Aptera

[daniel]

The new Aptera vehicle is said to be based on the design that participated in the Progressive Automotive X-Prize, known internally as the SO-1.

What sets a red flag for me is the phrase "based on." That could mean anything from using the actual Aptera design inside and out, to building an entirely new vehicle that generally resembles the Aptera in shape. There's been a lot of anticipation over the Aptera, and a lot of people had high emotional investment in their reservations. Zap could capitalize on that just with the name and the shape. But to think they could bring out a quality vehicle in just a year might be a stretch. And a three-wheeled car will be classed as a motorcycle and will not require safety testing. The stock Xebra would not go over 35 mph. Its slow speed was its major safety feature. I would never go on the freeway in a car that had not been safety tested, and given Zap's history, I'll be surprised if they voluntarily do safety testing when it's not required.

As I said, I loved my little Zap Xebra and will not discount Zap out of hand. However, I'd approach anything from Zap with extreme caution.

That said, I hope they can do this, and that the new car is everything the Aptera was supposed to be. More EV choices is a good thing.

 

[TEG]

One comment I had heard from people who had ridden in the Aptera prototypes was that they were noisy. I gather that they had some issues with gearbox / drivetrain refinement. I have no idea what things were like in the final form, but it did seem they weren't quite ready with a final design that would make everyone happy.
Never-mind the detour to the 4 wheeled vehicle that never got done.

 

[Grendal]

The key to Aptera has always been lightweight, aerodynamic, efficient, and simple. The biggest problem that Team B (the Detroit guys) had was they lost sight of those principals and attempted to compete with mass market cars. The Aptera has the ability to be the 21st century's VW bug, Citroën 2CV, and the original Mini. Keep It Simple Stupid should be Aptera USA's guiding principle.

 

[domenick]

The Zap brand is definitely damaged goods. But I don't quite understand this part:

So it effectively is still Zap, they just won't associate it with the Zap name? ...

No. Aptera USA will contract with Jonway Group to build the chassis in China. Zap does own 51% of Jonway Automobile (Zap Jonway) but that is just a portion of Jonway Group. None of the people involved with Zap are involved with Aptera. The name Zaptera was arrived at because they thought the name should start with an A or a Z. It wasn't named Zaptera because of any affiliation. One of the companies invested in Aptera does (just to confuse things) have a relation to Zap in the US, as landlords.

 

[domenick]

What sets a red flag for me is the phrase "based on." That could mean anything from using the actual Aptera design inside and out, to building an entirely new vehicle that generally resembles the Aptera in shape. ...

The company plans to build the final configuration of the 2e. There could be some small changes, but basically, they will build the SO-1.

 

[tdelta1000]

What a story... Let's see how long before units roll off of the production line.