Incredible! This is what I was hoping we would get soon and I’m so glad that Jason chose you, Steve, to reveal so much about the Delta. All I’m going to say is when engineering and nature join hands, the results are truly timeless. Plato knew this thousands of years ago. Things go out of fashion when they are unnatural and only serve the desires of the moment which are fleeting. I hope I own and Aptera soon and it becomes the last car I would ever need. Thank you Steve!
Ditto!! Thanks Steve (for the umpteenth time) and Jason (for all you are doing)! Really hoping (for a whole lotta reasons) that Aptera takes off. If/when it takes flight (and I take delivery of my order #8674) this vid will be a classic (at least for me).
Wonder what the frame material is? Hope it's lightweight ribbed aluminum alloy. Also, after having had a side view glimpse of Delta with its black belly (I like that), I'm might be changing from Sol White to Luna Silver...
Steve, wow! What a great interview! You landed the interview that likely will be seen as the turning point for Aptera. Because you put this out and was not an Aptera creation, you added so much authenticity. There definitely is a place for Aptera's marketing videos and Quincy & Chris do a fantastic job but your interview has meat that really starts to answer the questions that those of us who have been following and supporting Aptera for many years, want to know. My wish for Aptera is not to see Delta in the next couple of weeks, which would be nice. My wish for Aptera is that they are able to announce that they have secured $150M to make all of this a reality for so many of us and make an improvement in how the world looks at transportation. Thank you Jason & Aptera for being willing to do this interview with Steve. There are many channels that you could have selected to allow such an interview. Aptera Owner's Club is not about hype. Thank you for reading our comments and taking it all in and incorporated into the vehicle.
Fantastic interview! The engineer in me was truly geeking out over the simplicity but elegance of the frame and composite body. Really cool to finally get to see more of Delta, especially from a technical standpoint. I'm even more excited about this vehicle than I was before!
Well, I watched the entire interview. Great scoop, Steve, having this hour-long interview/discussion/presentation with Jason C Hill. Great to see the almost-entire rendering of Delta for the first time, too. Steve, you know you are respected by Aptera when their Chief of Design asks you questions! You were at times the interviewer and at times the interviewee. Jason, to me, seems like a real visionary, almost at times a space cadet (in the best sense of the phrase), but grounded in the realities of a physical product that they are trying to get out the door. He is obviously so proud of the work they are doing and the elegance (efficiency, engineering, structure, design, solar technology, etc.) of the product. If there is an "Achitectural Digest" journal for automobiles, Jason would be a great subject for a profile, and the Aptera would be a prime subject for a cover story. I saw a comment (by John Grafman) on one of Mr. Hill's LinkedIn posts which, I think, really captures the excitement and enthusiasm that he conveyed in this video (and that you regularly exude on your channel): "I can't wait to see one rolling down my street! That's just so rad. Little kids will be jumping up and down, and dogs will be barking. The adults will be asking two questions, what is it, and where do I get one?" Everytime I read that, I smile.
As I read your quote from J. Grafman I immediately saw it in my head. That’s exactly what I expect happen back in Chicago when I roll into the Windy City with mine!
As I read your quote from J. Grafman I immediately saw it in my head. That’s exactly what I expect happen back in Chicago when I roll into the Windy City with mine!
OMG! I think this was the best presentation about the Aptera design to date! Early on Jason provides us with the interior concept that speaks of simplicity, elegance, and speed. He speaks of the importance of two tone in early thinking. And here the final render appears to show us how the darker underbelly comes up the sides and creates a wave/swoosh, that gives a visual sense of the aerodynamics. And I appreciate the questions you asked, Steve. They fleshed out some of the context about why Jason nudged the design choices into certain directions. This final picture really shows me how the curvature of the body affects solar considerations, and appreciating the front windshield not being a fishbowl design. I find myself reviewing some of the earlier renders in the video, and listening again to little things Jason is saying or indicating. Well Done! and Thank You!
So good to see this Steve! Great job. A lot of new info here. We appreciate it! Hopefully many more Aptera interviews are coming to Aptera Owners Channel!!
A whole episode on the lighting is something I'd definitely like to see. Some form of "backpack" storage is something I'd like to see come back. I carry a lot of "stuff" with me.
Another coup for Aptera Owners Club! An exclusive interview with the Aptera Chief Designer, Jason Hill. In the interest of full disclosure, not a fan. I understand that Jason wanted to start with a clean slate for the design of the current Aptera. I am glad Steve and Chris "Strongly encouraged" Jason to start where the previous Aptera design left off. As Dr. Steve stated, it is close to timeless. Some good additional engineering insight in the video foreshadowing the final delta. The transformation from alpha to this peek of delta represents the best conventional body-over-frame manufacturing with material more suited for large scale production. I am also glad that Aptera held the line and focused on the original concept and did not succumb to the many must haves and wants from various enthusiasts on the forums. Now if we can just get the capital needed to proceed with production........
I like the "backpack" concept for the back of the seats. My Subaru has a net for holding things, which I use all the time. But if the window is left open, even just a little, moisture ruins maps or notebooks. The enclosed concept is right on. Great work.
Big THANK YOU! To Jason for this time with the community. And thanks Steve, you're kinda awesome too. Adding to my previous comment, watched the entire video a second time and am more blown away. 🤯
Aptera should bring the Delta to the EAA fly-in in Oshkosh, WI. That are a lot of folks there that would really appreciate the design. And they also have money. It is in July, so not great for getting funding for the production. But a great market to tap into.
This is a great idea. There are many at AirVenture who would appreciate the design for all that it is. They would surely get a good number of reservations from that showing.
Great interview. Jason Hill is fantastic. Aptera owners are so fortunate to be able to see such detail in the development of such an industry disruptive EV design. For example, what details did we see of the Tesla Model 3 development before it was first shown at their big reveal? Aptera Motors company is great. Can hardly wait to receive my pre-order. Thanks Steve!
Wow Steve!! You were able to get an interview with Jason Hill!! Awesome!! Great gems of new info... including 2 views of the internal frame. It wasn't clear to me if the frame is also made of carbon fiber?? Would like to know if the amber light strip on the wheel pants that functions as turn signal is visible front AND rear??
About the lack of a glovebox, if there is a plain shelf below the dash, there could be an easy after-market solution to adding a 'glovebox'. When I had a 2005 Lotus Elise (which also lacked a glovebox), I bought a small zipper'd nylon bag from Sector111 which was velcro-'d into the shelf. It had enough volume for not only registration/insurance documents, but also small tools. However, Jason says there is a small compartment for documents already.
Steve with the scoooop! 👏👏 This spoke volumes to what has been ringing around in my head for a while. I was confident that the structural fundamentals were being worked out, but they've done a great job at keeping the audience focused on the cosmetics...and I've been patient. This is really bringing it together.
Great video interview Steve! You guys nailed it with great information but especially what Aptera really stands for. Can't wait to drive mine and be a part of introducing Aptera in real time to the world! Thanks again!
17:40 Wait is that a heads up display? Please tell me they've at least considered one. I know it would be so much better for watching your speed than even looking at a speedometer.
Aloha Steve. This is a wonderful video. You're willingness to turning Jim Hill loose and talk and you listen is really refreshing and we got a lot more than the many co-star approach we see in most presentations. Great job.
please don't get rid of all physical buttons...the infortainment screen is great, but it would be nice to have some physical programmable button for shortcuts as well...
The back and forth between technology and design is fascinating. Each influences the other, but the final "win" comes through a successful design that can then be engineered into a physical product that can then be built and sold. Jason really shows how the process evolves and is expressed over time. Wow.
Very watchable and informative video. I sure hope they don't go with zippers on the back of those seats. Darned zippers never last and then where are you? Hinge and clasp or anything but a zipper. Love the idea of of storage on the back of the seat.
I got kind of emotional at 44:00 -> Really incredible that mankind could work with creation and manifest a symbiotic agreement with total respect and servitude.
The two tone color decision as discussed at 28:00 was what made the Aptera palatable to me. I never cared for the original monotone color scheme of 1.0. The original windows reminded me of an RV.
For me, the most interesting part of this was the sub frame. Looks like several different materials around the battery pack. Much to speculate on that. And there are now tusks in the front for crashworthiness. Still curious about metal beams in the doors and airbags . Charge on!
Well Steve, I would have had trouble sitting still as you with all of the questions that were running through your head as each new picture was presented. More fun, yes?
Somebody is going to make a body kit for the SEV to make it look like the Type 2, and I'm going to buy one. Every single iteration of this car has been a home run, it blows my mind!
You can wrap it all straight white and it comes out pretty close to the type 2. It has a very strong early 2000s experimental spaceship - Burt Rutan Scaled Composites kind of thing going in in pure white.
@@peterjorgensen3 The headlights are what I really miss from the Type 2. Gamma overall a better looking car, but those general aviation style headlights were slick!
@@peterjorgensen3 Back in the day when I was thinking about a job in California, I stopped in at Scaled Composites on my motorcycle - back when you could just drop in. As it was I went to work for a supplier to many of the early EVs.
So another outstanding (I think your best!) video from you. I have observed Jason Hill do this video screen delay thing about five times now. Is is to build anticipation? Anyway the five pictures presented from 35:24 to 40:30 more than make up for the five plus minutes (1:50 to 7:20 ) of blank screen. Thank you again for all you do Steve!
Great interview Steve ! And thanks a lot to Jason to spend almost a hour discussing about Aptera and how they get to where they are and to Delta. I'm so impatient to get mine but I know we all have to wait a little bit more. Some other comments/questions: - On Aptera Forum, I gave the idea to get rid of the brake pad and use only the regen with resistance and supercapacitor. The team said : "good idea!". Do you know if they are studying this kind of solution ? - Aptera have only one single head light because of regulations but because of other (European) regulations she will have to have 2 (More than 1.35m width need to have 2 head lights). Ok, the light beam is very wide, great. But what about the matrix LED ? Is this something that we could dream of ? - What is the need of a center upper rear view ? The rear view from the side cameras above the yoke is great. "Next step", as Jason said, is a single global rear view above the yoke (and a 360° view when manoeuvering on parking lots). I haven't seen regulation talking about a center rear view on a 3-wheeler (But I could be wrong), lets' get rid of it. The best part is no-part. - What about the European version ? Because of regulations Aptera needs to be 2 m max width and 4m max long. Back in July 2021, the Aptera answered me by email that they "do plan on making a "smaller" version for the European market but have not finalized the size yet". Any news ? I'm sure you have some answers but not all. Now that you have the contact with Jason, maybe you could push the above to him ;-)
I am feeling better today than I was yesterday about this design. It looks like the frame is still primarily composite with a little metal here and there for local reinforcement. If Jason is checking these comments, I wonder what his comments are about the 2-tone effect on Noir, or lack thereof. Is the gloss versus matte finish to supply that, or will there be some other design element to serve that function?
Steve, this is completely wonderful. Investors need to know the full story, because the product is superior in so many ways. Sitting on the sidelines is beginning to drive me nuts. I want to go out and beat the bushes for the capital to be there. I wonder if RainX on the windshield, will be enough to allow rain to be no problem. Kick up from trucks on an interstate is what makes me curious, as I currently find that difficult to deal with in my Prius. Great job, hearing your questions, made it easy for him to get going. Thanks for doing this.🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬
Investors are interested in profit. They don't care how superior the product is just in how well it will sell and the margin they can get from sales all within the lowest risk possible.
@@yanpingyang9028 I disagree, there are now subsets of investors who invest for social benefits. Not much profit in many green projects, yet they attract funds. Long term investors that look for real value care about quality, and being superior to what has come before. That's where progress comes from.
Seeing the black and white interior render gave me the same feeling I had at 13 when I saw the Commodore Amiga on display showing the Amiga Boing Ball bouncing back and forth. Is it me or did it look like that Delta render rear wheel pant sloped up to meet the rear deck. I'm hoping they are able to do something with the side mirrors. And since I'm wishing, I would like to see the front wheel covers match the body lines. Glad you were able to sit down and talk Aptera with Jason.
Thanks to Jason for getting with you to do this reveal. I was having a hard time with what we had before this about how it would come together but seeing the interlinkings of the sub frame I can get it now. I had to laugh a bit at the final render shown as the tail end is blocked. But what I do see in that is the hatch hinges are hidden where the Gamma had cut outs of the roof panel. That really improves the look!! Probably makes the panel easier to make. The other thing I noticed is the rear camera which appears to be about the same height as where the front camera is at, I think? I do not see any issues with the camera getting dirt on the lens where the backup cam may? Combine what we saw for a CF hatch 2 days ago it looks more likely the solar hatch is a total unit. Rather than being able to swap a glass cover for the solar panel they may be different hatches? It also looks like the turn indicators on the front wheels have maybe removed the top section of led's? But this could be an optical dillusion. The full run looked a bit bright and over bearing for a driver and may block some vision at times during the night. The black bottom of the Luna is sort of growing on me! Since most of that is aluminum I wonder if it could be powder coated rather than a wrap?! The front portion of the sub frame leading crush zone is interesting with the internal beam structure of the curved bar. Reminded me of a bumper on a prototype that had an aluminum nose cone that was filled with Hexcel aluminum channels that could take a 40 mph hit and the rest of the car was fine. Not suggesting this could do that, the nose cone was probably 10" deep [if not more] of just honeycomb aluminum bonded to the aluminum skin. Just that it looks to have a similar effect of reducing inertia. Though I think I would like it a bit further forward? Love the info Steve!
Gorgeous. You had me worried with "pineapple leather", but I learned it's vegan Pinatex. All good! PS: Yes, the orders will skyrocket. It's art and super efficiency!
@@ScottOstr I am afraid that what I have seen of Apple's history of business ethics is that it they are proprietary in a way that would be incompatible with Aptera.
4D Aptera for sure! Hoping the rear door opens like on my Mazda RX-8, that should clear the wheel pants, nicely! Re: Forged Carbon Fibre. As FCF is the most significant post-gamma upgrade, I’m surprised it wasn’t mentioned. Re: Aeroventure. Any aviation parallels wrt FCF?
I really like to look of the yoke at 17:40 in your video. I still do not recommend an enclosed cell phone holder. I found out my phone would overheat when using Apps on my Triumph motorcycle's enclosed holder. Steve after working in engineering outside sales for over 40 years with 14 years in automotive one should not assume automotive product design engineers thought of everything. We typically used outside focus groups throughout our design process to see what we needed to tweak. One hundred percent of the time when we did not follow this process the product had major shortcomings or flopped.
My husband who works in vehicle R&D had similar experiences. Some of the designers lost touch with reality. The focus groups helped bring the design back to what was wanted by the market and what could be easily and cost efficiently engineered not what the designer thought the market would want. I don't think Aptera employed that approach. My guess, the first vehicles delivered locally will serve that function. However not using that approach helps stay true to the original concept which Aptera has done.
Even the + and - sings on the pedals were already present in the Aptera 1e. In the Gamma and foreseeably also in the Delta and production vehicles there are no distractions from the original design whatsoever.
So Steve said efficiency is one of his big things. I expect that is the case for many of us. I have always loved engineering and products that maximized efficiency, even decades ago when I was a kid. It is so much an achievement that it turns the engineering into art.
Fred Brooks software production classic, "The Mythical Man-Month", recommended throwing away the initial product and redoing with the original goal in mind, rather than chase errors one at a time. That's what Aptera has done, tossing Rev 1.0 and getting 3.0 with much less effort (man-hours).
Great interview Steve... boy put a nickle in Jason and he's off and running, you get a dollars worth! Fantastic new reveal graphics are a lot to take in and fun to study! Does anyone know if there is any rear hatch area lighting? Thanks so much Steve!!
A+ on design, Aptera. I can tell it has a LOT of good Design-for-X (DfX). In particular, it looks like the battery pack will be held in with pins. It will contribute to torsional and bending stiffness, yet be easy to replace or service. And I like the composite chassis. It looks like a blend of metal, CF, and other components. I see quite a bit of computational modelling for controlled crushing zones (kinetic energy dissipation) in the event of a crash. I suspect it has some high toughness steel in those webbed areas. One idea I've had regarding energy dissipation is to hold a small amount of water and air in a sealed cylindrical void. When the cylinder is crushed, the air heats and boils the water through diesel effect. The cylinder has a vent hole with a disc that ruptures at a pre-defined pressure. In this way, kinetic energy is converted to hot steam which vents outward to release and dissipate the energy. The rupture disc slows down the dissipation which lowers the impact's jerk factor and acceleration factor.
Thank you Jason/Aptera and Steve ! Very informative and exciting. I really like the complementing artsy black belly design and look forward to more. The GC is looking better than when Gamma was “first revealed”. I trust we are still able 5” on GC and hope you have a simple wheel cover adjust plan for Off Road ( when you can get into the weeds😉 on this matter, as well as the final finish over the interior dash solar cells would be appreciated.) Great progress/optimization! A reveal of the cargo space under the rear cargo deck would be interesting if only shown displayed with a the fix a flat kit and charger adapters “in place”🎉👏 “+” on!
Looking at the frame, it's apparent that there's a large bending moment in the center that is likely carried by the battery pack itself, and to a lesser degree through the roof line of the body. This looks like they've taken ques from Tesla and their structural battery pack. I see Sandy Munro's influence here.
This was so awesome, thank you Steve & Jason! Only little problem/question I have right now is with the rear view camera screen placement. It seems odd to me to place it in the place where the rear view mirror would normally be, in front of the windshield. I find in my car that it blocks a really big portion of my view of the road, road signs and all that. Having that placed alongside the side view camera screens or having that integrated in the center screen seems more logical to me as it couldn't block the view outside in these positions. I also wonder if in Delta, the screen/screens for the side cameras will be physically separated or if it will be one wide screen that is separated in software. It might be a production issue that it is hard to come by screens with an odd aspect ratio like that, but I think I would prefer the option with one wide screen instead of two normal ones, simply for the reason that it offers greater flexibility for future software improvements
I have mentioned the rear view screen location before. Jason has rethought so many design elements, it makes me wonder why the rear view screen hasn't been moved between the left and right side mirror screen(s) directly in front of the driver, or at least on to the main screen. You are right that the rear view mirror blocks visibility in most cars, and it is only there because of how a mirror works. I also agree with your comment that the screen in front of the driver should be one big screen to reduce parts count and provide software flexibility. Custom aspect ratio screens are available, but maybe not for low volumes like Aptera.
I heard Chris A. allude to this at Fully Charged Live, the concept of a single screen in front of the driver with all three camera images digitally stitched together. I think this would be awesome from a safety/visibility perspective, but don't know the feasibility or the potential timing for Aptera.
@@jeffp423 Might actually be the best solution to just use a single more normal aspect ratio screen and just put the rear view camera feed on the top, keeping a very wide aspect ratio for that and then just place the side view mirrors under it, if you know what I mean. That way the rear view doesn’t obstruct the view out an you have one normal aspect ratio larger screen instead of multiple smaller ones
The design is beautiful, a case where form following function appeals intuitively to the eye. And, radical tho it is, it doesn't look as if it's trying too hard to be cool; it IS cool, and looks comfortable in its coolness.
The 88 mph on the windshield heads-up display has been tickling the back of my mind. I couldn't quite remember where I knew that reference from ... then it came .... Back To The Future .... of course!
@@Aa792 You could be correct. However the picture revealed today looks like there is a metal sub frame with a cross piece at the front of the vehicle that should do it as well.
Since they have figured out how to bend solar cells to fit a curved body, I'd like to know why they can't just make one large cell that covers the the front, one to cover above the dash, one to cover the top and lastly one to cover the rear hatch. What is the reason for the individual square cells.
The sells are commercial off the shelf cells. That is the form factor they are made in. Easier to work with when trying to fit to a curved shape and if damaged can replace only one small cell rather then a whole panel.
"They" (Aptera) have not figured out anything of the sort. The solar cells Aptera is using have been very flexible since they were first made in the early 2000's. Many a solar car race team have built solar panels with these cells that were compound curved, extremely low in weight and, contrary to what Aptera fanatics, and even Aptera themselves believe, were quite "road worthy". To answer your specific questions, solar cells made from "single crystal silicon", like Aptera's are, currently CAN'T be any bigger than the silicon wafer they are made from. The single biggest wafer made right now is, apparently, about 12 inch in diameter although no one that I know of makes solar cells from them so individual "square" cells are the norm. Yanping Yang is wrong, by the way. In the case of Aptera's panels, one small cells will not be replaceable if damaged. If an individual cell is damaged enough, the entire panel will have to be replaced....
Wow! I already own one of his products. I have a 2008 Smart. That I bought new in 2008. I of course started a project. I'm going to put a snow mobile motor 300hp. In a second subframe. The drivetrain is a cartridge held in by 4 bolts. I've made it quick change. The brake lines are dry break. No bleed brake lines. I've converted the wiring harness to a single quick connector at the fire wall. I have not worked out the coolant/ heater dry break. Only have 8" total space for that. May have to bleed the air out. Even then will be able to swap out the stock drive train for the race drive train in less than 15 minutes. So going to pull a trailer with race cartridge to the track. Already have a receiver hitch bult into stock subframe. And swap out the race cartridge in the parking lot. Annihilate everything. Swap back to stock. And go home. Wish you would have asked about whether the frame is carbon fiber. Looks to me only small parts are actually metal. Thanks so much for all you do for us Steve!!!
What an eloquent product designer Jason is. He really designs and speaks from the deep philosophy at the bottom of his heart.
I was looking for words to express exactly this!
Wow, This is a goldmine. Thanks so much for doing this interview.
I think we all owe Steve a beer!
Steve, you out did yourself with this one.
Thanks so much!
Incredible! This is what I was hoping we would get soon and I’m so glad that Jason chose you, Steve, to reveal so much about the Delta.
All I’m going to say is when engineering and nature join hands, the results are truly timeless. Plato knew this thousands of years ago. Things go out of fashion when they are unnatural and only serve the desires of the moment which are fleeting. I hope I own and Aptera soon and it becomes the last car I would ever need. Thank you Steve!
Ditto!! Thanks Steve (for the umpteenth time) and Jason (for all you are doing)! Really hoping (for a whole lotta reasons) that Aptera takes off. If/when it takes flight (and I take delivery of my order #8674) this vid will be a classic (at least for me).
Wonder what the frame material is? Hope it's lightweight ribbed aluminum alloy. Also, after having had a side view glimpse of Delta with its black belly (I like that), I'm might be changing from Sol White to Luna Silver...
@raymond wong - judging by all the ribbing on the lateral frame members, it seems like it is a cast product, so probably aluminum?
Steve, wow! What a great interview! You landed the interview that likely will be seen as the turning point for Aptera. Because you put this out and was not an Aptera creation, you added so much authenticity. There definitely is a place for Aptera's marketing videos and Quincy & Chris do a fantastic job but your interview has meat that really starts to answer the questions that those of us who have been following and supporting Aptera for many years, want to know.
My wish for Aptera is not to see Delta in the next couple of weeks, which would be nice. My wish for Aptera is that they are able to announce that they have secured $150M to make all of this a reality for so many of us and make an improvement in how the world looks at transportation.
Thank you Jason & Aptera for being willing to do this interview with Steve. There are many channels that you could have selected to allow such an interview. Aptera Owner's Club is not about hype. Thank you for reading our comments and taking it all in and incorporated into the vehicle.
Fantastic interview! The engineer in me was truly geeking out over the simplicity but elegance of the frame and composite body. Really cool to finally get to see more of Delta, especially from a technical standpoint. I'm even more excited about this vehicle than I was before!
Well, I watched the entire interview. Great scoop, Steve, having this hour-long interview/discussion/presentation with Jason C Hill. Great to see the almost-entire rendering of Delta for the first time, too. Steve, you know you are respected by Aptera when their Chief of Design asks you questions! You were at times the interviewer and at times the interviewee.
Jason, to me, seems like a real visionary, almost at times a space cadet (in the best sense of the phrase), but grounded in the realities of a physical product that they are trying to get out the door. He is obviously so proud of the work they are doing and the elegance (efficiency, engineering, structure, design, solar technology, etc.) of the product. If there is an "Achitectural Digest" journal for automobiles, Jason would be a great subject for a profile, and the Aptera would be a prime subject for a cover story.
I saw a comment (by John Grafman) on one of Mr. Hill's LinkedIn posts which, I think, really captures the excitement and enthusiasm that he conveyed in this video (and that you regularly exude on your channel): "I can't wait to see one rolling down my street! That's just so rad. Little kids will be jumping up and down, and dogs will be barking. The adults will be asking two questions, what is it, and where do I get one?" Everytime I read that, I smile.
As I read your quote from J. Grafman I immediately saw it in my head. That’s exactly what I expect happen back in Chicago when I roll into the Windy City with mine!
As I read your quote from J. Grafman I immediately saw it in my head. That’s exactly what I expect happen back in Chicago when I roll into the Windy City with mine!
I'm constantly imagining driving my Aptera Sol Roadster around town!! I'm I becoming obsessed???
OMG! I think this was the best presentation about the Aptera design to date!
Early on Jason provides us with the interior concept that speaks of simplicity, elegance, and speed. He speaks of the importance of two tone in early thinking. And here the final render appears to show us how the darker underbelly comes up the sides and creates a wave/swoosh, that gives a visual sense of the aerodynamics.
And I appreciate the questions you asked, Steve. They fleshed out some of the context about why Jason nudged the design choices into certain directions.
This final picture really shows me how the curvature of the body affects solar considerations, and appreciating the front windshield not being a fishbowl design. I find myself reviewing some of the earlier renders in the video, and listening again to little things Jason is saying or indicating.
Well Done! and Thank You!
So good to see this Steve! Great job. A lot of new info here. We appreciate it! Hopefully many more Aptera interviews are coming to Aptera Owners Channel!!
Inspiration, optimism, brilliance, and humility.... Unfortunately, I have to go back to grading the finals now... 😞
A whole episode on the lighting is something I'd definitely like to see.
Some form of "backpack" storage is something I'd like to see come back. I carry a lot of "stuff" with me.
Another coup for Aptera Owners Club! An exclusive interview with the Aptera Chief Designer, Jason Hill. In the interest of full disclosure, not a fan. I understand that Jason wanted to start with a clean slate for the design of the current Aptera. I am glad Steve and Chris "Strongly encouraged" Jason to start where the previous Aptera design left off. As Dr. Steve stated, it is close to timeless. Some good additional engineering insight in the video foreshadowing the final delta. The transformation from alpha to this peek of delta represents the best conventional body-over-frame manufacturing with material more suited for large scale production. I am also glad that Aptera held the line and focused on the original concept and did not succumb to the many must haves and wants from various enthusiasts on the forums. Now if we can just get the capital needed to proceed with production........
Been watching for a long time good to see you Steve
All I can say is WOW great interview Steve.
Wow. What an insight to Aptera. Great job Steve. Thanks to Jason Hill for the background and revealing of delta.
I like the "backpack" concept for the back of the seats. My Subaru has a net for holding things, which I use all the time. But if the window is left open, even just a little, moisture ruins maps or notebooks. The enclosed concept is right on. Great work.
Great interview, Steve. Thanks to you and Jason Hill.
Big THANK YOU! To Jason for this time with the community. And thanks Steve, you're kinda awesome too. Adding to my previous comment, watched the entire video a second time and am more blown away. 🤯
Aptera should bring the Delta to the EAA fly-in in Oshkosh, WI. That are a lot of folks there that would really appreciate the design. And they also have money. It is in July, so not great for getting funding for the production. But a great market to tap into.
This is a great idea. There are many at AirVenture who would appreciate the design for all that it is. They would surely get a good number of reservations from that showing.
@@heneleb7834 Great idea. Perhaps this is something I can plan to drive to once I get my Aptera Paradigm.
Bring ALL the driveable prototypes and shuttle people around all week.
I live 30 miles south of there. Yes would be a good idea.
That was one fantastic interview Steve. I learned so much. And now I am even more excited and impatient also hahaha. Thanks for all you do.
I think you nailed it with the 100 years. It has a look that is going to last for far longer that any other car.
Jason, thank you very much for taking the time to share with us all.
An opened chest with Aptera’s gold! So many juicy details, great interview! GJ!
@36:30 you can definitely see that the rear hatch goes all the way back to the rear edge.
This was an excellent very easy to understand chat. Awesome design!
Great interview. Jason Hill is fantastic. Aptera owners are so fortunate to be able to see such detail in the development of such an industry disruptive EV design. For example, what details did we see of the Tesla Model 3 development before it was first shown at their big reveal? Aptera Motors company is great. Can hardly wait to receive my pre-order. Thanks Steve!
This is the sort of EV I would fork out cash for. Thank you Aptera for taking the risk to move on this project
Thanks!
Thanks!!
Wow Steve!! You were able to get an interview with Jason Hill!! Awesome!! Great gems of new info... including 2 views of the internal frame. It wasn't clear to me if the frame is also made of carbon fiber??
Would like to know if the amber light strip on the wheel pants that functions as turn signal is visible front AND rear??
Yes turn signals visible from front and rear
@@ApteraOwnersClub Re: Forged Carbon Fibre. As FCF is the most significant post-gamma upgrade, I’m surprised it wasn’t mentioned.
About the lack of a glovebox, if there is a plain shelf below the dash, there could be an easy after-market solution to adding a 'glovebox'. When I had a 2005 Lotus Elise (which also lacked a glovebox), I bought a small zipper'd nylon bag from Sector111 which was velcro-'d into the shelf. It had enough volume for not only registration/insurance documents, but also small tools. However, Jason says there is a small compartment for documents already.
This... Is... Awesome!
Great interview Steve. Thanks so much for putting this together and sharing
Steve with the scoooop! 👏👏 This spoke volumes to what has been ringing around in my head for a while. I was confident that the structural fundamentals were being worked out, but they've done a great job at keeping the audience focused on the cosmetics...and I've been patient. This is really bringing it together.
Great video interview Steve! You guys nailed it with great information but especially what Aptera really stands for. Can't wait to drive mine and be a part of introducing Aptera in real time to the world! Thanks again!
Wow is right! This is the 50’s version of the future that has now arrived.
17:40 Wait is that a heads up display? Please tell me they've at least considered one. I know it would be so much better for watching your speed than even looking at a speedometer.
Aloha Steve. This is a wonderful video. You're willingness to turning Jim Hill loose and talk and you listen is really refreshing and we got a lot more than the many co-star approach we see in most presentations. Great job.
Great job on the interview Steve, patiently listening when necessary, and following up with interesting questions.
Thx again Steve, awesome content.
Sheesh, that '3-tone' scheme really accentuates this beauty's curves! Thanks so much for the excellent talk, Jason and Steve.
I am beyond excited to get a hold of my Aptera!
Great video!
Excellent validation of your excellent work, Steve!
So much innovation in that structure!
Oh I SO hope they put the indicator knobs on the right for left hand drive vehicles!
please don't get rid of all physical buttons...the infortainment screen is great, but it would be nice to have some physical programmable button for shortcuts as well...
The back and forth between technology and design is fascinating. Each influences the other, but the final "win" comes through a successful design that can then be engineered into a physical product that can then be built and sold. Jason really shows how the process evolves and is expressed over time. Wow.
Great video
Thanks!
I think they need to carve out more volume into a parcel shelf behind the front seat, unless there are mechanical under the horizontal cargo bed.
This was a wonderful little surprise!
Pure engineering; exactly. Doing what, as an engineer with a lot of wind tunnel time, always dreamed of doing.
Very watchable and informative video. I sure hope they don't go with zippers on the back of those seats. Darned zippers never last and then where are you? Hinge and clasp or anything but a zipper. Love the idea of of storage on the back of the seat.
Yes! every zipper I've ever had eventually failed!
@@danmccoy6164 They always work until they don't.
I got kind of emotional at 44:00 -> Really incredible that mankind could work with creation and manifest a symbiotic agreement with total respect and servitude.
The two tone color decision as discussed at 28:00 was what made the Aptera palatable to me. I never cared for the original monotone color scheme of 1.0. The original windows reminded me of an RV.
The focus on performance is what makes it for me. Appearance can be what the performance dictates.
A valuable treasure trove of information for those of us following the Aptera.
Kudos on scoring an interview with Jason!
Lots of great info.
Absolutely the interview I've been wanting. Thank you.
This was great, thanks!
Excellent interview Steve, thanks for sharing
For me, the most interesting part of this was the sub frame.
Looks like several different materials around the battery pack. Much to speculate on that.
And there are now tusks in the front for crashworthiness.
Still curious about metal beams in the doors and airbags .
Charge on!
Really enjoyed this interview. We got a lot of new looks at delta, I’m really hoping to get one by 2024.
This was really good, thank you to both of you for taking the time to do this. I wonder if the underside will remain black regardless of color choice
Wow I love delta!! Thank you for this!
Well Steve, I would have had trouble sitting still as you with all of the questions that were running through your head as each new picture was presented. More fun, yes?
Somebody is going to make a body kit for the SEV to make it look like the Type 2, and I'm going to buy one. Every single iteration of this car has been a home run, it blows my mind!
You can wrap it all straight white and it comes out pretty close to the type 2. It has a very strong early 2000s experimental spaceship - Burt Rutan Scaled Composites kind of thing going in in pure white.
@@peterjorgensen3 The headlights are what I really miss from the Type 2. Gamma overall a better looking car, but those general aviation style headlights were slick!
@@peterjorgensen3 Back in the day when I was thinking about a job in California, I stopped in at Scaled Composites on my motorcycle - back when you could just drop in. As it was I went to work for a supplier to many of the early EVs.
So another outstanding (I think your best!) video from you. I have observed Jason Hill do this video screen delay thing about five times now. Is is to build anticipation? Anyway the five pictures presented from 35:24 to 40:30 more than make up for the five plus minutes (1:50 to 7:20 ) of blank screen. Thank you again for all you do Steve!
Great interview Steve ! And thanks a lot to Jason to spend almost a hour discussing about Aptera and how they get to where they are and to Delta. I'm so impatient to get mine but I know we all have to wait a little bit more.
Some other comments/questions:
- On Aptera Forum, I gave the idea to get rid of the brake pad and use only the regen with resistance and supercapacitor. The team said : "good idea!". Do you know if they are studying this kind of solution ?
- Aptera have only one single head light because of regulations but because of other (European) regulations she will have to have 2 (More than 1.35m width need to have 2 head lights). Ok, the light beam is very wide, great. But what about the matrix LED ? Is this something that we could dream of ?
- What is the need of a center upper rear view ? The rear view from the side cameras above the yoke is great. "Next step", as Jason said, is a single global rear view above the yoke (and a 360° view when manoeuvering on parking lots). I haven't seen regulation talking about a center rear view on a 3-wheeler (But I could be wrong), lets' get rid of it. The best part is no-part.
- What about the European version ? Because of regulations Aptera needs to be 2 m max width and 4m max long. Back in July 2021, the Aptera answered me by email that they "do plan on making a "smaller" version for the European market but have not finalized the size yet". Any news ?
I'm sure you have some answers but not all. Now that you have the contact with Jason, maybe you could push the above to him ;-)
This would make a great coffee table book that could be purchased with the car
Great idea!
That's the big question!
Are they going to be able to produce this vehicles fast enough?
I don't see him worry, I'll be worried!
I am feeling better today than I was yesterday about this design. It looks like the frame is still primarily composite with a little metal here and there for local reinforcement. If Jason is checking these comments, I wonder what his comments are about the 2-tone effect on Noir, or lack thereof. Is the gloss versus matte finish to supply that, or will there be some other design element to serve that function?
Good question.
Steve, this is completely wonderful. Investors need to know the full story, because the product is superior in so many ways. Sitting on the sidelines is beginning to drive me nuts. I want to go out and beat the bushes for the capital to be there. I wonder if RainX on the windshield, will be enough to allow rain to be no problem. Kick up from trucks on an interstate is what makes me curious, as I currently find that difficult to deal with in my Prius. Great job, hearing your questions, made it easy for him to get going. Thanks for doing this.🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬
Investors are interested in profit. They don't care how superior the product is just in how well it will sell and the margin they can get from sales all within the lowest risk possible.
@@yanpingyang9028 I disagree, there are now subsets of investors who invest for social benefits. Not much profit in many green projects, yet they attract funds. Long term investors that look for real value care about quality, and being superior to what has come before. That's where progress comes from.
@@christopherbarrett9749 Not many of them coming forward to help out it appears.
More and more I want them to ship this to me in kit form so I can spend many joyous hours assembling it myself!
Seeing the black and white interior render gave me the same feeling I had at 13 when I saw the Commodore Amiga on display showing the Amiga Boing Ball bouncing back and forth. Is it me or did it look like that Delta render rear wheel pant sloped up to meet the rear deck. I'm hoping they are able to do something with the side mirrors. And since I'm wishing, I would like to see the front wheel covers match the body lines. Glad you were able to sit down and talk Aptera with Jason.
Thanks to Jason for getting with you to do this reveal. I was having a hard time with what we had before this about how it would come together but seeing the interlinkings of the sub frame I can get it now. I had to laugh a bit at the final render shown as the tail end is blocked. But what I do see in that is the hatch hinges are hidden where the Gamma had cut outs of the roof panel. That really improves the look!! Probably makes the panel easier to make. The other thing I noticed is the rear camera which appears to be about the same height as where the front camera is at, I think? I do not see any issues with the camera getting dirt on the lens where the backup cam may? Combine what we saw for a CF hatch 2 days ago it looks more likely the solar hatch is a total unit. Rather than being able to swap a glass cover for the solar panel they may be different hatches? It also looks like the turn indicators on the front wheels have maybe removed the top section of led's? But this could be an optical dillusion. The full run looked a bit bright and over bearing for a driver and may block some vision at times during the night. The black bottom of the Luna is sort of growing on me! Since most of that is aluminum I wonder if it could be powder coated rather than a wrap?!
The front portion of the sub frame leading crush zone is interesting with the internal beam structure of the curved bar. Reminded me of a bumper on a prototype that had an aluminum nose cone that was filled with Hexcel aluminum channels that could take a 40 mph hit and the rest of the car was fine. Not suggesting this could do that, the nose cone was probably 10" deep [if not more] of just honeycomb aluminum bonded to the aluminum skin. Just that it looks to have a similar effect of reducing inertia. Though I think I would like it a bit further forward? Love the info Steve!
Gorgeous.
You had me worried with "pineapple leather", but I learned it's vegan Pinatex.
All good!
PS: Yes, the orders will skyrocket. It's art and super efficiency!
Love the 4 door Aptera design!!!
If they come out with something like this it would be BIG! I’d probably by my second Aptera.
@@arlenbell4376 No doubt! I hope Apple buys Aptera to create the 4 door.
@@ScottOstr I am afraid that what I have seen of Apple's history of business ethics is that it they are proprietary in a way that would be incompatible with Aptera.
@@n.brucenelson5920 Agreed. I want Aptera's design and Apple's greed to ensure it survives for the sake of the planet.
4D Aptera for sure! Hoping the rear door opens like on my Mazda RX-8, that should clear the wheel pants, nicely! Re: Forged Carbon Fibre. As FCF is the most significant post-gamma upgrade, I’m surprised it wasn’t mentioned. Re: Aeroventure. Any aviation parallels wrt FCF?
Nice. Thanks for this.
Charge on!
Jason is an awesome designer and the Aptera is a masterpiece!
I really like to look of the yoke at 17:40 in your video. I still do not recommend an enclosed cell phone holder. I found out my phone would overheat when using Apps on my Triumph motorcycle's enclosed holder. Steve after working in engineering outside sales for over 40 years with 14 years in automotive one should not assume automotive product design engineers thought of everything. We typically used outside focus groups throughout our design process to see what we needed to tweak. One hundred percent of the time when we did not follow this process the product had major shortcomings or flopped.
My husband who works in vehicle R&D had similar experiences. Some of the designers lost touch with reality. The focus groups helped bring the design back to what was wanted by the market and what could be easily and cost efficiently engineered not what the designer thought the market would want. I don't think Aptera employed that approach. My guess, the first vehicles delivered locally will serve that function. However not using that approach helps stay true to the original concept which Aptera has done.
When will this hit the market???
Even the + and - sings on the pedals were already present in the Aptera 1e. In the Gamma and foreseeably also in the Delta and production vehicles there are no distractions from the original design whatsoever.
That black underbody makes it look so elegant
So Steve said efficiency is one of his big things. I expect that is the case for many of us. I have always loved engineering and products that maximized efficiency, even decades ago when I was a kid. It is so much an achievement that it turns the engineering into art.
Fred Brooks software production classic, "The Mythical Man-Month", recommended throwing away the initial product and redoing with the original goal in mind, rather than chase errors one at a time. That's what Aptera has done, tossing Rev 1.0 and getting 3.0 with much less effort (man-hours).
Loving this thought process. Thanks for this.
Great interview Steve... boy put a nickle in Jason and he's off and running, you get a dollars worth! Fantastic new reveal graphics are a lot to take in and fun to study! Does anyone know if there is any rear hatch area lighting? Thanks so much Steve!!
A+ on design, Aptera. I can tell it has a LOT of good Design-for-X (DfX). In particular, it looks like the battery pack will be held in with pins. It will contribute to torsional and bending stiffness, yet be easy to replace or service. And I like the composite chassis. It looks like a blend of metal, CF, and other components. I see quite a bit of computational modelling for controlled crushing zones (kinetic energy dissipation) in the event of a crash. I suspect it has some high toughness steel in those webbed areas.
One idea I've had regarding energy dissipation is to hold a small amount of water and air in a sealed cylindrical void. When the cylinder is crushed, the air heats and boils the water through diesel effect. The cylinder has a vent hole with a disc that ruptures at a pre-defined pressure. In this way, kinetic energy is converted to hot steam which vents outward to release and dissipate the energy. The rupture disc slows down the dissipation which lowers the impact's jerk factor and acceleration factor.
I would love a book detailing design changes in journey of this vehicle from Aptera.
Thank you Jason/Aptera and Steve ! Very informative and exciting. I really like the complementing artsy black belly design and look forward to more. The GC is looking better than when Gamma was “first revealed”. I trust we are still able 5” on GC and hope you have a simple wheel cover adjust plan for Off Road ( when you can get into the weeds😉 on this matter, as well as the final finish over the interior dash solar cells would be appreciated.) Great progress/optimization! A reveal of the cargo space under the rear cargo deck would be interesting if only shown displayed with a the fix a flat kit and charger adapters “in place”🎉👏 “+” on!
Looking at the frame, it's apparent that there's a large bending moment in the center that is likely carried by the battery pack itself, and to a lesser degree through the roof line of the body. This looks like they've taken ques from Tesla and their structural battery pack. I see Sandy Munro's influence here.
This was so awesome, thank you Steve & Jason! Only little problem/question I have right now is with the rear view camera screen placement. It seems odd to me to place it in the place where the rear view mirror would normally be, in front of the windshield. I find in my car that it blocks a really big portion of my view of the road, road signs and all that. Having that placed alongside the side view camera screens or having that integrated in the center screen seems more logical to me as it couldn't block the view outside in these positions.
I also wonder if in Delta, the screen/screens for the side cameras will be physically separated or if it will be one wide screen that is separated in software. It might be a production issue that it is hard to come by screens with an odd aspect ratio like that, but I think I would prefer the option with one wide screen instead of two normal ones, simply for the reason that it offers greater flexibility for future software improvements
I have mentioned the rear view screen location before. Jason has rethought so many design elements, it makes me wonder why the rear view screen hasn't been moved between the left and right side mirror screen(s) directly in front of the driver, or at least on to the main screen. You are right that the rear view mirror blocks visibility in most cars, and it is only there because of how a mirror works. I also agree with your comment that the screen in front of the driver should be one big screen to reduce parts count and provide software flexibility. Custom aspect ratio screens are available, but maybe not for low volumes like Aptera.
I heard Chris A. allude to this at Fully Charged Live, the concept of a single screen in front of the driver with all three camera images digitally stitched together. I think this would be awesome from a safety/visibility perspective, but don't know the feasibility or the potential timing for Aptera.
@@jeffp423 Might actually be the best solution to just use a single more normal aspect ratio screen and just put the rear view camera feed on the top, keeping a very wide aspect ratio for that and then just place the side view mirrors under it, if you know what I mean. That way the rear view doesn’t obstruct the view out an you have one normal aspect ratio larger screen instead of multiple smaller ones
19:50 I like the one on the right. Looks like baymax, your healthcare companion
I like line lights. Just so good
The design excites me. It's like a helicopter on wheels. The Jetsons' Mobile. Can't wait to see one in person.
The design is beautiful, a case where form following function appeals intuitively to the eye. And, radical tho it is, it doesn't look as if it's trying too hard to be cool; it IS cool, and looks comfortable in its coolness.
Rear view cameras were considered back in the 80s on a Pontiac concept vehicle, FYI
Steve, did you ask him about the shape/aero of the front upper suspension arm?
Steve had inside knowledge for his metal mention in the platform frame yesterday video!
😂
The 88 mph on the windshield heads-up display has been tickling the back of my mind. I couldn't quite remember where I knew that reference from ... then it came .... Back To The Future .... of course!
16:45 I love this steering wheel instead of the new one of today.
Now to get more interviews with Aptera crew!
I wonder if there is enough metal to trigger the wire loop for traffic lights?
My guess is that the wheel motors will have no issues with this.
@@n.brucenelson5920 Unless the wide stance of the front wheels is a problem (for FWD version).
@@Aa792 You could be correct. However the picture revealed today looks like there is a metal sub frame with a cross piece at the front of the vehicle that should do it as well.
@@n.brucenelson5920
Does aluminium works as well as steel for this detection system?
@@Aa792 Yes. The presence of conductive metal, will change the Q of the loop and will be detectable even if the change in inductance is small.
Since they have figured out how to bend solar cells to fit a curved body, I'd like to know why they can't just make one large cell that covers the the front, one to cover above the dash, one to cover the top and lastly one to cover the rear hatch. What is the reason for the individual square cells.
The sells are commercial off the shelf cells. That is the form factor they are made in. Easier to work with when trying to fit to a curved shape and if damaged can replace only one small cell rather then a whole panel.
"They" (Aptera) have not figured out anything of the sort. The solar cells Aptera is using have been very flexible since they were first made in the early 2000's. Many a solar car race team have built solar panels with these cells that were compound curved, extremely low in weight and, contrary to what Aptera fanatics, and even Aptera themselves believe, were quite "road worthy".
To answer your specific questions, solar cells made from "single crystal silicon", like Aptera's are, currently CAN'T be any bigger than the silicon wafer they are made from. The single biggest wafer made right now is, apparently, about 12 inch in diameter although no one that I know of makes solar cells from them so individual "square" cells are the norm.
Yanping Yang is wrong, by the way. In the case of Aptera's panels, one small cells will not be replaceable if damaged. If an individual cell is damaged enough, the entire panel will have to be replaced....
Wow! I already own one of his products. I have a 2008 Smart. That I bought new in 2008. I of course started a project. I'm going to put a snow mobile motor 300hp. In a second subframe. The drivetrain is a cartridge held in by 4 bolts. I've made it quick change. The brake lines are dry break. No bleed brake lines. I've converted the wiring harness to a single quick connector at the fire wall. I have not worked out the coolant/ heater dry break. Only have 8" total space for that. May have to bleed the air out. Even then will be able to swap out the stock drive train for the race drive train in less than 15 minutes. So going to pull a trailer with race cartridge to the track. Already have a receiver hitch bult into stock subframe. And swap out the race cartridge in the parking lot. Annihilate everything. Swap back to stock. And go home.
Wish you would have asked about whether the frame is carbon fiber. Looks to me only small parts are actually metal.
Thanks so much for all you do for us Steve!!!