{"id":32265,"date":"2021-02-14T20:06:58","date_gmt":"2021-02-15T04:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/?p=32265"},"modified":"2021-08-28T21:57:07","modified_gmt":"2021-08-29T04:57:07","slug":"interview-aptera-wingless-design-incredible-efficiency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/interview-aptera-wingless-design-incredible-efficiency\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Aptera\u2013Wingless Design, Incredible Efficiency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ready to Fly at Last?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the growing world of EVs, the Aptera<\/a> stands\nout for its unusual design, incredible range and the company\u2019s plucky chutzpah.\nI attended a fascinating Zoom presentation by Jason Hill, the company\u2019s\ndesigner, where he kindly provided details and shared his excitement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Company History, in Brief<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The company was founded in 2005<\/a>\nby Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony, but faltered and closed down in 2011. But\u2013hope\nsprings eternal\u2013after a circuitous path, Aptera rose again in 2019 under\nthe original founders. They and their team worked quietly behind the scenes,\nincluding a painstaking redesign of the car as a full electric vehicle. In\nDecember 2020 they introduced the Aptera 3 and announced a crowdsourcing\ncampaign, which quickly generated 3,000 deposits from eager customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aptera
Looking like it could fly <\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Jason Hill, Designer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jason Hill remembers seeing the\nextremely aerodynamic original Aptera on the cover of Popular Science<\/em>\nmagazine. When the company restarted, the founders went looking for a designer\nand, through a friend, Jason was offered the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jason is founder and president of\nEleven LLC, a design studio whose clients include Subaru and other automotive\nentities. He was the first designer at Porsche\u2019s American design studio,\nworking on the exterior of the Porsche Carrera GT show car. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI support the vision of the\nefficiency model and what that means for mobility, transportation and vehicle\ndesign,\u201d said Jason [all following quotes in this story are from him]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jason found that they had never\nreally stopped working on the car, but he believes that now is the right time\nto produce it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe technology, processes and\ngeneral environment have caught up to where Aptera can be a leader in this\nspace.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Shape<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jason\u2019s task as designer was to mix\nthe engineering with the aesthetics and uphold the company\u2019s design ethos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aptera means \u201cwingless\u201d in Greek,\nand is a great name for the car, because it really looks like a wingless\nairplane. The company likes to translate Aptera as \u201cwingless flight,\u201d but it\u2019s\nnot taking inspiration from the actual wingless flying insects to whom the term\nis applied. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design is at the heart of Aptera,\nas Jason explained in detail during his online session for investors,\njournalists and other interested parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The car has room for two people;\nthe designer\u2019s goal was to maximize vision, comfort and the \u201creach envelope\u201d\nfor the activities inside the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted the perfect shape for\naerodynamic functionality, low weight and a high level of design.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Packaging<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The design goal was to tackle the\nquestion of housing both people and the powertrain, including the batteries. Jason\nsays that for the Aptera 3 redesign, they started on the inside and worked\ntheir way out, rather than designing a perfect body and trying to fit the\npieces inside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe started with the base of batteries\nand balanced that with the needs of the shape for the best balance.\u201d They put\nthe batteries into smaller, higher-density packs, so they could fit them more\nprecisely into the vehicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aptera
Built around what’s inside<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The overall design process, per\nJason, is to seek the best advice, and not defer to a single decision or\ndirection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf it fits, it goes that way. Nothing\nis superfluous, and nothing is left out.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That comes down to a \u201crightness\u201d\nfrom having the best user functionality, where the reach to the controls,\ncupholder locations, materials, colors and finish have a premium feel, but are\ncost-effective to produce.  As seen in\nother EVs, recycled materials appear here, and per Jason, there\u2019s a much\ngreater variety of sources now from which to procure them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Right User Experience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No matter what the shape of a car\nlooks like, most of the human interaction with it is inside, so it has to be\nright. Jason has given this much thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFunctionality\u2014needs and wants\u2014has\nto balance out.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, the original interior\ndesign had a single screen with all the information on it and three rear vision\ncameras. Jason says they can do better now. He listens widely to the words he\nhears from leadership and tries to match them to the vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s exactly what I was talking\nabout\u201d is what Jason wants to hear when he unveils a new design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Aptera is designed to\naccommodate most people, so it\u2019s designed around the 95th<\/sup> percentile\nhuman\u2014typically a 6-foot-2 adult male\u2014but able to accommodate short people,\ntoo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The design ethos is about engaging\nthe driver and passenger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted it to be free of hassle\nand clumsiness. So, there\u2019s no key fob and not a bunch of buttons and\ndistractions. We wanted it to feel clean and luxurious, but not to be missing\nanything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unique Interior Features<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Aptera features a center\nconsole cover that incorporates a phone charger. There\u2019s also a soft glovebox\nthat sits on the dashboard, not in it. Drivers can store items safely in a backpack\nthat lives on the back of the seat. The rear storage area will be convertible\ninto a camper with a new tent feature that\u2019s being designed with a \u201ctent\ndeveloper.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aptera
Everything within reach<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted to give freedom of\nmobility and heartfelt limited use of resources\u2014to go far using little.\u201d This\nincludes traveling to out-of-the-way places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The steering wheel started out\nquite square but has evolved into a more rounded shape. Jason paid special\nattention to how it feels in your hands, aiming for the right thickness and\nproviding adjustability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rear-view mirrors use a video\ncamera system with high-fidelity feedback\u2014better than a regular mirror. You can\nalso select a standard mirror with a click. The regular rearview mirror is tied\nin with side cameras for a wider field of vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Different Exterior<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cars are starting to use phone apps\nas a key\u2014a la Tesla\u2014and the Aptera adds something special\u2014three round lights on\nthe side near the upper part of the butterfly-style doors. They provide a\nvisual cue for locking and unlocking the vehicle. The owner waves his\/her hand\nover the door pillar and the lights display sequentially upwards for unlocking\nand downwards for locking. The Aptera logo next to them remains lit all the\ntime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Aptera looks a little like a\nstripped-down hotrod, with its exposed wheel linkages. The wheels are covered\nwith wheel pans, which move with the wheels when turning. Design and\nengineering are working together to make sure changing a tire will be easy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solar Technology<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The surface and dashboard top of\nthis latest Aptera are covered with solar panels, laid out in an elegant\ndiamond pattern. Jason found that turning the square panels at an angle allowed\nmore of them to be placed on the car. These panels can generate up to 41 miles\nof range per day. Since most drivers drive less than that, you could\ntechnically never plug the Aptera in. This would be the first EV to be able to\nclaim that distinction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Three Wheels?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Three wheels instead of four eliminates some weight while maintaining stability. Of course, having the batteries at the bottom of all electric cars provides a lower center of gravity, reducing the risk of turning over and enhancing handling. Jason said they will consider different sizes and widths that are most efficient and also can adapt them for different markets. [Ed. note: Three wheels also means it doesn’t have to meet the stringent safety regulations of a four-wheel vehicle.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jason Sums It Up<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe process is so rewarding\u2014to be\npart of setting goals and seeing their manifestation. The style part is one thing,\nbut mixing it with efficiency is even better. This gives us freedom of\nmobility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Order Yours<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tempted to have one of your own? Aptera\u2019s\nwebsite claims up to a 1,000-mile battery range at the top level with a $44,900\nprice. The entry-level model, with a 250-mile-range, starts at under $26,000. You\ncan get on the orderlist<\/a> with a $100 deposit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Story by Steve\nSchaefer. Photos from the manufacturer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Stories You Might Enjoy\u2014Other\nThree-Wheel Approaches<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the growing world of EVs, the Aptera stands out for its unusual design, incredible range and the company\u2019s plucky chutzpah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":32266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,2737,25,3570,212],"tags":[5772,5773,3872,3859,5155,5641],"class_list":["post-32265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-electric-cars","category-electric-motorcycles","category-future-evs","category-interview","category-tech","tag-aptera","tag-aptera-ev","tag-electric-car","tag-ev","tag-solar","tag-three-wheel-ev","infinite-scroll-item","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"aioseo_notices":[],"nelio_content":{"isAutoShareEnabled":true,"autoShareEndMode":"never","automationSources":{"useCustomSentences":false,"customSentences":[]},"followers":[4,37],"suggestedReferences":[],"efiUrl":"","efiAlt":"","highlights":[],"permalinkQueryArgs":[],"series":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32265"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32265"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35108,"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32265\/revisions\/35108"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleanfleetreport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}