed to go into initial production before the end of the year and larger scale production in 2009. To meet those goals, the startup, which is backed by Google.org and Idealab, is adding in the final details of design and marketing.
Aptera is now calling its vehicle the 2e (a good upgrade from Typ-1) and has posted loads of photos of the car’s exterior and interior. The company is clearly trying to emphasize how roomy the car is — perhaps trying to combat the impression that the inside of the three-wheeled vehicle is small. The web site eagerly points out a “cavernous rear cargo compartment,” cup holders that “will welcome even the most enormous cup of Joe,” space for “14 more bags of groceries,” room for “all the sports gear” you need, and room for “your six-foot surfboard.” OK, we get it.
Here are some of the latest photos, which show the body of the vehicle in the most detail yet:
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Its different looking but not sure it would be usuable in a rural setting on dirt roads!
Why? The car has great clearance.
Barbarella! Looks to me like something we would have studied in 6th grade health class. iPod white is really the wrong color. How about a little fire-engine red? Gold? Even black. I mean srsly!
As soon as this becomes available to the rest of the country we are getting 4
Not photos, but just computer renderings, I believe. They seem to have removed the drawing that showed the “floating” steering wheel.
Check out the many topics at the unofficial ApteraForum.com site. Several thousand postings there.
My boss drove one last winter and said it was awesome. Can’t wait to have one available in Kansas.
Apparently, the production is on hold for a year because, among other things, they forgot to add roll down windows. Oops….
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/smallbusiness/0812/gallery.stalled_electric_cars.smb/3.html
I first read about the Aptera in March 2008 and fell in love with it. From what I understand, they will only be selling to California residents initially. I suppose that the only way for anyone else to get one would be to buy one from a California resident. I hope they quickly become available to the rest of the states as well. The Aptera is about the most thought out well designed vehicle I have ever seen. As long as the real thing is as good as the concept, I’m sold. Not a lot of space inside but I’m hoping they will take this initial design and grow it slightly to fit 4 people (or 5) in the future. And, all this came from a startup. Instead of bailing out the other car companies, just give the money to Aptera. They obviously have some forward thinking bright minds there.
I’m not buying a new car until this is available in NY.
They have the right idea- and change seems to be the word and look of the future, I live in S.C. and I would love to have 2 Apteras- My wife and I love the look of the vehical and can’t wait to test drive one– so they need to get all the testing done and pick up the past- I have my plane tickets on hold for that trip…
Aptera is just one of more than fifty companies vying for the electric car market. However, Aptera’s designs are the best, and have more attention to detail, environmental impact, costs & etc. If you don’t buy one of these when they’re made available nationwide (hopefully worldwide), then you haven’t done your homework.
I recently went to do a car survey in Long Beach, CA. They had a Prius, a Mini Cooper S, a Smart fortwo, and the Aptera. I have to say that if this is the fit and finish they are looking for, I am not impressed. First, we weren’t allowed to touch the steering wheel when we got inside because of fear that it would fall off, the material used to cover the seats looked and felt like something from a 1960′s Woody Allen movie, and in order to get in and out you had to climb. I love the idea, and the multiple drive train options including gas only, gas hybrid, and all electric is revolutionary. Unfortunately, it didn’t look quite ready for prime time.
I’ll take one to go, please.
You have got me, but I will not think of buying one until I can test drive it first.
Regarding that consumer panel comparison, the other vehicles are all in production, while the Aptera shown was almost certainly a pre-production prototype (they are on schedule to produce the first production vehicle(s) right before 1/1/09). If so it’s a year old, and the firm has hired a huge amount of talent in the interim…from the Big 3 and from elsewhere. My expectation is the final product will have the fit and finish you expect. Conflict of interest disclosure: no conflict. I have reserved an Aptera but have no financial nor business links to the company nor its personnel. Best forum for this car IMHO: http://www.apteraforum.com (no conflict there either). Love this site earth2tech!
Awesome, it is so exciting to be around during a period of time when there is so much incredible change and originality out there. I love this car and as much as I feel sort of sorry for the big 3, more so for their employees, they had the opportunity to be the first at this for decades but chose to take the high oil laiden road with thoughts of their wallets over thoughts for the world. Of course for those of you driving SUVs…well sucks to be you, sell it for scrap!
I’m pleased to read that the Aptera has switched from rear to front-wheel-drive (Newsletter dated 12/19/08) which is certainly more efficient per the reasons given in the newsletter. I’ve been 3-wheeling in a FWD Trihawk since 1985 and it is (in my opinion) the best way to go. I hope to be driving an Aptera someday soon…!
Los Altos, CA
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