Let's hope they actually make it to production. We now had 2 other car companies with a similar process going bankrupt lately. Fingers crossed they make it!
I'm not counting on it anymore. The solar panels aren't groundbreaking for this car, so they will only contribute slightly in the total range. The design and purpose of this car is such a niche, I never see this becoming mainstream in any way. Too little and especially way too late.
@@Fab1Man The solar panels is believe it or not, not the main selling point that they have, it was just an extra thing that made sense given how efficient the vehicle is, and with this they are making the solar panels more efficient for the shape they need to be. And you're being dishonest by saying it's not groundbreaking or significant; for people living in sunny areas they might never need to charge it, that's how efficient it is, and where is another example of a car that is powered by the sun? Of course it's groundbreaking; the whole care is. _"Too little and especially way too late."_ That's a very defeatist attitude. _"I never see this becoming mainstream in any way."_ I remember people said the same thing about Tesla, so opinions and cultural preferences can change fast, especially when people find out how much more efficient it is.
To say there are vested interests aligned against this idea is an understatement haha Billion dollar companies backed by entire governments (some of our own!) with massive resources and armies do not want us to all move away from oil to electric. But we need to for the sake of everything but i could even see wars fought to stop this...
I just came across a video about this, thinking that's the weirdest looking thing. 2 hours later after learning all about it, I put my reservation in. There's even an offroad package with more ground clearance, impact resistant wheel covers and a tent for the hatch. Enough room to sleep in the back and take the dogs. I can't wait to do road trips and never have to stop.
Everything about this car makes me happy, the price, the safety standard for such a small car, Free transportation for the average commuter. Breath of fresh air in the new car market
If this thing can make it to volume production, it's going to change everything. A $25k base model that costs almost nothing to drive will become the standard for multi-car households. And their willingness to embrace right-to-repair makes my heart go pitter patter.
@@safffff1000 Talking out of your arse as you don’t know the crash worthiness. Aptera is doing full crash testing so you will get your answer. Companies make SUV’s to make more money. They are usually a big waste of everything.
@@safffff1000 , I personally want a vehicle that's unlikely to kill other people if I were to hit them accidentally. And that's definitely not an SUV or truck...
@@emma70707 why would you hit someone accidentally? this is one of the easiest things to bring to near 0%. Pay attention and don't drive impaired. Chances of being hit by someone not paying attention is way higher.
The fact that every component can be ordered and replaced by the end user makes me think that there should be (if it's not in the plans already) an option to buy a full build kit with all the components and let the end user build it themselves. Like a massive Lego set. Maybe make some custom additional packages like the truck bed option you mentioned.
That's a pretty cool idea, I think it would require a fully qualified electrician to install the high voltage electronics though, by law where I live at least.
too bad that exactly that is what's going to keep the car from ever beeing viable to use outside of the US. Explicit safety and security standards like TÜV will absolutely never allow DIY modular cars
Why would you want that? It would cost more than the vehicle to ship all the parts individually, also... the labor... it would make more sense to spend a week at the factory and build it yourself, if you wanted that kind of experience.
If it launches at $25K, that's pretty dope. And also assuming the price comes down as production techniques mature and suppliers are secured, this has the potential to be super disruptive.
Its a toy in reality. It wont have "endless power" as advertised, and the lightwgiht thing with poor suspension shakes and trembless a lot even on flat testing ground, it wont be comfy to drive.
@@samuraidoggy You have no idea what you are talking about! How about you do some research before you speak? First of all, it's not light weight, it weighs as much as an ICE vehicle, other EVs are just extremely heavy. As for suspension and ride, people who have driven it will tell you you can't tell it's a three wheeled vehicle due to the weight distribution and type of suspension it has. As for rattling, all the units so far are hand built, so there was no focus on noise. With most of the parts being molded in production, the entire vehicle will fit together perfectly. Then there's the fact that carbon fiber is sound deadening compared to metal. It may be classified as an autocycle, but it was designed to function like a car in both performance and safety.
If this thing actually gets 65kms of charge a day in a real world scenario, then this is game changing. It makes solar cars more than just a proof of concept. amazing stuff
It will not. It look like there is less than 2squate meter of solar panels. It will give you maybe 2500Wh. A tesla is using 20 000Wh for a 100km. Lets hop it's light and have a low cp.
I love everything about this car and company. Especially it's stance on right to repair. It's been a very long time coming for this car company and I hope they make a big impact.
You were way ahead of me. When I was 7, in 1962, I told the class I was looking forward to a push-button car in the future, no clue how that would work. Now I hear tell they do have self-driving cars, but I've never seen one.😊❤
This has been the most promising EV I have seen. Others are just throwing batteries and electric motors in existing overweight non-aerodynamic cars. But they have been promising production for several years now and we all might get tired of waiting. I don’t follow them closely anymore, but I do hope they make a go of it. Thanks for the video!
Reason why they might've not start production yet is because solar panels that would actually recharge any meaningful amount don't exist. This car has what, maybe 2 square meters of solar panels? They can't even be aligned towards the sun as they're fixed angle on the roof. Unless you live on the equator it's going to be sub-optimal. You would struggle to break 200W of charging power under optimal sun conditions with this, and that level of charging is just not going to cut it no matter how aerodynamic they make it. You can maybe get like 10-20km of charge per day in The most optimal conditions with a brand new and spotless car. In most real life conditions it's going to be a lot less. My laptop has a stronger charger than this car's "unlimited" range under the best conditions. That should tell you all about it.
@@PAcifisti This is just wrong, stop talking out of your ass. The full solar package is 3 square meters of solar. Under normal conditions, one square meter generates 200-300 watts per hour (under ideal conditions it's 1000). With 3 square meters, aptera is claiming 700 watts per hour, which is very reasonable. Aptera claims over 40 miles on the sunniest of days in hot places like Cali, and the math seems to check out. On colder days around 20 miles.
@@meatisomalley Under ideal conditions it's ~200 watts per hour per square meter. 1000 watts is the amount of power coming out of the sun. It's absolutely impossible to catch it all. Good solar panels can in best conditions capture around 24%. This car however will NEVER be able to capture anywhere near the max. The panels will never be fully pointing towards the sun as the car has a curved body. Aptera can Claim they get 233 watts per m3 but that seems a bit optimistic given the above. Not to mention that in real life conditions the panels would be dirty and have scratches all over the surfaces as all cars get. Or the fact that they would be most likely pointing away from the sun. In essence, their claim is that they would get the same amount of energy as top of the line panels installed on a swiveling mounts that tracks the sun... from the top of a car, angled in all directions while affected by road dirt and debris? I'm not convinced. Three square meters of panels seems quite a lot for the size of the car, though the effective size of the panels is going to be lower for reasons pointed above.
@@PAcifisti Alright, I'm a bit of a dingus so you'll have to bear with me, but let's do some napkin math. Aptera claims to use 100 watt-hours per mile driven. in a hotter place like Arizona or Cali, Aptera claims to generate 28 miles per day on average, so we need 2.8 kwh generated per day. the average solar irradiance in a place like LA or Pheonix is 5-7 KwH/sq.m/day. The Aptera has more than 3 square meters of solar, so let's say 18 kwhs of coverage per day. With these fairly middle-of-the-road numbers, the solar panels would require an end-to-end efficiency of 16% in order to generate the necessary 2.8 watt-hours per day. Yes, this is assuming perfect conditions, but it seems like a fairly sane 'ideal' number to me. Keep in mind that the aptera is very flat compared to most cars, so their solar panels, if positioned correctly, will capture a good amount of sun per day.
@@meatisomalley That's a lot of IF's. If it has 3m2 of solar panels, which don't seem to exist in any of the cars in the video. If it can do 100wh per mile and If it can pull off 16% efficiency. You can see the panels themselves under the glass and the front is more like 0.5m2. Roof ain't much better either. Where's the rest of the 1.5-2m2? Rear doesn't seem to have any. This doesn't even factor in the suboptimal angles they're pointing to the sun with. The front panel is still quite steeply angled compared to the roof so you'll never get a moment when both are optimally pointing at the sun. This means that the panels installed at the car will always have lower than installed total area actually pointing to the sun. After factoring off dirt, panel wear and scratches, 16% starts sounding rather... optimistic. It's not exactly a good one if it could do this Once during the most sunniest day available and then would need daily washing to keep it generating anything meaningful. And another problem - Unlike solar panels that sit on the rooftop open to the sun 24/7, a car will spend time in garages and parking halls. With this car you'll have to leave it out to the elements 24/7 if you want to get any mileage out of the panels. I don't tend to believe manufacturer hype BS until they can actually Prove it. They're not here to save the world or create a good product, they're here to make as much money as possible. Hype and unrealistic promises are the key element to get gullible techBro's to buy into it. Because in the end it would still be better to install these panels to the top of your garage for more optimal angle & out of the way of road grime and rock impacts. They would generate way more electricity that you could charge your car with and spent the rest to run your home. And you can keep your car away from the elements and sun degredation.
This is without a doubt one of the coolest tech things I've ever seen. Like actual innovation instead of useless gimmicks. I hope they have a successful launch
Works Really well in the Snow Storms in California. Another American wank.. When it Snow what do you do? The solar panels on the house roof are 3 feet deep in Snow. The Tesla wall battery has shut down because it's too cold... and the bloke down the road, will put whatever he wants into his Model T, and drive off...
@@Vfulncchl it's not just solar panels. It's the extremely aerodynamic design and the 3 wheel design while still having enough "trunk" room to be somewhat practical. Not to mention the 20-30 thousand dollar MSRP is actually nuts. All that complement it to be actually unique own its own category. The fact that if you live on a sunny city and only use your car for city uses, you probably won't even need to plug it, that's insane too
This actually came out in 2007, it was called the Aptera Typ-1 then, I’m not sure why he’s talking about it like it’s new. They’ve never actually been able to get it to market.
@@tudormontescu6275 It is a car by all language definitions. A regulatory body is not judging based on what makes sense in the language. They go by arbitrary reasoning about mechanical structures for safety reasons. The Aptera will be super safe due to its structure, but its structure is also why the regulators will not consider it a car. To the English language it is just a three wheeled car, like many in the past, except much larger than most previous three-wheeled cars.
I'm an old gear head, but ... In reality this is the essence of hotrodding. And it is the future. Being large, old, and creaky, I doubt that this model will work for me personally, but there is no reason that one with a better fit is not possible. And it would have more room for solar panels. Bring it on!
I thought I would never buy a new car again but you know......... That seems to be one great little vehicle with so many advantages and to be able to order parts from the Company and reasonably fix it yourself your self...... well I am 74 yo and sorely tempted. The only hold ups are I live in western Washington where it rains a lot and I really need a rig that I can get three people into; ......but I thought I might just like to rotate having someone lay down in the back. LOL. Even The price is right!! A trip to town and back for me is over 70 miles......So, Now I have to figure out how to up the battery capacity. What a fun ride!! Thank you so much Aptera and JerryRigEverything. I love innovative folks! We need more of you working on all sorts of things in this world!
@@vic321344 They have a production facility setup and plan to have it operational by the end of the year. Make your bets, because they are on schedule right now.
@@vic321344 I am not an expert in electric vehicles, but I feel a bit like people are repeating the viewpoint of gas cars from 1920's. Things like "no one can get them" and "what we have now works better" applied then just the same, which is why a large amount of people thought that automobiles were just a fad. This is similar to what's going on now with these types of electric vehicles and autonomous driving test runs. People say the same thing, but every year they get a little more prevalent and [I personally feel] we are approaching an inflection point. My point is, maybe currently it seems like a fantasy but (as long as something catastrophic doesn't happen) this is the way the future seems to be headed and calling it a fantasy is like people in the early 1900's calling automobiles a fantasy. The fact that there is a working prototype indicates that, even if this specific prototype / company doesn't get released widespread, there are successful efforts.
Having a video explaining people how to repair each part, has to be the biggest progress a manufacturer can push into the market! (Besides being, you know... A gridless car...)
@@PhoticsTV autocycle? that doesn't describe it any better than "car"... Car comes from "carriage" or means "wagon" Automobile means "self-moving" Bicycle means "two wheeler" Tricycle means "three wheeler" motorcycle means "engine on wheels" or "motor powered bicycle" Autocycle means "self-wheels" or "self-moving wheels" (aka anything with powered wheels is and autocycle) How is that a better description for what we have here?
@@DrTheRich An Aptera is literally autocycle. Right on the "Autocycle" page in Wikipedia it says… _“three-wheeled car, a registration classification in the US for some three wheeled vehicles; with a sit-in cockpit and steering wheel”_ …and then on that subsequent page is a picture of an Aptera. 🤷🏻♂ …and it's not that I was correcting the original commenter. I just thought it was funny how such a massive feature was secondary. What is the best thing about an Aptera? Is it the 4 seconds 0-60 times? Is it the right to repair? Is it not needing to plug in the car if certain conditions are met? Is it the efficiency? Is it the fact that it looks like a vehicle from a futuristic Sci-Fi movie? There are a lot of revolutionary changes - if they can make it - and it's looking a lot better lately.
@@DrTheRich I will consider it a car. Yes, three wheeled is missing a wheel, but is a human without a leg still not a human. Seems to me, a fully enclosed cabin, with seats like a car, and all the capabilities of an automobile, makes it eligible to be called a car, even if technically missing that wheel makes it an autocycle. Once on the interstate highway, cruising along at 70 MPH for 5/6 hours a time, might rethink calling it an autocycle, but the name matters little, what matters is that it will be a blast to drive, be long lasting, and safe. Cost of ownership will be very low, and in the first few months of them hitting the streets, lots of necks will twist to look at that!
I really hope that Aptera starts producing these, because Aptera has been promising these cars for over a decade. This made me excited to see The Aptera on the road!
Usually I don't like these kinds of prototype vehicles, but this one looks really cool. Being covered in solar panels and being able to charge itself is pretty handy for most situations.
@@fireworkmuffins Nah they just released their production design, the Delta, in January. Also just got a big grant from the state of California, so it's close. "Just" one more batch of $50MM is the number they're saying
Same! Became an Aptera investor a couple months ago and eagerly awaiting delivery/pick up of our two Launch Editions ⚡️☀️ Love this company, it’s people, and of course, this product.
Ditto here. Just feels right to contribute to the most sane approach to EVs that I have ever seen. This is what the world needs, and what I want for my first EV.
Invested just last year! The engineering, the business principle, everyone involved with this company are serious about making a great product. So proud with how far they have come and can't wait for production to start!
I've read a statement on their website in November 2022...that they haven't solved their legality issues and also lack a Production Model prototype. Do you know more?
If Aptera can hit those price targets for the different mile range versions, they may be on to something, an EV that you, in theory, won’t have to charge as much (if ever), meaning it’s cheaper to operate than some other EVs and makes ICE vehicles life even harder
The QR code is an excellent idea, and imo very sustainable for a profitable company as people tend to keep their cars for much longer than small electronics like phones. This would help the company get a regular stream of profit from it's customers in a way that benefits both the user and the company. I would assume that it would also enable users to upgrade their cars much more easily and reliably which would in turn bring down the cost of used parts. Absolutely amazing.
All car companies have that regular income stream. Where do you thing workshops get their parts? Most will source them directly from the manufacturers or their direct suppliers. The user-repairability is of course a major win, but from a business perspective, it is at best a gain in the marketing department.
They have stated in some of their videos that making the car upgradable as well as repairable is an intentional design element. So, if better batteries are developed, or whatever, the owner will be able to swap out old components for the newer, upgraded ones. In essence, you have a car that can be 'remade' every so many ears, greatly extending its usable life. That is highly unusual in modern consumer-product manufacturing, which is almost all based on disposability.
@@ilnahro3008 It's a major win for us mechanics too. Y'all can figure out the most innovative ways to botch the simplest things. "All I had was Allen keys so I grabbed one that kind of fit, hammered it in, and now it's stripped." - Real conversation I've had with a customer, more than once.
I'm officially saving up to get the solar package. The idea of having a car I never have to "refill" and that I can repair on my own is greatly appealing to me.
I absolutely love that they've taken Right to Repair into account, I'd buy one for that alone - companies who go the extra mile in this area deserve recognition
I very hope they make it, Not just for them, but this will drive other EV companies to follow suit! The fact they are allowing you to purchase parts and fit directly by yourself obviously given you have a general hands on idea, Is bloody mind bending! These sort of things might make their way into the car community, where people can be working on their own cars agian! fingers crossed they can bring these to the roads, And hopefully here in australia!
I can imagine electric vehicles being overall more modular and something like a pc where you can upgrade and customize by changing out parts or just build your own completely with more standardized parts being sold across the board. Probably won't be as accessible as something like building a pc due to the nature of the car industry and cost, but more than it already is for internal combustion engine cars as you have to basically be a full on mechanic to know how to begin to build one
@rogerphelps9939 That is an incredibly broad statement. North of where? And it is also working on the false premise that just because you are up north you somehow don't have the sun. Even Canada would have a season where they could use that car. It's very small but rich people would still buy it to show off for 3 months. I am somewhat far north being in Northern California close to the Oregon border. I get plenty of sun.
Oh boy, I have been following the aptera for a long time and would love one in a deep blue dark metallic paint job and I would go for the full solar package, love this car.😊
Have had my pre-order in since Feb of ‘21. 600 mile, full solar, AWD, off-road kit and Safety Pilot (driver assist system). Can’t wait, and love that you covered Aptera! 👍
I've been following Aptera for years now. I really hope they go into production. I'm just one of the Aptera fans who is waiting to buy. It is a wonderful car.
Oh wow you Americans finally caught up to what our technical university students were doing 20 years ago in the Netherlands, awesome. Well done , keep going .
They changed the rear swing arm out to be a true four link single arm suspension that has much better ride/handling characteristics, so there’s that to look forward to as well! Can’t wait to get one!
@@aussieideasman8498 yes, still single sided but with the components of a four link. You can see the tie rod making this setup in the video, just count the attachment points. I dunno what else to tell you.
@@kaito0022 we're not saying that, just have a sheet of reflective material with flexible panels embedded. Block the sun, create internal shade and charge the car
This would be great. I currently have a work van and a small car. With the van I can haul whatever i need so what I'm looking for in a small car is something that's efficient to transport me around town when I'm not hauling anything. This seems ideal!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that this video exists. One of my favorite channels reviewing what is by far my favorite vehicle startup. This made my day for sure. P.S. I have pre ordered this vehicle with the full solar package. I plan on road tripping this thing and doing all sorts of tests. I can hardly wait.
Your mention of road-tripping makes me wonder: Have Aptera stated what the maximum DC fast-charging rate will be on these? I know only a tiny bit about them.
If I remember correctly because they did a presentation fairly recently. This vehicle should get 40 kW hour charging speeds which for the Aptera is about 400 miles per hour.
Now the easy to repair attitude is absolutely great. Such a welcome breath of fresh air in the otherwise extremely customer hostile and greedy EV industry. This company will have a bright future!
I am an "Accelerator" which means I will be one of the 1st 2000 owners. The 400 mile range will be enough for road trips since the fast chargers are becoming available though not as ubiquitous as gas stations. That translates into real world 5 hours between charges at which time you need to get out and stretch, eat, etc. I can't wait to get mine!
Jerry, and anyone else listening, i got around 10 years exp as a mechanic. Your analogy of repairing a blown head gasket is very accurate and not something just anyone can do or even HAS the tools to do. Louis Rossman definitely made an impact, even my dell laptop has qr stickers inside on every component. Anything that is electrical is so damn simple it makes you feel stupid for ever using a dumb petrol engine. Self charging electric cars are the FUTURE.
Nothing electrical ever has problems. No batteries exploding, no cobalt slave mines. And definitely enough lithium for everyone to have an elective car. Oh, wait... nope.
@@zackandjessadventures6219 so unlike you i spent 1 minute looking up cobalt mining to see that cobalt mining is spread out across the globe - not just a select few countries employing slaves. But if these slave mines are such an issue to you I’m sure we could just invade a foreign country to manage their resources for them, that has never turned bad.
@@zackandjessadventures6219 ICE vehicles of different types cause lots of harm to both people and the environment. Any replacement does not have to be perfect, it has to be better than the disaster we use right now. Have you ever heard of improvmeents or do you just want all the crap to stay the same?
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Both my wife and I have ridden in a vehicle they "actually made" and seen others with our own eyes. Now the parts for production intent vehicles are being produced. and verified.
Been wanting one since they were featured in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics something like 10-15 years ago. Totally jazzed they've come back even better. Efficiency looks pretty good to me.
That just tells me this is snake oil if they have been around for that long but still haven't produced a single production car. Just like Elio Motors. Just stealing peoples money.
I would replace my entire fleet of service trucks with these if they leave it open like a truck bed in the back. What a great selling point for me to tell my customers that we will be pulling up to their house to work out our all electric service vehicles as a way for us to help the environment. Customers love stories and the story of an all solar service fleet is one I would enjoy telling.. Love it!
Open bed would mess with aerodynamics and lower efficiency a great deal. I think we're unfortunately a long way away from solar/self-charging trucks, but I'm glad to see companies are working on the solutions. It would be AMAZING for us to be able to travel without being at the mercy of big oil's gas prices or an incomplete and inadequate charging infrastructure.
would work fine if the cargo part of the truck is just for looks. it's incredible lightness is what makes it sip power so low that it can be fully charged by the sun.
You can absolutely use these to replace your service trucks. My company will do the same. The back can easily hold a ladder and all your hand tools and materials. You could even take a ride along or take the passengers seat out and use it for storage as well. It's like a lockable truck shell.
So glad you got to test this 😁 Have had mine ordered for a while now. My only concern is how it would handle a large collision. Everything else seems awesome
I was really happy to hear that the company will be providing parts to customers, with the QR codes like how Framework does is really cool - I sure hope they stick to that practice. Curious if you'll ever cover electric/non-electric bikes, transit and other types of sustainable infrastructure in the future! Would be really awesome to see accessible alternatives to driving people could check out!
I'm glad you addressed the issue of all the creeks that I could hear in the video. I'm surprised that they weren't already ironed out but I guess that was not something that needed to be readily addressed right away. I'm impressed with its range and its speed. The interior definitely could be a little bit more roomy. I'm not as tall as you, I'm 5'10 1/2 in tall and that still looks like a little bit of a tight fit even for me.
Check out their production ready model. It's more roomy and more refined ! These were just the prototypes and the production model will be constructed differently offering a better fit and finish than these older versions!
Yeah, the Gamma vehicle (currently roaming around Europe) is much more solid with less noise, vibration, and harshness. It's also a whole lot larger inside
I'm thinking that the chassis in both the Alpha and Beta is not what's going to be in the production vehicle. These are both testbed cars, the marketable version will likely be on a much nice/safer chassis and body design, wellll, at least I would hope that, LOL
He is driving the 2.5 year old alpha and beta 1.5 year old beta. Gamma is far more refined and was in europe and they are working towards getting tooling done to make a physical delta (already exists in renders). This video could have been made a year ago. Progress is being made.
Zach is in the alpha and beta versions of the vehicle. I got a chance to be around and in the gamma vehicle when they showed it off in California and based on what I experienced, it is way bigger inside than either the alpha or beta. I am 5'10 myself and I had so much head room I was a bit in disbelief.
I'd actually buy that~ It looks super futuristic, it's really efficient, has great range and I'll be able to sleep in the back of it thanks to the 7 ft of cargo room in the back
Man, if I didn’t need a family car or could afford having another car for just my work commutes, I would get that with the solar package in a heartbeat. Gridless electric cars are a complete game changer. I’m gonna have to stick with a more traditional looking EV for my next car, but I love this thing existing.
@@ClebyHerris We already do that, my wife gets the SUV, I get the sedan. This car can’t serve as a replacement for a sedan as it has one row of two seats. I still need a **family** car as stated above, as in, is capable of serving the functions a family needs. One of those functions is being able to pick the kid up from school when schedules change, which requires a back seat until they’re at least 13 years old (or the size of one).
Didn't you hear 7 feet of trunk? Between that and the seat that's 3 kids easy! Edit: Jokes aside considering the trunks a window and 7' of leg room I'd straight up ride trunk if they had a safety harness for lying down.
I would definitely get the solar package. As an apartment dweller, I park on the street and do not have access to a charger so this would be awsome. Also not having to pay for charging would be a significant bonus.
You're not going to get 40-miles range per day from the solar cells unless it was the most ideal day, in the most ideal spot in the US, and if the Aptera is parked in the right direction without any shade throughout the day. Keep your expectations to 30 miles and be pleasantly surprised if you go over that. That's still good range. The built-in charge controller by the way is 1700 watts while the full solar panel option on the car total 700 watts. They allow you to hook up an external 1000 watts of solar panels to charge the Aptera with. That's about ~70 miles per day added on a good sunny day. I've asked for external power (drawing power from the Aptera battery for home and camping use) to be added but not sure we are going to get it so that we can draw from the battery 120v DC output or 110v AC outlet.
Have been following this company for a while now. If they ever make it to production I'll definitely be considering one. Just such a unique design, and the solar panels would be great for commuting for sure.
That is amazing! It looks exactly as futuristic as I thought all cars would by now. The thought of an EV that looks awesome, runs smoothly and quietly, has user repair in mind, and can go without being plugged in for most people is just absolutely fantastic! It is even relatively cheap and likely to get cheaper as production and technology improves. I would go with the package that gives me as much solar as possible, I would hope you can use any excess power generated to power other things or charge external batteries such as a Jackery.
@@adriancarrillo2026 He did mention that being a side effect of the prototype stage, that it would not affect the production models. I expect a fair few revisions to comply with safety measures, in particular I expect it to get heavier.
Instead of a truck bed I think this vehicle could use a 3rd seat option in the front middle. It looks wide enough to fit 3 people across. Vehicles from the 90s has 3 seats in the front with and arm rest, cup holders and the storage area integrated into the back of the middle seat. So if you have 1 or 2 people in the vehicle, you fold down that center seat to get the similar stuff that people expect to have in a vehicle with 2 bucket seats and a center console across the front row (or only row). I think a lot more people would get it if it could seat 3 vs 2. Being able to transport more people in the same sized vehicle is also another way to be more green and efficient. So you’d think Aptera would be all for it.
I remember the TV series called "Logans Run." Where they had a futuristic car that was powered by Sun Light & only worked during day light. But this Solar Powered car that never needs to be charged is Awesome. No more fuel by way of gasoline, which in turn creates pollution. Even electric cars today rely on fossil fuels to be burned by the Big Energy Companies in order for you to charge your vehicle. So really this is by far the BEST and in my opinion the ONLY solution to reduce Green House Gasses. Plus if this works for vehicles and for homes too, maybe industry too could benefit. Then we could leave fossil fuels in the ground and we'd have more money in our pockets to spend on ourselves rather than giving it to all the oil barons.
I'll buy this as soon as it becomes available. I live in Florida and I just need something to get around but I hate motorcycles this is a nice in between for an incredible price.
a few years ago i had the oppurtunity to invest in this company after seeing them listing an early investors ad. I didn't believe they'd ever make it to production I'm actually super impressed
I am not an electric car person by any standards but I have to say that little thing is cool as hell and I would definitely have to consider one of them
I've had a pre order in for one for awhile now! Can't wait until I can get one for myself. Right to repair, efficient, practical and affordable. I'm here for the future. Going for full solar and AWD myself with the 400 mile battery.
The Pro - Right to Repair aspect, and A roll cage in such a small vehicle are things I like to see. If successful a 4 passenger option would be great (same designed, just stretcher for a 2nd set of doors
The rollcage in the beta was because they were testing it by doing moose tests and crashing into curbs at high speed. All cars are modified when doing this kind of testing because rollovers are not unheard of. The production roof is still expected to support 6x its weight (literally an elephant) which is 2x a normal car and like 2x an SUV/Truck.
A 4 seat version is in the pipeline. If they can 1st get the initial version in production. Imagine something like the General Motors Ultralite concept car with hub motors and solar cells all over the roof. Interesting tid·bit too: If it will be easy to repair, it will also be easy to mod or improve. To be honest, no one else in the auto industry is doing this right now. I actually think this will be a hit and they won't be able to keep up with demand once more people find out about it.
awesome! i hope it will be easy to get a wheelchair into! i would go for the full solar package, but i want the back hatch to open and allow for it to be used as a truck bed as well--or a sleeping bed! best of all worlds...
I remember reading about these a few years ago. Everything from the design to how they actually plan to manufacture them was really interesting and efficient.
I love these things and really want one! We have almost no sun in Scotland so I would have to plug it in but that is cool because this thing looks awesome!
I had a toy car looking exactly like this when I was a child. With the 3-wheel base, bubble shape, and solar pannels. So it sounds like the idea has been around for a while!
I have one preordered and I'm definitely getting the solar everywhere. It's going to be my commuter vehicle. I drive about 50 miles everyday . I currently have a model Y. Can't wait to get mine!
@@MaticTheProto no but even public transportation costs overtime. Technically with this if you have free parking its free transportation for smaller distances
@@illansuu9572 ehh, seeing how public transport has no upfront costs (except for monthly/yearly/whatever tickets which reduce overall cost) it is still competitive.
Okay, the repair-friendliness of this vehicle is a major selling point
Breathes heavy in Louis Rossman
@@Trepidateousflesh Absolute legend
Its gonna be another scapegoat for them to blame the customer for fucking something up on the vehicle so they dont have to take responsibility.
@@PrinceAlvar OK so don't give customers ability to fix it?
Yeah and the price is not too bad eather
Let's hope they actually make it to production. We now had 2 other car companies with a similar process going bankrupt lately. Fingers crossed they make it!
I'm not counting on it anymore. The solar panels aren't groundbreaking for this car, so they will only contribute slightly in the total range. The design and purpose of this car is such a niche, I never see this becoming mainstream in any way. Too little and especially way too late.
It was hard to see Sono go bankrupt.
If anyone will make it, it should be Aptera. They have been very frugal and smart with how they've handled things.
@@Fab1Man The solar panels is believe it or not, not the main selling point that they have, it was just an extra thing that made sense given how efficient the vehicle is, and with this they are making the solar panels more efficient for the shape they need to be. And you're being dishonest by saying it's not groundbreaking or significant; for people living in sunny areas they might never need to charge it, that's how efficient it is, and where is another example of a car that is powered by the sun? Of course it's groundbreaking; the whole care is.
_"Too little and especially way too late."_
That's a very defeatist attitude.
_"I never see this becoming mainstream in any way."_
I remember people said the same thing about Tesla, so opinions and cultural preferences can change fast, especially when people find out how much more efficient it is.
To say there are vested interests aligned against this idea is an understatement haha Billion dollar companies backed by entire governments (some of our own!) with massive resources and armies do not want us to all move away from oil to electric. But we need to for the sake of everything but i could even see wars fought to stop this...
I just came across a video about this, thinking that's the weirdest looking thing. 2 hours later after learning all about it, I put my reservation in. There's even an offroad package with more ground clearance, impact resistant wheel covers and a tent for the hatch. Enough room to sleep in the back and take the dogs. I can't wait to do road trips and never have to stop.
"Never have to stop"? You will not have to charge it if you work 9to5 30 miles away. But if you have a long distance ride the sun is not quick enough.
Everything about this car makes me happy, the price, the safety standard for such a small car, Free transportation for the average commuter. Breath of fresh air in the new car market
25k$ can get you a bigger and better solar car
@@everythingpony What model? Is it brand new?
Volkswagen made this already like in.. 2001 or something. The 1l / 100km car with road worthiness.
If this thing can make it to volume production, it's going to change everything. A $25k base model that costs almost nothing to drive will become the standard for multi-car households. And their willingness to embrace right-to-repair makes my heart go pitter patter.
Many people will want amore crash worthy vehicle, that's why there are so many SUV's and pick up's
@@safffff1000 Talking out of your arse as you don’t know the crash worthiness. Aptera is doing full crash testing so you will get your answer. Companies make SUV’s to make more money. They are usually a big waste of everything.
@@safffff1000 , I personally want a vehicle that's unlikely to kill other people if I were to hit them accidentally. And that's definitely not an SUV or truck...
@@emma70707 Get a motor cycle
@@emma70707 why would you hit someone accidentally? this is one of the easiest things to bring to near 0%. Pay attention and don't drive impaired. Chances of being hit by someone not paying attention is way higher.
The fact that every component can be ordered and replaced by the end user makes me think that there should be (if it's not in the plans already) an option to buy a full build kit with all the components and let the end user build it themselves. Like a massive Lego set. Maybe make some custom additional packages like the truck bed option you mentioned.
Thats a brillant idea!
That's a pretty cool idea, I think it would require a fully qualified electrician to install the high voltage electronics though, by law where I live at least.
too bad that exactly that is what's going to keep the car from ever beeing viable to use outside of the US.
Explicit safety and security standards like TÜV will absolutely never allow DIY modular cars
Yea, would you really trust and average American to fully build a safe electric car?
Why would you want that? It would cost more than the vehicle to ship all the parts individually, also... the labor... it would make more sense to spend a week at the factory and build it yourself, if you wanted that kind of experience.
If it launches at $25K, that's pretty dope.
And also assuming the price comes down as production techniques mature and suppliers are secured, this has the potential to be super disruptive.
44k for the model he is displaying
Yeah the price ain't going down. Lol
What they need is to get governments to give subsidies and tax credits. It being an autocycle it doesn't qualify.
Its a toy in reality. It wont have "endless power" as advertised, and the lightwgiht thing with poor suspension shakes and trembless a lot even on flat testing ground, it wont be comfy to drive.
@@samuraidoggy You have no idea what you are talking about! How about you do some research before you speak? First of all, it's not light weight, it weighs as much as an ICE vehicle, other EVs are just extremely heavy. As for suspension and ride, people who have driven it will tell you you can't tell it's a three wheeled vehicle due to the weight distribution and type of suspension it has. As for rattling, all the units so far are hand built, so there was no focus on noise. With most of the parts being molded in production, the entire vehicle will fit together perfectly. Then there's the fact that carbon fiber is sound deadening compared to metal. It may be classified as an autocycle, but it was designed to function like a car in both performance and safety.
If this thing actually gets 65kms of charge a day in a real world scenario, then this is game changing. It makes solar cars more than just a proof of concept. amazing stuff
You really think the big oil companies are gonna allow these ? lol
@@mikehunt1528 No way haha
you get a 5 mile range out of 1 hour charging under optimal conditions. so I'd say a realistic number is maybe you get 30-35 miles of charge a day.
@@mikehunt1528
Yeah, didn't they also do a great job of stopping that Paypal guy Musk with his venture... what was its name...Tesla??
It will not.
It look like there is less than 2squate meter of solar panels.
It will give you maybe 2500Wh.
A tesla is using 20 000Wh for a 100km.
Lets hop it's light and have a low cp.
Been a follower of Aptera for a while now and I'm excited to see them getting more exposure. I love everything they're doing and I hope they make it!
Like any marketing, they will have paid dearly for that exposure.
Same
Jesus what are you doing looking at electric cars
I love everything about this car and company. Especially it's stance on right to repair. It's been a very long time coming for this car company and I hope they make a big impact.
Does the production of this vehicle require cobalt and if yes, where is that cobalt mined?
Potholes will suck
@@TheAnnoyingBoss Potholes suck in any car, lol.
It’s always been my dream ever since I was 5 to create a solar powered vehicle and I’m SO happy that this is finally here!
You were way ahead of me. When I was 7, in 1962, I told the class I was looking forward to a push-button car in the future, no clue how that would work. Now I hear tell they do have self-driving cars, but I've never seen one.😊❤
This has been the most promising EV I have seen. Others are just throwing batteries and electric motors in existing overweight non-aerodynamic cars. But they have been promising production for several years now and we all might get tired of waiting. I don’t follow them closely anymore, but I do hope they make a go of it. Thanks for the video!
Reason why they might've not start production yet is because solar panels that would actually recharge any meaningful amount don't exist. This car has what, maybe 2 square meters of solar panels? They can't even be aligned towards the sun as they're fixed angle on the roof. Unless you live on the equator it's going to be sub-optimal. You would struggle to break 200W of charging power under optimal sun conditions with this, and that level of charging is just not going to cut it no matter how aerodynamic they make it. You can maybe get like 10-20km of charge per day in The most optimal conditions with a brand new and spotless car. In most real life conditions it's going to be a lot less.
My laptop has a stronger charger than this car's "unlimited" range under the best conditions. That should tell you all about it.
@@PAcifisti This is just wrong, stop talking out of your ass. The full solar package is 3 square meters of solar. Under normal conditions, one square meter generates 200-300 watts per hour (under ideal conditions it's 1000). With 3 square meters, aptera is claiming 700 watts per hour, which is very reasonable. Aptera claims over 40 miles on the sunniest of days in hot places like Cali, and the math seems to check out. On colder days around 20 miles.
@@meatisomalley Under ideal conditions it's ~200 watts per hour per square meter. 1000 watts is the amount of power coming out of the sun. It's absolutely impossible to catch it all. Good solar panels can in best conditions capture around 24%. This car however will NEVER be able to capture anywhere near the max. The panels will never be fully pointing towards the sun as the car has a curved body.
Aptera can Claim they get 233 watts per m3 but that seems a bit optimistic given the above. Not to mention that in real life conditions the panels would be dirty and have scratches all over the surfaces as all cars get. Or the fact that they would be most likely pointing away from the sun.
In essence, their claim is that they would get the same amount of energy as top of the line panels installed on a swiveling mounts that tracks the sun... from the top of a car, angled in all directions while affected by road dirt and debris? I'm not convinced.
Three square meters of panels seems quite a lot for the size of the car, though the effective size of the panels is going to be lower for reasons pointed above.
@@PAcifisti
Alright, I'm a bit of a dingus so you'll have to bear with me, but let's do some napkin math.
Aptera claims to use 100 watt-hours per mile driven. in a hotter place like Arizona or Cali, Aptera claims to generate 28 miles per day on average, so we need 2.8 kwh generated per day.
the average solar irradiance in a place like LA or Pheonix is 5-7 KwH/sq.m/day. The Aptera has more than 3 square meters of solar, so let's say 18 kwhs of coverage per day.
With these fairly middle-of-the-road numbers, the solar panels would require an end-to-end efficiency of 16% in order to generate the necessary 2.8 watt-hours per day. Yes, this is assuming perfect conditions, but it seems like a fairly sane 'ideal' number to me.
Keep in mind that the aptera is very flat compared to most cars, so their solar panels, if positioned correctly, will capture a good amount of sun per day.
@@meatisomalley That's a lot of IF's. If it has 3m2 of solar panels, which don't seem to exist in any of the cars in the video. If it can do 100wh per mile and If it can pull off 16% efficiency. You can see the panels themselves under the glass and the front is more like 0.5m2. Roof ain't much better either. Where's the rest of the 1.5-2m2? Rear doesn't seem to have any.
This doesn't even factor in the suboptimal angles they're pointing to the sun with. The front panel is still quite steeply angled compared to the roof so you'll never get a moment when both are optimally pointing at the sun. This means that the panels installed at the car will always have lower than installed total area actually pointing to the sun. After factoring off dirt, panel wear and scratches, 16% starts sounding rather... optimistic. It's not exactly a good one if it could do this Once during the most sunniest day available and then would need daily washing to keep it generating anything meaningful.
And another problem - Unlike solar panels that sit on the rooftop open to the sun 24/7, a car will spend time in garages and parking halls. With this car you'll have to leave it out to the elements 24/7 if you want to get any mileage out of the panels.
I don't tend to believe manufacturer hype BS until they can actually Prove it. They're not here to save the world or create a good product, they're here to make as much money as possible. Hype and unrealistic promises are the key element to get gullible techBro's to buy into it.
Because in the end it would still be better to install these panels to the top of your garage for more optimal angle & out of the way of road grime and rock impacts. They would generate way more electricity that you could charge your car with and spent the rest to run your home. And you can keep your car away from the elements and sun degredation.
This is without a doubt one of the coolest tech things I've ever seen. Like actual innovation instead of useless gimmicks.
I hope they have a successful launch
Works Really well in the Snow Storms in California. Another American wank..
When it Snow what do you do? The solar panels on the house roof are 3 feet deep in Snow. The Tesla wall battery has shut down because it's too cold... and the bloke down the road, will put whatever he wants into his Model T, and drive off...
Putting a bunch of solar panels on a car is NOT a new idea and is not innovation lmao. The car is cool though
@@Vfulncchl it's not just solar panels. It's the extremely aerodynamic design and the 3 wheel design while still having enough "trunk" room to be somewhat practical. Not to mention the 20-30 thousand dollar MSRP is actually nuts. All that complement it to be actually unique own its own category.
The fact that if you live on a sunny city and only use your car for city uses, you probably won't even need to plug it, that's insane too
Solar panels are the next waste that's piling up in landfills due to toxicity and non recycleable.
This actually came out in 2007, it was called the Aptera Typ-1 then, I’m not sure why he’s talking about it like it’s new. They’ve never actually been able to get it to market.
The first electric car that actually looks like it was designed from scratch to be a true electric car ❤
@@tudormontescu6275 It is a car by all language definitions. A regulatory body is not judging based on what makes sense in the language. They go by arbitrary reasoning about mechanical structures for safety reasons. The Aptera will be super safe due to its structure, but its structure is also why the regulators will not consider it a car. To the English language it is just a three wheeled car, like many in the past, except much larger than most previous three-wheeled cars.
@@tudormontescu6275 It looks like what 1960s people thought of as "futuristic cars."
Ironically the aptera was originally gas powered
@@toonman361 yes
@@appa609 they should have kept it that way, I might have been a smidge interested, especially if they came down like 20 grand on the price lol
I'm an old gear head, but ... In reality this is the essence of hotrodding. And it is the future. Being large, old, and creaky, I doubt that this model will work for me personally, but there is no reason that one with a better fit is not possible. And it would have more room for solar panels. Bring it on!
I thought I would never buy a new car again but you know......... That seems to be one great little vehicle with so many advantages and to be able to order parts from the Company and reasonably fix it yourself your self...... well I am 74 yo and sorely tempted. The only hold ups are I live in western Washington where it rains a lot and I really need a rig that I can get three people into; ......but I thought I might just like to rotate having someone lay down in the back. LOL. Even The price is right!! A trip to town and back for me is over 70 miles......So, Now I have to figure out how to up the battery capacity. What a fun ride!! Thank you so much Aptera and JerryRigEverything. I love innovative folks! We need more of you working on all sorts of things in this world!
You can plug it in for the power the solar panals don't give you, and bigger batteries are available.
I think they're on track to what a true electric car production should be. I love the idea of DIY replacing parts!
They did not produce anything yet. Just phantasies and empty promises. Like Sono and Lightyear.
@@vic321344 They have a production facility setup and plan to have it operational by the end of the year. Make your bets, because they are on schedule right now.
@@vic321344 I am not an expert in electric vehicles, but I feel a bit like people are repeating the viewpoint of gas cars from 1920's. Things like "no one can get them" and "what we have now works better" applied then just the same, which is why a large amount of people thought that automobiles were just a fad. This is similar to what's going on now with these types of electric vehicles and autonomous driving test runs. People say the same thing, but every year they get a little more prevalent and [I personally feel] we are approaching an inflection point. My point is, maybe currently it seems like a fantasy but (as long as something catastrophic doesn't happen) this is the way the future seems to be headed and calling it a fantasy is like people in the early 1900's calling automobiles a fantasy. The fact that there is a working prototype indicates that, even if this specific prototype / company doesn't get released widespread, there are successful efforts.
@@DominicI1exactly
@@DominicI1 At this point, no one can get this autocycle
Having a video explaining people how to repair each part, has to be the biggest progress a manufacturer can push into the market! (Besides being, you know... A gridless car...)
Gridless car, just a minor detail.😄
This -car- autocycle looks super revolutionary.
@@PhoticsTV autocycle? that doesn't describe it any better than "car"...
Car comes from "carriage" or means "wagon"
Automobile means "self-moving"
Bicycle means "two wheeler"
Tricycle means "three wheeler"
motorcycle means "engine on wheels" or "motor powered bicycle"
Autocycle means "self-wheels" or "self-moving wheels" (aka anything with powered wheels is and autocycle)
How is that a better description for what we have here?
@@DrTheRich An Aptera is literally autocycle. Right on the "Autocycle" page in Wikipedia it says… _“three-wheeled car, a registration classification in the US for some three wheeled vehicles; with a sit-in cockpit and steering wheel”_ …and then on that subsequent page is a picture of an Aptera. 🤷🏻♂
…and it's not that I was correcting the original commenter. I just thought it was funny how such a massive feature was secondary.
What is the best thing about an Aptera? Is it the 4 seconds 0-60 times? Is it the right to repair? Is it not needing to plug in the car if certain conditions are met? Is it the efficiency? Is it the fact that it looks like a vehicle from a futuristic Sci-Fi movie? There are a lot of revolutionary changes - if they can make it - and it's looking a lot better lately.
@@JM-oi9pk yeah, sad that it's becoming rarer these days
@@DrTheRich I will consider it a car. Yes, three wheeled is missing a wheel, but is a human without a leg still not a human. Seems to me, a fully enclosed cabin, with seats like a car, and all the capabilities of an automobile, makes it eligible to be called a car, even if technically missing that wheel makes it an autocycle. Once on the interstate highway, cruising along at 70 MPH for 5/6 hours a time, might rethink calling it an autocycle, but the name matters little, what matters is that it will be a blast to drive, be long lasting, and safe. Cost of ownership will be very low, and in the first few months of them hitting the streets, lots of necks will twist to look at that!
Woah! Scanned the QR code at 8:13 and did not expect the replacement instruction video to already be available!
😉
I really hope that Aptera starts producing these, because Aptera has been promising these cars for over a decade. This made me excited to see The Aptera on the road!
Big oil companies and now big Ev companies hold them back, they can't get where they want to be because of pure greed. They are trying
Usually I don't like these kinds of prototype vehicles, but this one looks really cool. Being covered in solar panels and being able to charge itself is pretty handy for most situations.
It's also very close to production instead of a dream
@@nicktgal Has been close to production, for what, a decade now?
@@fireworkmuffins Nah they just released their production design, the Delta, in January. Also just got a big grant from the state of California, so it's close. "Just" one more batch of $50MM is the number they're saying
@@nicktgal Oh "just" $50 million? I think I could scrounge that up from between my sofa cushions and send it to them.
The repairability aspect is also amazing.
Ty for covering this, it’s such an underrated company more people need to know and help fund it
This is exactly what I've been hoping to see on yt! Love the outside/inside tour
That idea to allow and provide advanced assistance for owners to repair it is great
Can't wait to get ours. We've been investors in the company for several years now and loving what we have been seeing about the launch edition.
Same! Became an Aptera investor a couple months ago and eagerly awaiting delivery/pick up of our two Launch Editions ⚡️☀️ Love this company, it’s people, and of course, this product.
Ditto here. Just feels right to contribute to the most sane approach to EVs that I have ever seen. This is what the world needs, and what I want for my first EV.
Invested just last year! The engineering, the business principle, everyone involved with this company are serious about making a great product. So proud with how far they have come and can't wait for production to start!
I've read a statement on their website in November 2022...that they haven't solved their legality issues and also lack a Production Model prototype. Do you know more?
If Aptera can hit those price targets for the different mile range versions, they may be on to something, an EV that you, in theory, won’t have to charge as much (if ever), meaning it’s cheaper to operate than some other EVs and makes ICE vehicles life even harder
The QR code is an excellent idea, and imo very sustainable for a profitable company as people tend to keep their cars for much longer than small electronics like phones. This would help the company get a regular stream of profit from it's customers in a way that benefits both the user and the company. I would assume that it would also enable users to upgrade their cars much more easily and reliably which would in turn bring down the cost of used parts. Absolutely amazing.
All car companies have that regular income stream. Where do you thing workshops get their parts? Most will source them directly from the manufacturers or their direct suppliers. The user-repairability is of course a major win, but from a business perspective, it is at best a gain in the marketing department.
The QR code at 8:13 is scannable!
They have stated in some of their videos that making the car upgradable as well as repairable is an intentional design element. So, if better batteries are developed, or whatever, the owner will be able to swap out old components for the newer, upgraded ones. In essence, you have a car that can be 'remade' every so many ears, greatly extending its usable life. That is highly unusual in modern consumer-product manufacturing, which is almost all based on disposability.
@@ilnahro3008 It's a major win for us mechanics too. Y'all can figure out the most innovative ways to botch the simplest things. "All I had was Allen keys so I grabbed one that kind of fit, hammered it in, and now it's stripped." - Real conversation I've had with a customer, more than once.
Hopefully they stick to it 🤞🤞🤞
Thank you for giving Aptera some PR! The people need this thing to reach production because it's absolutely going to disrupt the auto industry.
I'm officially saving up to get the solar package. The idea of having a car I never have to "refill" and that I can repair on my own is greatly appealing to me.
Toyota Tacoma with an extra fuel tank
@@Scrimm_ at FAR higher cost of ownership and environmental damage.
@@Scrimm_Tacomas come with free fuel?
Let's just hope it survives this tough period for EVs. I'd definitely want one. Just a touch worried about crash tests
evs were allways a scam based on lithium ion architecture, the core technology needs another 30-40 years of materials science advancement , minimum
I absolutely love that they've taken Right to Repair into account, I'd buy one for that alone - companies who go the extra mile in this area deserve recognition
So much this
I very hope they make it, Not just for them, but this will drive other EV companies to follow suit!
The fact they are allowing you to purchase parts and fit directly by yourself obviously given you have a general hands on idea, Is bloody mind bending!
These sort of things might make their way into the car community, where people can be working on their own cars agian!
fingers crossed they can bring these to the roads, And hopefully here in australia!
Just a niche product not suited to Northern climes where most people live.
@@rogerphelps9939 lol "most people"
I can imagine electric vehicles being overall more modular and something like a pc where you can upgrade and customize by changing out parts or just build your own completely with more standardized parts being sold across the board. Probably won't be as accessible as something like building a pc due to the nature of the car industry and cost, but more than it already is for internal combustion engine cars as you have to basically be a full on mechanic to know how to begin to build one
@rogerphelps9939 That is an incredibly broad statement. North of where? And it is also working on the false premise that just because you are up north you somehow don't have the sun. Even Canada would have a season where they could use that car. It's very small but rich people would still buy it to show off for 3 months. I am somewhat far north being in Northern California close to the Oregon border. I get plenty of sun.
Full solar package is a must just for the flex honestly. Its just so freaking cool to me!
Oh boy, I have been following the aptera for a long time and would love one in a deep blue dark metallic paint job and I would go for the full solar package, love this car.😊
I drew this as a concept car when I was 5 😂 so cool to see it finally become a reality
True
They stole your idea. Let's sue them
massu bro
@WM haha they can keep it, looks better anyways 😂
@@wm4311 I love the “let’s” as in we all get a piece 😂
Have had my pre-order in since Feb of ‘21. 600 mile, full solar, AWD, off-road kit and Safety Pilot (driver assist system). Can’t wait, and love that you covered Aptera! 👍
How much did you actually have to put down?
I've been following Aptera for years now. I really hope they go into production. I'm just one of the Aptera fans who is waiting to buy. It is a wonderful car.
Oh wow you Americans finally caught up to what our technical university students were doing 20 years ago in the Netherlands, awesome. Well done , keep going .
Y'all have something similar on roads?
They changed the rear swing arm out to be a true four link single arm suspension that has much better ride/handling characteristics, so there’s that to look forward to as well! Can’t wait to get one!
On the suspension video of late, they speak of single sided being inferior, yet their Gamma is single sided. Did you miss that snake oil?
@@aussieideasman8498 single sided basic swing arm is inferior. A four link suspension solves those problems.
@@13squared2009 It's still single sided. Watch their video; they are not saying the multi-link setup is the difference.
@@aussieideasman8498 yes, still single sided but with the components of a four link. You can see the tie rod making this setup in the video, just count the attachment points. I dunno what else to tell you.
In the suspension video from Aptera. Not in this video.
This makes so much sense on so many levels.
I've been following the Aptera design for years - I love it! It would a blast to finally see it on the road.
imagine gas prices dropping below 1 dollar because everyone is starting to buy cars that have no refuel costs
I think a solar car cover would be amazing. Keep your car from overheating as well as provide a charge to the batteries.
Or for people who don't want a full cover, stick on window blinds with flexible solar panels facing out
Solar panels don't cancel out heat radiation, in fact they use the photons from the sun, not the heat.
@@kaito0022 we're not saying that, just have a sheet of reflective material with flexible panels embedded. Block the sun, create internal shade and charge the car
@@kaito0022 So you're telling me they don't produce shade?
@@gaymergirl6707 They are also quite the deep blue colour, so probably they could also be just like a black car in the sun
Aptera has been grinding for a solid decade, production is coming close! so happy you covered them finally!!
Finally. Not thoroughly. But better than nothing!
@@takenoshortcuts yeah very true haha
Been following the aptera for years still waiting to get one.
This would be great. I currently have a work van and a small car. With the van I can haul whatever i need so what I'm looking for in a small car is something that's efficient to transport me around town when I'm not hauling anything. This seems ideal!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that this video exists. One of my favorite channels reviewing what is by far my favorite vehicle startup. This made my day for sure.
P.S. I have pre ordered this vehicle with the full solar package. I plan on road tripping this thing and doing all sorts of tests. I can hardly wait.
Your mention of road-tripping makes me wonder: Have Aptera stated what the maximum DC fast-charging rate will be on these? I know only a tiny bit about them.
If I remember correctly because they did a presentation fairly recently. This vehicle should get 40 kW hour charging speeds which for the Aptera is about 400 miles per hour.
@@coredumperror I forget the specifics, but they gave a range of possibility. I think 50 kw is expected
Sounds like you should throw down $10K and reserve one of the first 2000 made.
@@JuiceBoxScott That's going to make road-tripping *pretty rough*. An EV with 150kW fast-charging is the absolute bare minimum that I would ever buy.
Now the easy to repair attitude is absolutely great. Such a welcome breath of fresh air in the otherwise extremely customer hostile and greedy EV industry. This company will have a bright future!
My mom has a 30 year old solar powered calculator. Still works. Always thought it was cool
I am all for this. I live in Arizona. I don't drive a whole lot. I don't need passenger space.
I am an "Accelerator" which means I will be one of the 1st 2000 owners. The 400 mile range will be enough for road trips since the fast chargers are becoming available though not as ubiquitous as gas stations. That translates into real world 5 hours between charges at which time you need to get out and stretch, eat, etc. I can't wait to get mine!
Lol. Google "The Dale" and "Elio Motors." Get your refund asap. If you can.
I hope you are right mr accelerator..... That's what I thought when I put my pre-order money down on the Elio... Never happened
This vehicle will never see production...didn't 10 years ago, it won't now or in another 10 years.
I envy your spare cash, I have wanted an Aptera since 2011
@@billaufdenkampe7238 I beg to differ. CPC is spending a lot of money on the body molds. Some companies are will to expend some serious cash
Jerry, and anyone else listening, i got around 10 years exp as a mechanic. Your analogy of repairing a blown head gasket is very accurate and not something just anyone can do or even HAS the tools to do. Louis Rossman definitely made an impact, even my dell laptop has qr stickers inside on every component. Anything that is electrical is so damn simple it makes you feel stupid for ever using a dumb petrol engine. Self charging electric cars are the FUTURE.
Use QR codes with caution. Warnings issued for fake QR pasted over real ones -much easier to do than attaching device to ATMs; just as dangerous.
Nothing electrical ever has problems. No batteries exploding, no cobalt slave mines. And definitely enough lithium for everyone to have an elective car. Oh, wait... nope.
@@zackandjessadventures6219 sorry for thickness … beyond obvious sarcasm, the point - if any - is totally wasted on me
@@zackandjessadventures6219 so unlike you i spent 1 minute looking up cobalt mining to see that cobalt mining is spread out across the globe - not just a select few countries employing slaves. But if these slave mines are such an issue to you I’m sure we could just invade a foreign country to manage their resources for them, that has never turned bad.
@@zackandjessadventures6219 ICE vehicles of different types cause lots of harm to both people and the environment. Any replacement does not have to be perfect, it has to be better than the disaster we use right now. Have you ever heard of improvmeents or do you just want all the crap to stay the same?
I wrote a short report on this car for a composites class I took 2 years ago. Pretty sweet seeing it getting traction now!
The ability to scan a QR code that allows you to order the part and have a video to replace it, is great.
It would be better if Aptera actually made vehicles instead of just discussing them...
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Both my wife and I have ridden in a vehicle they "actually made" and seen others with our own eyes. Now the parts for production intent vehicles are being produced. and verified.
Amazing vehicle and the maintenance QR code thingy is brilliant!
Been wanting one since they were featured in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics something like 10-15 years ago. Totally jazzed they've come back even better. Efficiency looks pretty good to me.
That just tells me this is snake oil if they have been around for that long but still haven't produced a single production car. Just like Elio Motors. Just stealing peoples money.
I would replace my entire fleet of service trucks with these if they leave it open like a truck bed in the back. What a great selling point for me to tell my customers that we will be pulling up to their house to work out our all electric service vehicles as a way for us to help the environment. Customers love stories and the story of an all solar service fleet is one I would enjoy telling.. Love it!
Open bed would mess with aerodynamics and lower efficiency a great deal. I think we're unfortunately a long way away from solar/self-charging trucks, but I'm glad to see companies are working on the solutions. It would be AMAZING for us to be able to travel without being at the mercy of big oil's gas prices or an incomplete and inadequate charging infrastructure.
@@adntigger71015 The shape of the SONO, was/is close to a small city van.
kids in Africa are happy their jobs is secured.
would work fine if the cargo part of the truck is just for looks. it's incredible lightness is what makes it sip power so low that it can be fully charged by the sun.
You can absolutely use these to replace your service trucks. My company will do the same. The back can easily hold a ladder and all your hand tools and materials. You could even take a ride along or take the passengers seat out and use it for storage as well. It's like a lockable truck shell.
This is what I looked forward to. Nothing impossible!
Not does it only look like a spaceship, it sounds like one too!
So glad you got to test this 😁 Have had mine ordered for a while now. My only concern is how it would handle a large collision. Everything else seems awesome
Do you have one ordered Will? Seems like something you would have in your stable.
@@johnyoung376 yes I do! Can't wait.
Once they get some pre-production units I hope they let you take one home to give it a test.
@@johnyoung376 I should email them. They might
I’m sure they would love some validation on the solar performance from you.
I have followed aptera for years and it is exciting to see them getting close to production.
This actually looks like a futuristic advancement in technology, damn.
You and your 7125 pounds rivian truck. You are wasting our children's resources. The planet needs this car. We all need this car.
I was really happy to hear that the company will be providing parts to customers, with the QR codes like how Framework does is really cool - I sure hope they stick to that practice.
Curious if you'll ever cover electric/non-electric bikes, transit and other types of sustainable infrastructure in the future! Would be really awesome to see accessible alternatives to driving people could check out!
you should scan the QR that was shown
@@albert5326 Wow they really did an awesome job with this tutorial
@@albert5326 yes do it
I'm glad you addressed the issue of all the creeks that I could hear in the video. I'm surprised that they weren't already ironed out but I guess that was not something that needed to be readily addressed right away. I'm impressed with its range and its speed. The interior definitely could be a little bit more roomy. I'm not as tall as you, I'm 5'10 1/2 in tall and that still looks like a little bit of a tight fit even for me.
Check out their production ready model. It's more roomy and more refined ! These were just the prototypes and the production model will be constructed differently offering a better fit and finish than these older versions!
Yeah, the Gamma vehicle (currently roaming around Europe) is much more solid with less noise, vibration, and harshness. It's also a whole lot larger inside
I'm thinking that the chassis in both the Alpha and Beta is not what's going to be in the production vehicle. These are both testbed cars, the marketable version will likely be on a much nice/safer chassis and body design, wellll, at least I would hope that, LOL
He is driving the 2.5 year old alpha and beta 1.5 year old beta. Gamma is far more refined and was in europe and they are working towards getting tooling done to make a physical delta (already exists in renders). This video could have been made a year ago. Progress is being made.
Zach is in the alpha and beta versions of the vehicle. I got a chance to be around and in the gamma vehicle when they showed it off in California and based on what I experienced, it is way bigger inside than either the alpha or beta. I am 5'10 myself and I had so much head room I was a bit in disbelief.
I'd actually buy that~ It looks super futuristic, it's really efficient, has great range and I'll be able to sleep in the back of it thanks to the 7 ft of cargo room in the back
Man, if I didn’t need a family car or could afford having another car for just my work commutes, I would get that with the solar package in a heartbeat. Gridless electric cars are a complete game changer. I’m gonna have to stick with a more traditional looking EV for my next car, but I love this thing existing.
If you’ve got a wife or husband that drives make them drive the big vehicle and you get the small car for you two or just you
@@ClebyHerris We already do that, my wife gets the SUV, I get the sedan. This car can’t serve as a replacement for a sedan as it has one row of two seats. I still need a **family** car as stated above, as in, is capable of serving the functions a family needs. One of those functions is being able to pick the kid up from school when schedules change, which requires a back seat until they’re at least 13 years old (or the size of one).
Didn't you hear 7 feet of trunk? Between that and the seat that's 3 kids easy!
Edit: Jokes aside considering the trunks a window and 7' of leg room I'd straight up ride trunk if they had a safety harness for lying down.
with aerial dusting and chemtrails we won't have sun for a few years!! So…
@@GuitarSlayer136 There are hooks for a bungee net, I'd say you are all set! 😁
I would definitely get the solar package. As an apartment dweller, I park on the street and do not have access to a charger so this would be awsome. Also not having to pay for charging would be a significant bonus.
Living in Italy and not having a place where to charge EVs, this is the only EV I could consider
CPC in Modena is making the bodies. In fact they are biild rolling chassis and shipping the to CA to begin with.
You're not going to get 40-miles range per day from the solar cells unless it was the most ideal day, in the most ideal spot in the US, and if the Aptera is parked in the right direction without any shade throughout the day. Keep your expectations to 30 miles and be pleasantly surprised if you go over that. That's still good range.
The built-in charge controller by the way is 1700 watts while the full solar panel option on the car total 700 watts. They allow you to hook up an external 1000 watts of solar panels to charge the Aptera with. That's about ~70 miles per day added on a good sunny day.
I've asked for external power (drawing power from the Aptera battery for home and camping use) to be added but not sure we are going to get it so that we can draw from the battery 120v DC output or 110v AC outlet.
Have been following this company for a while now. If they ever make it to production I'll definitely be considering one. Just such a unique design, and the solar panels would be great for commuting for sure.
I got a ride in the Gamma vehicle last year, way more buttoned up and quiet. I can't wait to get mine!
The right to repair side of this is really attractive
Honestly would make a great camping trip vehicle with a literal bed in the back
That is amazing! It looks exactly as futuristic as I thought all cars would by now. The thought of an EV that looks awesome, runs smoothly and quietly, has user repair in mind, and can go without being plugged in for most people is just absolutely fantastic! It is even relatively cheap and likely to get cheaper as production and technology improves. I would go with the package that gives me as much solar as possible, I would hope you can use any excess power generated to power other things or charge external batteries such as a Jackery.
There's a reason cars don't look like this is because of crash safety requirements
@R S yea the thing seemed to rattle a lot as he drove. Makes me wonder how sturdy the thing would be in a crash
@@adriancarrillo2026 He did mention that being a side effect of the prototype stage, that it would not affect the production models. I expect a fair few revisions to comply with safety measures, in particular I expect it to get heavier.
@@adriancarrillo2026 my concern is for crumble zones or lack thereof
Take a long while to charge up here the UK
Love Aptera! Thanks for sharing this with the masses!
Man that second car with the suspension really is so much quieter than the first one.
Instead of a truck bed I think this vehicle could use a 3rd seat option in the front middle. It looks wide enough to fit 3 people across.
Vehicles from the 90s has 3 seats in the front with and arm rest, cup holders and the storage area integrated into the back of the middle seat. So if you have 1 or 2 people in the vehicle, you fold down that center seat to get the similar stuff that people expect to have in a vehicle with 2 bucket seats and a center console across the front row (or only row).
I think a lot more people would get it if it could seat 3 vs 2. Being able to transport more people in the same sized vehicle is also another way to be more green and efficient. So you’d think Aptera would be all for it.
That's a great idea, love it!
Super cool to hear they are supporting consumer repair. I hope they succeed!
I LOVE that they are making it easy to repair
Great concept , I would love one,looks like a lot of fun. The range is astonishing, and it just looks so cool. Great job.
I remember the TV series called "Logans Run." Where they had a futuristic car that was powered by Sun Light & only worked during day light. But this Solar Powered car that never needs to be charged is Awesome. No more fuel by way of gasoline, which in turn creates pollution. Even electric cars today rely on fossil fuels to be burned by the Big Energy Companies in order for you to charge your vehicle. So really this is by far the BEST and in my opinion the ONLY solution to reduce Green House Gasses. Plus if this works for vehicles and for homes too, maybe industry too could benefit. Then we could leave fossil fuels in the ground and we'd have more money in our pockets to spend on ourselves rather than giving it to all the oil barons.
+1 for repairability. That is super cool, Aptera. Good on you.
I'll buy this as soon as it becomes available. I live in Florida and I just need something to get around but I hate motorcycles this is a nice in between for an incredible price.
It is so nice that you put time into editing always the pounds in kilograms and like that
a few years ago i had the oppurtunity to invest in this company after seeing them listing an early investors ad. I didn't believe they'd ever make it to production I'm actually super impressed
I am not an electric car person by any standards but I have to say that little thing is cool as hell and I would definitely have to consider one of them
2:05 otherwise Jerry would have broken it apart like a phone tearing the casing till he sees the motor 😂😂
I wonder what the price range will be on those individual parts. I prefer fixing my vehicles myself, so being able to fix this would be a plus.
The truck bed option would be absolutely amazing.
I've had a pre order in for one for awhile now! Can't wait until I can get one for myself. Right to repair, efficient, practical and affordable. I'm here for the future. Going for full solar and AWD myself with the 400 mile battery.
The Pro - Right to Repair aspect, and A roll cage in such a small vehicle are things I like to see.
If successful a 4 passenger option would be great (same designed, just stretcher for a 2nd set of doors
The rollcage in the beta was because they were testing it by doing moose tests and crashing into curbs at high speed. All cars are modified when doing this kind of testing because rollovers are not unheard of. The production roof is still expected to support 6x its weight (literally an elephant) which is 2x a normal car and like 2x an SUV/Truck.
The production vehicle will not have a roll cage.
A 4 seat version is in the pipeline. If they can 1st get the initial version in production. Imagine something like the General Motors Ultralite concept car with hub motors and solar cells all over the roof. Interesting tid·bit too: If it will be easy to repair, it will also be easy to mod or improve. To be honest, no one else in the auto industry is doing this right now. I actually think this will be a hit and they won't be able to keep up with demand once more people find out about it.
awesome! i hope it will be easy to get a wheelchair into! i would go for the full solar package, but i want the back hatch to open and allow for it to be used as a truck bed as well--or a sleeping bed! best of all worlds...
If you enjoy this, you should look into the world solar challenge held in Australia. Some truly incredible innovation in solar vehicles.
I remember reading about these a few years ago. Everything from the design to how they actually plan to manufacture them was really interesting and efficient.
It was not efficient. They< already had the concept ready in 2008.
@@vic321344 That's a strawman argument. And the efficiency comment is just plain wrong.
It takes approximately 10 days to go from 0 to 100% on solar that's a long time to not use your car
@@beatyoubeachyt8303 It's constantly chargin, and can be charge anywhere, ¿What are you guys talking about?. You would'nt be driving 24/7.
I would totally get one of those. Solar charged and very aerodynamic, as well as modular parts and practicality. This would be cool and smart to have!
I love these things and really want one! We have almost no sun in Scotland so I would have to plug it in but that is cool because this thing looks awesome!
I had a toy car looking exactly like this when I was a child. With the 3-wheel base, bubble shape, and solar pannels.
So it sounds like the idea has been around for a while!
I have one preordered and I'm definitely getting the solar everywhere. It's going to be my commuter vehicle. I drive about 50 miles everyday . I currently have a model Y. Can't wait to get mine!
Yeah i mean if it ends up being reliable and wont break every day it would propably be the cheapest way to travel for work daily
@@illansuu9572 aside from public transportation yes
@@MaticTheProto no but even public transportation costs overtime. Technically with this if you have free parking its free transportation for smaller distances
@@illansuu9572 ehh, seeing how public transport has no upfront costs (except for monthly/yearly/whatever tickets which reduce overall cost) it is still competitive.
with aerial dusting and chemtrails we won't have sun for a few years!! So…😢
Finally one of the really big TH-camrs. Can't wait for them to make it