Aptera Electric Car FAQ

This is the Aptera electric car FAQ page. I have included many of the FAQ
and their answers on this page.

Q: How much will the Aptera cost me?

A: That’s the first question that most people ask. There are four models of the Aptera. The 

models differ mainly in the size of the battery and therefore the maximum mileage

possible.

The battery and range that you chose will determine the cost of your Aptera.

Once you decide on the model you want then there several optional features that you can

add. They are explained in detail on our “The New Aptera” page. For a direct link click

here. The four models and their prices are listed below:

250-mile model: $25,900.

400-mile model: $29,800.

700-mile model: $34,600.

1,000-mile model: $44,900.

If you were to get the 1,000-mile model with all the options possible, you would spend

$50,700.

All of these prices were announced in December 2020. Since that time, inflation has raged

so it’s hard to believe that Aptera Motors can stick to these prices. If they can’t hold prices,

hopefully, they will only raise prices for future orders and let the people that already

ordered keep their prices.

Update: Summer 2023

It looks like I was right. The current inflationary environment will have an effect on pricing. There are so many unknowns about the future cost of parts that the company won’t even announce the price for the Launch Edition car planned for production in 2024. Sandy Munro announced in one of his videos a price for the Launch Edition of $33,500., but Aptera Motors hasn’t backed him up on that. His company works with Aptera Motors so he must have heard someone throwing that figure around.

Q: Is it safe?

A: That’s the second thing that people ask when they see it. The fact is it’s much safer than

it looks, It’s also much larger than it looks. It’s as long as a Prius (172”) and as wide as a

Tesla Model S (85”).

The body is made from composites which makes it far stronger than steel or

aluminum. It also has airbags in the steering wheel and the dash for the passenger and full

three-point seat belts.

The Aptera is designed like a Formula One racer where the occupants are protected by a

cage-like composite structure.

I’ve seen a couple of videos where someone hit the composite structure of the first Aptera

with a sledgehammer and the sledgehammer just bounced off. Here’s one of those videos.

There will be no such thing as a “fender-bender” with the Aptera. Other cars will either

bounce off or if they are going fast enough to dent it, then they are likely going fast

enough to total it.

Even though the Aptera legally doesn’t need bumpers, don’t worry, its body is far

stronger than most modern car bumpers anyway. Bumpers only have to pass a 5 mph test

to be legal. That’s ridiculously slow.

People are also afraid of it tipping over. This probably has a lot to do with the old

Reliant Robin because that car did tip onto its side very easily. The reason for the

Robin’s stability problems were that it had two wheels in the back and one wheel in the

front.

The Aptera is set up the other way around with two wheels up front. They are also spread

far apart. Another contributing factor to the Aptera’s stability is that 65% of the vehicle’s

weight is biased toward the front wheels.

As I mentioned before, the front wheels give the car great stability. Another reason that

the front wheels are so far apart is that when the wheels roll along the road, they create

disturbed air. The wheels have been placed far enough away from the body of the car that

this disturbed air does not interfere with the air going around the body of the car.

We haven’t even talked about crumple zones! The whole front of the car is a crumple

zone. The Aptera is the only car I’ve ever seen that has a firewall that is slanted so that

everything from there forward will be directed underneath the cabin in a crash involving

the front end. Here’s a picture of the front end so you see the slanted firewall.

Below, are renders of the front end and the rear end as they will be on the production

cars. The front and rear ends both went through changes as a result of the real-world

testing that Rousch Engineering did with the Beta prototype. The result was a much

smoother riding car,

One of the advantages of composites is that they make it easier to transfer energy in the

desired direction. Steel deforms and doesn’t transfer the energy from a crash very well.

As far as crash tests. The original Aptera went through the FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standards tests) and the NHTSA (National Highway Transport Safety Administration)

tests and passed them all. The current Aptera will go through these tests early in 2023.

Update: November 3^rd 2022

Aptera Motors announced today that it has signed an agreement with C.P.C. Group of Modena, Italy to produce body parts for the Aptera. This represents a major change in the way the Aptera car is constructed. The original plan was to hand-build each Aptera body using Chris Anthony’s infused honeycomb technique that he successfully used on boats.

They’ve switched over to using CF-SMC and SMC to make body parts instead of using the infused honeycomb method.

They’ve made this switch primarily because interest in the Aptera is much greater than anticipated and hand layups just wouldn’t be fast enough for the numbers of bodies needed.

The main advantage of switching to SMC materials is that then the parts can be pressed quickly into the desired shapes by the huge presses over at C.P.C. Group.

What is CF-SMC and SMC? The CF stands for carbon fiber. SMC stands for sheet molded composite. To make the CF-SMC, carbon fiber is first chopped up, it is then infused with epoxy and pressed into sheets. These sheets will be used to make the structural parts of the car. These carbon fiber sheets are supposed to be ten times stronger than steel, but I don’t know if the cars will be as strong as the infused honeycomb like in the video above. 

To be sure, Aptera Motors will be conducting crash tests to make sure their car is as safe as possible.

The plain SMC is made of chopped fiberglass and will also be made into sheets and then pressed into the shapes of non-structural parts of the car.

C.P.C. Group has several presses that can be used to take the SMC and press it into parts for the car. One advantage is that all copies of one particular part will be identical. As I mentioned before, another advantage is speed. C.P.C. Group says it can make each part in two minutes or less.

Below, is a picture of the making of the molds (dies).

Here is a picture of all the Aptera parts that will be made by C.P. C. Group.

The biggest disadvantage that I can see is cost. Aptera Motors will now have to pay for the molds that go into C.P.C. Groups presses. Another disadvantage that makes me nervous is the supply chain problem. Having so many parts made on another continent means that Aptera Motors will be at the mercy of shipping companies, labor strikes, transportation problems, etc.

Update: October 4^th, 2023

Aptera Motors has announced that C.P.C. Group has finished the molds for two thirds of the parts they are making. To save money, some of the molds make more than one part so it’s hard to say how many different parts they can make now. The molds are expensive to make, however, each one can make about 100,000 parts so that should bring unit cost down.

Shown in the October 4^th Ambassador call were pictures of some the molded parts that have been made so far. One thing that really stood out in the pictures was how little waste material there was on each part. Fortunately, this excess material can be easily be removed and then recycled by being added to another sheet of SMC.

Below is a picture of some of the door panels that have already been made.

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Q: I heard it has “hub motors”, what exactly are those?

A: Hub motors is the term that means that the motors are actually in the wheel hubs. 

In any conventional electric motor, there is a part that turns called a rotor. This rotor has

magnets embedded in it and is surrounded by a stator that has lots of copper windings.

When electricity is passed through those copper windings. an electrical field is set up and the

rotor turns to perform whatever work is required of the motor.

In a hub motor, the rotor looks like a conventional brake drum. The wheel is bolted to

studs that have passed from the spindle through the rotor. The stator sits where the brake 

pads would be in a drum brake. The main difference is that the stator goes all around the 

area where the pads would normally be. The stator is made in a form similar to the rotor only

slightly smaller than the rotor so the rotor will just fit over it. The stator is bolted to the

backing plate so it can’t move. It has copper windings around it so that when electricity is

passed through it, the rotor turns, propelling the car forward.

Hub motors increase the efficiency of the car because there is no need to expend power

turning drive shafts, transmissions, and transfer cases. As a side benefit, the car is much

lighter than it would normally be. Hub motors also allow for much more room under the

hood. In fact, Chris Anthony stated that it will be fairly easy to make a right-hand drive

version now.

To help visualize the hub motors, please see the illustration below:

 

If you would like to discover more about hub motors and see some

diagrams please click here.

 

Q: What’s this “Never Charge” stuff all about?

A: The “Never Charge” stuff refers to the solar cells that are attached to the car. They

call it “Never Charge” because the car is so efficient that you may be able to solar

charge enough to cover your daily commute miles while the car is sitting at your place

of work.

The average daily commute in the USA  is about 32 miles round trip for most

Americans.

The car comes standard with solar cells on the roof and dash which are good for up to 16

miles worth of charge per day and for extra money, you can also get them on the hood

and deck lid. The company claims that if you get all the solar, you will get over 40 miles of

charging per day. If you live in a sunny climate, just from the sun so you’ll never have to

plugin.

This statement I would take this with a grain of salt. I’ve read that because of inefficiencies,

you’ll rarely get the stated wattage out of a group of solar cells. I believe it’s around 80%

so for instance, a 300-watt solar panel will only get you about 240 watts. Also, solar

panels are rated in ideal lab conditions. The light source is pointed directly at the panel

and then a measurement is made.

In real life, the max output of a panel occurs at noon. Before that and after that you will

get less than the rating.

Unfortunately, the “Never Charge” feature is something I can’t use anyway. I live in NW

Oregon. It rains here 9 months out of the year. Yes, the sun does come out occasionally

in the winter, but it’s so low in the sky that the neighbor’s trees block it so my driveway is

shaded all day.

If I lived in a sunny climate like in the southern US, had a short commute to work, and I

parked outside in a parking lot all day, then I would be very interested in full solar.

If you do live in a sunny area and are in an apartment then solar charging could

allow an electric car to work for you. This could really be a breakthrough for apartment

and condo dwellers.

If you would like to discover more about solar on the Aptera, please visit our solar post

here.

 

 

 

 

 

Update: January 2023

The rear hatch has been redesigned in order to prevent people from scratching their cars while loading and unloading cargo. With the new design, the hatch goes all the way to the back of the car. This change eliminates the solar cells at the rear corners of the car, however, there are now several more cells on the hatch so the overall power output has actually increased.

Nevertheless, I don’t believe that the solar is the big story here, the amazing claim is that

Aptera says the car uses less than 100 wt/hr/ per mile, which is pretty darn good.

The car is so efficient that it means that if you charge on a 120v 20 amp circuit you can

charge at 13 miles per/hr(21 kph). An overnight charge will get you about 150 miles

(241 km). One hour on a DCFC will get you 500 miles (805 km).

 

Q: How big is it?

A: It is: w-85” (2,159m) L-176” (4.4704m) H-57” (1,448m)

The cargo area has 25 cubic feet of space.

 

Q: Since it’s a three-wheeler is it considered a motorcycle?

A: In the federal government’s eyes, yes, they consider it a motorcycle, however, there

isn’t any uniformity among state DMVs. In all states except one, it’s considered a

motorcycle or autocycle. In most states, you don’t have to wear helmets because it’s an

enclosed cabin, however, you may have to leave your lights on if your state requires

that for motorcycles. A motorcycle endorsement is only required in two states. It’s best to

check with your local DMV to find out the local laws. Most states require a headlight to be

mounted in the center of the vehicle. Aptera has complied with this.

 

Q: I noticed cameras instead of side mirrors on the prototype, isn’t that illegal in the

US?

A: For cars that would be illegal, however, motorcycles are only required to have one

mirror that allows the driver to see at least 200 ft behind him.  BTW, in Europe, camera

mirrors are legal for cars. The USA is way behind.

Originally, I thought this reg could be satisfied with the use of a center mirror on the cars

with the glass hatch, but I was wrong. Chris Anthony revealed during the Dec, 8th, 2021 Q

& A that the one mirror on a motorcycle has to be 18″ from the centerline of the vehicle

and has to be at least ten square inches in size so this would present a problem for all

versions of the Aptera.

One idea someone had was to put the mirror on the back of a wheel fairing. This would

work fine until you went around a curve, then it wouldn’t work at all. I don’t think the Feds

would approve that. You couldn’t just glue a small convex mirror onto the camera stalk

because you wouldn’t satisfy the ten-square-inch requirement.

At this point, the only logical solution for the mirror would be to attach it to the door or

camera stalk and build a fairing that is as streamlined as possible. Apparently, this is what

Aptera decided to do. A very streamlined mirror is attached to each door. The cameras for

each side are mounted on the mirror stalks. The mirrors are easily removable in case the

law ever changes.

I’m only about 5′ 7” and I’ve ordered a car with a glass hatch so I think that if I mounted a

2mirrors 18” from the center-line of the windshield, I might be able to see over my head

and out back.

Below, is a picture of the center screen and two mirror screens on the first prototype.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update: March 10th, 2022

The Beta prototype render is already showing a change in the rear-view mirror system.

Since the law requires actual mirrors for motorcycles, Aptera has designed extremely

small, extremely streamlined mirrors for the outside of the car. Please look at the next two

illustrations to see how they look (red arrows). Also illustrated below is the revised layout

of the dashboard.

Notice how the rear-camera screens have been eliminated and a screen behind the

steering yoke has been added. 

At least one YouTuber has postulated that there will still be cameras on the mirror stalks

and when you activate the turn signal, then the side you activate will have its camera

feed appears on the steering column screen.

This might just be wishful thinking. I haven’t found anything about this kind of setup on

the official Aptera website. ( This scenario doesn’t appear to be the case).

I’m not so sure I like this setup anyway, by the time I hit my turn signal I’ve already

looked in my mirrors and feel committed.

I think the original setup with two camera screens was better since I’ll already be looking

in my mirrors, before I change lanes, but I have to remember that both the Gamma and the

Delta prototypes still have to be built so nothing is set in stone.

Update: March 24^th, 2022

Aptera just released a March 2022 update, plus Transport Evolved just posted two new

videos about their most recent trip to Aptera so we have a lot of new information.

The first piece of information is that the government is not ready to change the

requirement for mirrors on motorcycles or cars. If you look at the render below, the two

red arrows point to the streamlined rearview mirror as designed for the Beta prototype.

Chris Anthony did confirm that there will still be a camera system in addition to the

mirrors.

He also said that if the situation changes with the law in the future, the mirrors will

easily be removable by the owner.

Speaking of cameras, it sounds like the camera system will be on all the time. Anthony

even had a name for it. He called it, the “Eyes Forward Vision System”. I take it from the

name that the camera feed will probably be on the screen directly in front of the driver as

the default feed, if not the only feed.

By the way, as you can see in the render, the driver’s screen (green arrow) is easy to see

if a yoke is used for steering. Anthony talked about how they knew a yoke would be

polarizing, but they decided to use it anyway. It sounds like I was wrong. It doesn’t

sound like they plan to offer a round wheel as an option, but things could change again.

Personally, I’m willing to give the yoke a try.

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Update: October 1^st, 2022

Aptera showed their “Gamma” prototype at the “Fully Charged Live” show on

September 10^{th /}11th, 2022. The Gamma interior was almost the same as the “Beta” render

you see above, The most notable exception was the addition of a cup holder that you can

see in the picture below.

The rear-view mirror is identical to the Beta render with the rear-view cameras installed

in the mirror stalks. One piece of information they already mentioned is that the mirrors

will be easily removable if it becomes legal to have rear-view cameras instead of mirrors.

Update: January 1^st, 2023

They did it, Aptera Motors promised a render of the Delta prototype before the end of the

year and they just made it. They posted a video of the Delta render on December 31^st,

2022.

That was close!

There were some changes since Gamma, some we were expecting, some we weren’t.

One of the most notable was in the area between the seats. It would appear that the

bungee cord cup holder has been replaced with a more conventional one (see the picture

below.

Also, just ahead of that, there is a small enclosed area.

All parts of the Gamma center consul area were replaceable modules but it’s not clear now

if these are merely replaceable modules or permanent fixtures.

 

Q: What kind of charge plug will it have? It had what looked like a Tesla plug

 showing in the launch video. 

A: The founders have stated that for sure it will have CCS, Which means that it

will also be J1772 capable. The founders have further stated that they would also like to

put Chademo on it, To accommodate all of the necessary plugs, Anthony mentioned that

they may put the plugs under the hood. A lot of people are excited because of the launch

video showing a Tesla-type charge plug. The founders say that it was just a placeholder

which makes a lot of sense since there isn’t a lot of room behind the license plate.

Here’s the screenshot that I’m talking about:

I don’t think a CCS plug would even fit that space so I don’t know how they’re going to do it,

The founders did say, however, that they are in talks with Tesla. What they are talking

about, they won’t say. It could the Supercharger Network, could be charge plugs, or it

could be software. One thing is for sure if they do make a deal on the Supercharger

Network,, that would be a big plus for Aptera. Elon Musk did say in February 2021 that

other manufacturers will be using the Supercharger Network, but he didn’t say who, and

nobody else seems to know who he means.

I could see some advantages to Tesla in partnering with Aptera on the Supercharger

Network. First of all, the numbers of Apterae would be small even in 2023 when Aptera

hopes to be producing at the rate of 40,000 cars per year. Tesla will probably be over a

million cars per year by that time, but more importantly, they will have added quite a

few more Superchargers by then. If Tesla were to partner with a large producer of

Electric Vehicles then Tesla drivers may have to wait in line which would make them

very mad at the company.

Secondly, Aptera is not really a competitor of Teslas. The 2-seater market is considered to

be a niche market. One that Tesla is no longer after. BTW, Sandy Munro revealed that he

has seen a video that shows a three-wheeled car that Tesla developed and apparently

shelved. He says that Elon Musk told him that he doesn’t like three-wheeled cars.

Thirdly, Tesla could also have Aptera help pay for what must be a horrendously

expensive charging network.

Update: January 18^th, 2022

Elon Musk stated in 2021 that the Supercharger network would soon be opened up to

all brands, but he might have been assuming that Build Back Better would pass so since it

didn’t, Elon may take back his statement.

Update: June 14^th 2022

Nobody at the webinar said for sure what type of charge plugs will be used. Although

Chris Anthony spoke at length about the Tesla plug being superior to anything else being

used. He even called on all the attendees to help try to make the Tesla charge plug the

standard for the USA.

Update: October 1^st, 2022

On the Gamma prototype that Aptera Motors showed us in September of 2022 a Tesla

plug was installed.

In August of 2022 Aptera Motors started a petition which asked the Federal government

to make the Tesla plug the National Standard. Aptera Motors stated that the Tesla plug

was, more efficient, smaller, and more elegant. They also stated that adapters for Tesla to

CCS exist so it wouldn’t be a problem to use CCS chargers.

After talking about the advantages of the Tesla plug, I think it would be hypocritical of

Aptera Motors to use anything else. I think it’s safe to say that the Tesla plug will most

likely be installed on the production cars.

Update: December 2022

Aptera Motors has confirmed that the Tesla plug will be installed on all new Apteras. They

stated that CCS adapters are readily available for the Tesla plug, but they didn’t say if an

adapter would be included with the car.

Aptera Motors started a petition drive in 2022 to try to get the U.S. Government to say that

the Tesla plug ( now named the NACS) to be the standard charging plug in the U.S. and they

were successful! Many manufacturers have jumped on board and it looks like in the next

three years the Tesla plug will dominate on new electric cars sold in North America.

Q: How big is the onboard charger?

A: The founders are still trying to decide between a 6.6 kW and a 3.3 kW charger. A 6.6

kW charger is considered to be the minimum for most modern EVs, however, the Aptera

is so efficient and therefore adds miles so fast that a 3.3 kW charger is all that may be

needed. A big consideration is the fact that the 3.3 kW charger would be lighter.

The charging speed itself is set to be a maximum of 50 KW.

Update: January 20^th, 2023

Aptera Motors announced today that the onboard charger would indeed be a 6.6 KW

model.

One of the other things mentioned in today’s webinar was that the Launch Edition

wouldn’t have fast charging. They said it “really wasn’t needed”. They said it would be

available later as an upgrade and would be on the subsequent cars.

This created quite an uproar on Social Media because a lot of people plan to make cross-

country trips in their cars so they do really need it. It was stated at the webinar that the

included L2 charger would charge at the rate of 57 mph. That would make cross-country

trips pretty agonizing.

This announcement caused a lot of disappointment and some people even went so far as

to say they would cancel their orders.

This controversy was settled by Aptera Motors on January 25^th, 2023 when they released

a video announcing the reversal of their decision about fast charging. Read more down

below.

Update: January 25th, 2023

It was announced today that Aptera Motors has reversed its decision on fast charging and

it will now be included in the Launch Edition.

They put out a video on YouTube to announce this decision. In the video, they explained

some of the history between Aptera Motors and fast charging.

It seems that they already did considerable work on fast charging but then shelved that

work and moved on to something else. Now they plan to complete that work so they can

include fast charging in the Launch Edition. Fast charging will be at least 40 KW, which

would equate to 400 mph of charging. Steve Fambro stated that 40 KW would be easy to

hit, but they will try to push it as high as 60 KW if heat isn’t a problem.

Steve Fambro said they made the change because they listened. Good to see that they

responded so quickly to customer concerns. Really a good omen.

Q: Will it have A/C and heat?

A: Yes, it will have A/C and a heater. Of course, everyone hopes that the Aptera will have a

heat pump, however, in a Q&A on December 8th, 2021 Chris Anthony stated that a heat

pump would take about two years for a vendor to design it for a vehicle and Aptera

Motors can’t wait that long. For this reason, they will start out with a resistive heater.

Anthony said it might be possible to switch to a heat pump later if you want to. 

I’m not too worried about it because a heat pump is really only advantageous down to

about 40 degrees Fahrenheit because a heat pump pulls heat out of the outside air. If the

outside air is cold enough there isn’t any heat to pull out. Below 40 degrees, you’ll be using

the resistive side of your heater anyway.

They will be using a resistive heater, but it won’t be like the red glowing wire that

you’re probably thinking of. What they will be using is called a PTC. It’s solid-state and it’s a

little more efficient than the old-fashioned resistive heater, but it also has several other

advantages. The big one is that there is no glowing wire so there is no fire danger and

therefore it’s much safer. (I heard that as of October 22nd, 2022, they had over 37,000 pre-

orders)

Q: Will it have heated seats?

A: The car will have heated seats and believe it or not, heating with heated seats only, isn’t

that bad. I’ve had heated seats in my Leaf since 2016 and they turned out to be better than

I expected. The Leaf is a very short-range (about 84 miles) vehicle so I use the heater very

sparingly.

 

Q: Will it have a heated steering wheel?

A: I’ve seen interviews where the founders say yes and I’ve seen interviews where the

founders say no so my guess is that the prototypes don’t have one, but the founders

would like to put one on the production model. It probably comes down to how much

such a thing would weigh and cost.

 

Q: Will it have thermal management for the battery?

A: Yes. The battery will be cooled by the same type of fluid that cools the motors and since

there isn’t a radiator, microchannels will take the hot fluid to the belly pan under the car to

be cooled.

The battery will also have a heater to keep it from freezing in colder climates.

The Aptera team hasn’t specified exactly where the cooling channels will be on the

production vehicle, but I have heard that the Aptera will have an aluminum belly pan so

since this will be so close to the battery pack I would postulate that cooling channels will

run through this belly pan to make up the bulk of the car’s cooling system since it won’t

have a radiator of any kind. ( I was right, the Gamma prototype shown in September of

2022 is set up with belly pan cooling exactly as I guessed).

In one of the company’s videos, there is an illustration that shows

cooling channels running from the front of the car, through the doors, and all the way to

the rear of the car. If so, this would be an engineering nightmare so that’s why I believe the

cooling channels will run along the belly. This drawing was probably made by an outside

illustrator who had little knowledge of the actual car.

In the picture below, you can see the rendering I’m talking about of the cooling channels

that Aptera has proposed. As you can see, the channels are shown running through the

doors. I’m not an engineer, but I can’t imagine how such a system would work.

 

Update: October, 2023

It appears that the above statement about the radiator is incorrect. The Aptera will have a

small radiator under the hood with the cooling air being drawn in from the windshield wiper

area. This makes sense because I once read that a reverse air scoop actually pulls in more air

than a forward-facing scoop. The cooled liquid will then be used to cool the batteries and the

motors. It would appear that the whole idea of “skin cooling” didn’t make it into the final

product.

Q: Will it have over-the-air updates?

A: Yes, that’s the plan. This will be particularly useful for navigation.

 

Q: Will it have Apple Car Play and Android Auto?

A: No it will not. This is really disappointing to me because I have really gotten used to

the Apple Car Play in my Nissan Leaf. I have to assume that this is purely a financial

decision because it probably costs a lot of money for this technology. The OEMs can

afford it, start-ups, not so much. I’m hoping that after Aptera gets bigger, it can afford the

expense, then add it with an over-the-air update.

Update: May 5^th, 2023

Good News! Apple Car Play and Android Auto may be back on the table. Aptera Motors

held a webinar yesterday which was hosted by Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony. During

the webinar, Chris Anthony revealed that Aptera had sold Andromeda back to its

original owners. Andromeda was originally purchased by Aptera so that Aptera could

write its own infotainment software. Chris said that they came to the realization that it

would be easier to just buy an off the self infotainment program rather than try to develop

one on their own. He also said that they are already in talks with Apple about using their

system.

Q: I’ve seen the center screen which looks remarkably like a Tesla Model 3’s, will it also

be using Tesla’s software?

A: Not necessarily, Aptera actually came out with a center screen in 2007 so it was

Tesla that copied Aptera. The Aptera prototype uses Crank Software. I haven’t heard of

any plans to change it. This picture shows proof that the Aptera Type 1 had a center screen

back in 2007.

Update November, 2023

Aptera Motors announced this summer that they would be using Comma AI for their user

interface. Below, is a rendering of what that would look like.

Q: The interior pictures show Tesla stalks and a Tesla steering column, are they going

to be buying parts from Tesla?

A: Not likely. Reselling parts is not part of Tesla’s business plan. Aptera probably just

bought parts (with Tesla’s blessing) from the same suppliers that Tesla bought from.

Tesla did the same thing when they first brought out the Model S. They used stalks that

were the same as Mercedes-Benz because they were supplying batteries for Smart, a

division of Daimler-Benz. Besides, buying parts from Tesla would mean another middle

man which would drive up the price. No business would want that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q: It seems kind of wide, can you tell where the wheels are when you sit in the car?

A: There are sensors on both front wheel pants to help with parking.

 

Q: How much does the Aptera weigh?

A: The founders say between 1800-2000 lbs. Depending on the battery ordered, I found

some conflicting information somewhere. I haven’t been able to verify that these weights

are true. Here’s what I found:

	Model:	1,000kWh kg/lbs	60kWh kg/lbs	40kWh kg/lbs	25kWh kg/lbs
	Aptera Total Weight	1,000/2.204	800/1,763	667/1,470	531/1,171
	Battery Pack Weight	625/1,377	425/936	290/639	156/344
	Aptera Body Weight	375/827	375/827	375/827	375/827
	Total Battery Size (kwh)	99kwh	66kwh	45kwh	23kwh
	Miles/km Range	1,000/1,600	600/965	400/643	250/402

Here’s a drawing showing the innards of the Aptera with a large battery.

Q: Will it have a windshield wiper?

A: Yes, it will. The Alpha and Beta prototypes didn’t have one, but the Gamma prototype

does. The one on the Gamma is made of metal, but Aptera Motors hopes to have one

made of composites for the production vehicle in order to save a little weight. A picture

of the Gamma installation is below.

Q: Isn’t making a startup successful extremely hard?

A: Yes it is, however, there are some advantages also. Lower fixed costs (no long-term

leases to worry about), no pension fund for retired workers, and no in-house lawyers

around to stifle innovation. Currently, Tesla will disable Supercharging and DCFC for

any car that has a salvaged title and has been repaired but does not go through inspection

at a Tesla service center. I know that policy has cost Tesla some sales and I have always

figured it was conservative lawyers that were at fault. As opposed to Tesla’s policy, right to 

repair is a cornerstone of Aptera Motor’s philosophy.

 

Q: Isn’t it expensive to get into the car-making business?

A: Yes. The typical car factory costs at least 400 million dollars just to set up. Most of

that expense is for the stamping machines necessary for metal parts. A lot of the rest of it

is for the robots on the line. Aptera does not need stamping machines and will have very

few robots. Most of the Aptera will be built by humans. The exception is the parts that

will be 3D printed. Since fancy machines aren’t needed, the Aptera can be built in a

typical warehouse instead of a big expensive factory.

 

Q: Can I order a color other than the factory colors?

A: Yes. All colors, even the standard factory ones are wraps so custom colors can be

ordered. Additional cost is $1,500..

 

Q: What brand of traction battery will be used and what type of battery will it be?

A: Fambro and Anthony say they are in talks with several different manufacturers. They

did say it will be a lightweight battery. They also said they are testing 2170 cells right

now, (2021). The battery can be lightweight because Aptera places the battery inside the car

while most manufacturers place the battery under the car and make it strong enough to

resist punctures and also strong enough for the case to be part of the car’s frame.

Update: December 8^th, 2021

Chris Anthony confirmed that the batteries for the Aptera will for sure be 2170’s. He still

didn’t say though who will make them.

(The batteries are confirmed to be from EVE Energy in China).

He also said that LFP batteries have too low an energy density so they won’t be used.

If you would like to learn more about the batteries in the Aeptera, please click here

 

Q: Will it have regenerative braking?

A: Yes. Three or four levels of regen are planned. The car will also have a one-pedal-

driving. If you don’t know what regenerative braking is, it’s when you take your foot off

the accelerator, the motor acts as a generator and puts electricity back into your battery.

Meanwhile, it feels like you have downshifted to a lower gear. If you time it right, the car

will come to a complete stop when you get to a stoplight. That’s what’s referred to as one-

pedal-driving. (one benefit is that it saves your brakes)

 

Q: Will the car be eligible for any tax credits or rebates?

A: Unfortunately, the federal credit for motorcycles expired in 2017. The Aptera does

not qualify for the current federal credit because it only has three wheels. It may qualify

for a state rebate for motorcycles so check with your DMV to find out. The company is

lobbying for the reinstatement of a federal tax credit for three-wheeled vehicles.

 

Q: Will it need a front license plate?

A: In states where it is considered a motorcycle or autocycle it will not. Check with your

DMV.

Q: How quick is it?

A: With FWD and for all battery packs it will do……0-60(96.5kph) in 5.5 seconds

With AWD and for all battery packs it will do……0-60(96.5kph) in 4.0 seconds

Even for the FWD version that’s fast. My Nissan Leaf does 0-60 in about 9.5 seconds which

is enough to push you back into your seat. The Model 3 Performance does 0-60 in 3,2

seconds so very few cars are faster than the AWD version.

 

Q: What’s the top speed?

A: It will do 110 mph (177 kph)

 

Q: How much is the useful load?

A: Total load in the cabin is 500 lbs. This is broken up into 300 lbs max for the baggage

area and 250 max. for each seat. In other words, if the baggage area has 300 lbs in it,

then the driver could be the only person in the car.

 

Q: Can I tow with it?

A: Surprisingly, the answer is yes! The car will be able to tow a light trailer. The

prototype doesn’t have a hitch, but the production models are supposed to have one. The

Aptera team hasn’t designed a lightweight trailer yet, but I have a feeling they will. 

Another possibility is that the after-market will make one soon.

The Aptera team projects right now that the empty trailer weight will be 200 lbs with a

maximum cargo weight of 200 lbs. All this is subject to change.

Update: December 2022

The subject of a tow hitch is somewhat confusing now. Aptera Motors said at one time that

the car would have a tow hitch but in the December 2022 ambassadors webinar Chris

Anthony said that the car wouldn’t. Reading between the lines, I would guess that Aptera

Motors feels like they can’t take the time to properly engineer a tow hitch before the start

of production, maybe later.

 

Q: Will I have to wear a helmet?

A: In most states, the answer is no. Since it has an enclosed cabin most states consider

that to be the helmet. Notice I didn’t say all states. You’ll have to check with your local

DMV for the definitive answer.

 

Q: What if I have to jack it up to fix a flat or change the tires?

A: The car has jack points in the front and rear so that it can be jacked up with a floor jack.

Update: November, 2023

A new feature was just announced this month that will make tire changing, at least on the

front tires, extremely easy. The outer half of the wheel pants will pivot forward so that there

will be easy access to the wheels and tires. Also, debris like snow or mud can be more easily

cleaned from the wheel pant. See the render below to see what this looks like.

Q: Is the Aptera legal for Europe or Australia?

A: Not under current regulations. Both areas require that this class of car only be 2m

wide and 4m long. The Aptera is 2.225m wide and 4.368m long so either the car will

have to be changed or the regs will have to be changed. Currently, Aptera does have a

European homologation expert on staff to try to work things out with the EU. Even if he’s

successful, there still may be a problem. I’ve read that the width of the standard garage

door in Europe is 230 cm. The Aptera will be a tight fit.

 

Q: Can the battery be upgraded at a later time?

A: Aptera Motors hasn’t decided if this is possible. Must not be as simple as it sounds

.

Q: Is a motorcycle endorsement necessary?

A: Only six states require an endorsement. Check with your DMV.

 

Q: Will I be able to insure it as a motorcycle?

A: With most companies, yes, but don’t think that will automatically give you a great

rate. Insurance companies won’t know what to do with the Aptera at first since they will

have had no experience with it. They probably will charge a little extra just in case.

Rates should come down after they get some experience.

 

Q: Since it’s so light, won’t the Aptera get blown off the road?

A: No. The Aptera has been wind tunnel tested for crosswinds up to 110 mph and it

stayed put. The Aptera has been designed to be as aerodynamic as possible so there are

very few flat panels.

The only flat panel that a crosswind will hit is the skirt over the rear wheel. The rest of

the car is all curves so the wind has nothing much to push.

 

Q: How is it with potholes, steep driveways, and off-road use?

A: The wheel covers are made to go in and out of potholes that are up to five inches

deep. This amount of clearance should allow for use with steep driveways. The belly of

the body is nine inches off the ground.

In case the bottoms of the wheel covers are scratched or damaged they are made out of

cheap plastic so they will only cost about forty dollars if they need to be replaced. For

serious off-road use, there is an off-road kit available.

Update: March 2022

Below, is a copy of a render that Aptera Motors recently released showing some of the

changes that will go into the Beta prototype. Notice the bottoms of the wheel pants.

They curve up at the front ends. I would assume this would make it easier for the wheel

pants to go in and out of potholes. Also, notice how the leading edges of the wheel pants is

made out of a different substance. It would make sense if this was a rubber-type substance

that would act as a bumper when parking. ( In September we found out that this substance is

EVA foam. It’s meant to be worn away as the wheel pants hit objects. These foam parts are

supposed to be cheap to replace).

Q: Will the company sell parts to me if I want to fix it myself?

A: Yes, the company has a very strong commitment to the concept of “right to repair”. If

you fix it yourself you will not have to have your work inspected by a factory-authorized

mechanic. If you would like to have Aptera Motors fix your car, Aptera’s mobile service

will have mechanics that will come to your house to make repairs. If you live outside

an area that has mobile service, the company promises to help you find a suitable shop

and they promise to ship out parts and instructions within 24 hours to that shop.

 

Q: Will it have cruise control?

A: Yes, cruise control will be standard. If you go for the “Safety Pilot” option then you

will get adaptive cruise control.

 

Q: Will it have ABS?

A: Yes, while I’m sure ABS is not required for motorcycles, I believe ABS is required

for cars so Aptera doesn’t have to have it, but it will.

 

Q: What will “Safety Pilot” consist of?

A: The goal is for “Safety Pilot” is to equal level 2 autonomy. This would be similar to

Tesla’s autopilot. How soon they reach full level 2 is up to the people writing the

software. Right now, they have adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and emergency

braking. To read more about Safety Pilot click here.

Update: June 14^th 2022

Chris Anthony stated that although a lot of progress had been made on level 2 autonomy

by several companies in the last year, Aptera won’t have it in the initial production run,

but he left the door open to add it in the future.

Update: March 24^th, 2023

Aptera Motors announced today that they will be using Comma AI’s OpenPilot ™ for

their autonomous driving features. It currently has lane keep assist, emerngency braking,

and Adaptive Cruise Control. Comma AI hopes to add a door-to-door navigation

capability in the future.

 

Q: Can I get a third seat?

A: Not at this time. The founders say that with the first Aptera they offered a third seat

option, but they had very few takers. Now that they don’t offer it, a lot of people are

interested. The founders say that a third seat may be an option later on, but it would only

be possible for the smaller battery cars. (At “Fully Charged Live” in September of 2022,

Chris Anthony announced that a third seat would be an option for the “base” model).

Update: December 2022

During the December Ambassador’s Webinar Chris Anthony stated that there wouldn’t be a third seat. Back at the Fully Charged Live event in September, he said a third seat would be available in the “base” model. So what could possibly be going on?

I think I know what it is. Aptera Motors has stated several times that the majority of orders are for the 400-mi. version. This will be produced first. Perhaps for several months. When Chris Anthony referred to the “base” model in September, he was referring to the 250 mi. model.

Even though it will be the second model made, a lot of the engineering specific to that model hasn’t been completed yet. If you’re hoping for a third seat option it’s still possible that it may be available when the 250 mi. version comes out.

 

Q: The original Aptera had manual steering. What kind of steering will the new

Aptera have?

A: It will have electric-assisted steering.

 

All of these answers are either based on how the prototype is equipped or on what the

founders say they plan for the production car. As anyone who follows the car space

knows, prototypes and production examples of the same model are very rarely exactly

the same, but I’m hoping that the majority of the features of the prototype will carry over

to the production car because the prototype and future plans for the car look pretty darn

good to me.

If you agree with me that this looks interesting, go ahead and pre-order today. If you use

my link here to the Aptera website, you’ll only be asked to pay $70. when you check out

instead of the normal $100. You’re 30-dollar discount won’t be applied until you get to the

last page of the ordering process. The best part is, the deposit is fully refundable if you

decide you don’t like something about the production version or if your life situation

changes and you decide it isn’t a good time for you to buy a new car. In other words, pre-

ordering now… holds you a place in line.

While you’re at the Aptera website, browse around, and check out all the sections. You may

find other interesting tidbits about the car. Another place to get more info about the car is

the Aptera section on Wefunder. The Aptera section contains a page called “Questions”.

A direct link to that page is here. You can ask Chris Anthony directly any questions you

may have about the car. He will answer your question within a day or two.

Pre-ordering is important because the response has been tremendous. Aptera started

taking pre-orders on December 4^th, 2020 and by the middle of January 2021 when I

ordered, they had taken over 7,000 pre-orders. I figure that by the time they get to my

number, the factory should have any bugs worked out. If not, I can always get my deposit

back and buy another car.