APTERA Diesel-Electric Hybrid Car On Sale Now! (Title of Article) You really can only reserve it.

[texas1928]

The Aptera (Greek for “wingless”) is an environmentally-friendly car that’s as clean and green as it is fantastically futuristic. The three-wheeled hybrid, which offers an all-electric or plug-in hybrid option, isn’t just a concept- you can reserve your own with just a $500 deposit. Seating 2.5 with plenty of room for luggage, the Aptera can get up to 230 miles per gallon at 55 miles per hour, and has an (electronically limited) top speed of 95 mph. Plus, it’s just so darn cool looking, we can’t resist the arthropod automobile aesthetic.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/10/09/aptera-diesel-electric-hybrid/

[redqueen]

1. How is it that the media acts like electric cars are some huge big deal?

:banghead:

[texas1928]

7. Cause you can not walk into any car dealership and buy one.

[redqueen]

8. No I mean they act like the development of one is BREAKING NEWS!

Um... we had them before, remember, liberal media? The ones they took back from consumers who'd bought them?

:wtf:

[texas1928]

9. Oh ok.

Misunderstood what you were saying or asking.


Sorry.

[flvegan]

2. "Seating 2.5"???

Sorry, Earl, I gots ta cut ya in half, bro.

[DS1]

5. Lt. Dan, Jenny and I can take you to the park now

[texas1928]

6. That's cold.

I am going to hell for laughing.

[Greyskye]

21. seats 2.5:

They've got a pretty slick web site: http://www.aptera.com/

The Aptera has a 2 plus 1 seating configuration. The two front seats are arranged as standard side by side seating. There is also a center infant seat behind the driver and passenger. The side doors open to the front and upward completely inside the front wheel track so you never have to worry about hitting the vehicle parked next to you or damaging your door while exiting your Aptera in a tight garage. There is enough storage in the rear for 15 bags of groceries, or 2 full size golf club bags. And the Aptera is even big enough for a couple of seven foot surf boards and any associated beach accessories.

Here is what's available in every Aptera
# Driver and passenger side Airbags

# Energy absorbing and impact deflecting passenger Safety Cell

# Advanced drive computer with GPS navigation, CD/MP3/DVD player, XM satellite radio, Large View Rear Camera, and complete vehicle diagnostic system

# "Eyes Forward" vision system with 180 degree rear sight picture displayed in the driver's field of view to enhance situational awareness

# LED interior and exterior lighting for maximum energy efficiency

# Solar assisted Climate Control System so you always enter a comfortable Aptera that is never too hot or cold

# And an RFID(Radio Frequency ID) key fob so you never have to pull out your keys to enter or start your Aptera. The key fob simply remains in your pocket or purse.


Here is where you have an option (drive topology)

(Do you want to drive long distances or do you just want to use your Aptera for your daily commute, chores, and as a general around town vehicle?)

All Electric This Aptera is powered exclusively with batteries and will get you around town to the tune of approximately 120 miles depending on your driving conditions. At night you simply plug the Aptera into any standard 110 volt outlet and in just a few hours you will have a fully charged vehicle that will take you another 120 miles. The approximate cost of this option with all the features listed above will be $26,900.

Plug-in Series Hybrid This Aptera is also powered by an electric drive train but it is assisted by a fuel efficient gasoline powered generator which stretches your range significantly. In typical driving you may achieve over 300 miles per gallon and you will have range far beyond any passenger vehicle available today. The approximate cost of this option with all the features listed above will be $29,900.

[Lance_Boyle]

3. TFA says gasoline-electric hybrid, or all-electric.

Where do you get that this is a diesel-electric?

"The two engine options are eco friendly- you can choose from an all-electric or plug-in hybrid version. The all-electric is powered exclusively with batteries, to last approximately 120 miles. At night you simply plug the Aptera into any standard 110 volt outlet and in just a few hours you will have a fully charged vehicle. The plug-in series hybrid is powered by an electric drive train, assisted by a fuel efficient gasoline powered generator, stretching the travel range significantly further."

[texas1928]

4. I did not post the actual thread.

Don't know where they got it. Just thought the car was interesting looking.

[Greyskye]

24. see post #23 (n/t)

[TheMightyFavog]

10. I'm sorry, but...

This thing looks like something that crawled out of a 70s era sci-fi flick and died..

[Kucinich4America]

11. Yeah, I'd have to take the Tesla Roadster over that one.

All electric, and it actually looks like a car.

I doubt my 6"6" frame would fit in either one of them though.

[kay1864]

25. You can get 3 Apteras for the price of 1 Roadster

Final pricing for the 2008 Tesla Roadster base model is US$98,000. The majority of the first 200 Roadsters ordered by October 2006 came fully loaded with all optional equipment at a cost of about US$100,000.

Aptera is $27K for all-electric, or $30K for the hybrid. If it sees production, that is.

[redqueen]

12. Which is odd, cause the electric cars they already released looked like

regular cars.

Odd that they'd make new ones so weird-looking. Very odd.

[kay1864]

13. That odd shape is to keep the drag coefficient low

Which gets it 230 mpg for most trips.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptera_hybrid_car

[redqueen]

14. Yeah but it's gonna keep people from buying it.

GM's EV1 needs to be back on the market NOW.

This BS fiddle farting around is pissing me off.

[kay1864]

15. I think it's pretty cool-looking

And when gas goes to $4/gallon that 230 mpg will be mighty tempting to many.

[redqueen]

16. Excellent points!

Truth be told I haven't even seen the thing.

I'm just still pissed off about the EV1. :P

[redqueen]

17. Really pissed!

(Oops... dupe. :blush:)

[kay1864]

18. Here's a (big) pic

[terrya]

19. So do I.

[TreasonousBastard]

20. Three-wheelers are notoriously unstable...

aside from just what that half passenger is, and the site mysteriously inventing a diesel version.

Methinks this dream car will never see production.

[kay1864]

22. Half passenger is a child (room for a child seat)

I'm a bit dubious too:

After your ($500) reservation is placed, you get to enjoy exclusive e-mail updates for future Aptera owners and decide on things like your Aptera's name, graphics packages, accessory selections and interior options which will be made available to you through your personalized Aptera Owners web page.

Then, in approximately 12 months, the very first Aptera owners will begin to receive their vehicles. They'll be invited to the factory to see how their Aptera was born and be taken through a short training class to ensure they are able to use every feature of their new Aptera the very first time out on the road.

<snip>

Currently the Aptera typ-1 is only available to those who reside in California. We will work hard to bring this vehicle to the rest of the country and to international customers soon but we can not confidently give a time frame as to when this will occur. We appreciate your patience and would like for you to sign up for our newsletter so we can keep you informed as to when we will begin selling the Aptera in your area.

Why only California?

[Greyskye]

23. Diesel

The answer to that is on the Aptera web site. Sorry, no one 'mysteriously' invented a diesel version.

Diesel or Gasoline? Our first prototype, the Mk-0, was a parallel hybrid Diesel and achieved an average of 230 MPG at a steady state of 55 MPH. This was pure Diesel/mechanical drive with no electric assist. Diesel is attractive for its Carnot efficiency and the increased enthalpy of Diesel fuel vs gasoline. However, diesel contains lots of unburned hydrocarbons and NOX compounds, and it's impossible to get a small Diesel engine certified for emissions in California. Therefore, the typ-h uses a small, water-cooled EFI Gasoline engine with closed loop oxygen feedback and catalytic converter. This engine is coupled to a lightweight 12KW starter/generator. It's very clean and quiet.

They've posted a bunch of Aptera videos on YouTube as well: http://youtube.com/results?search_query=aptera&search=Search