Aptera new concept . Unique design Hibrid car

March 27, 2008 - Update: 1100 people have put down a deposit to buy an Aptera

March 26, 2009, 12:12 pm
Another View of the Electric Future
By Lawrence Ulrich
Norman Mayersohn/The New York Times Lawrence Ulrich interviewing Paul Wilbur of Aptera, with the 2e in the background.

While its windswept shape recalls jet aircraft, the Aptera 2e could also be the silicon sister of Eve, the streamlined robot from the animated film “Wall-E.” And as it glided silently through Lower Manhattan on Wednesday, the three-wheeled electric car seemed as futuristic and provocative as Wall-E’s icy-white object of desire. From children to usually stoic cops, onlookers pointed, grinned and gaped at this ultralight two-seater, which its backers said would go on sale later this year.

The Aptera took its star turn for the media, including a video I’m shooting for this Web site, at the Classic Car Club in SoHo. The car’s California-based backers discussed everything from the price — $25,000 to $40,000 depending on the powertrain — to its roughly 100-mile driving range, top speed of 90 miles an hour and eight-hour charge time on a normal household outlet.
Norman Mayersohn/The New York Times The face of the Aptera.

Paul Wilbur, Aptera’s chief executive, who used to work at Chrysler and Jeep, said the Aptera would be the world’s most energy-efficient car, in part because of its aerodynamics, which require only a modest electric motor to power the front wheels. The company plans to sell the electric model only in California at first and to roll it out nationally over the next year or two, while it develops plug-in hybrid and gasoline versions.

The Aptera was supposed to go on sale in late 2008, but Mr. Wilbur said he held up the car with demands to add power windows and other consumer-friendly gear. As with the electric Tesla Roadster, Mr. Wilbur said that some celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Shaquille O’Neal and Robin Williams, were among customers who had put down $500 deposits to reserve a place in line.
Norman Mayersohn/The New York Times The Aptera ventures onto the streets of New York.

“I’m not sure Shaquille would fit, but he’s interested,” Mr. Wilbur noted.

From my perch in the passenger seat — and despite its wobbly looking layout — the Aptera felt as stable and responsive as any car, thanks in part to a low center of gravity, with roughly 500 pounds of lithium-ion batteries wedged below the cockpit. While the Aptera weighs barely 1,700 pounds, its backers said the composite body is six times stronger than steel and is designed to meet all federal crash standards.

The cockpit is surprisingly roomy for two large passengers, and there’s enough luggage space for three golf bags. Slick-looking digital readouts display everything from the remaining driving range to mileage, expressed here in miles per kilowatt hour.

After a 20-minute drive, Mr. Wilbur eased through the doors of Classic Car Club into a garage filled with members’ exclusive rides: a BMW Z8, a Ford GT, a vintage Ferrari, a Porsche Speedster replica, Ducati motorcycles and even a Tesla Roadster. But passers-by seemed to look right through the exotics to focus on the Aptera’s one-of-a-kind shape. Wall-E would have understood.

Aptera is being developed in a tidy industrial park here, a few miles north of San Diego. CEO Fambro, 41, and COO Chris Anthony, 31, a former stockbroker who also runs a boat-making shop, have about 15 employees so far, mostly fabricators and engineers.
At present, Aptera has one working prototype of its electric car. A hybrid gas-electric version is being built. Production is scheduled for later this year.

Having received its start with an investment from company start-up incubator Idealab, Aptera is currently looking for another round of financing. Anthony, who spends most of his time on investment matters, says he has attracted interest. [see FAQ's]

They are drawn by the unique design. The prototype features high-tech touches such as rear and side cameras instead of rear-view side mirrors to further reduce wind drag. There's a solar panel on the roof to provide a bit of extra power. Making the car out of laminates slashes its weight to about 1,500 pounds, making it potentially one of the lightest cars on the road. Less weight means longer range. The company also hopes to use off-the-shelf lithium phosphate batteries that are proven and safe, Fambro says.

Even though there is a lot of work left to be done, Aptera has an advantage when it comes to development time. The three-wheel design - two in front, one in back - means the resulting vehicle will be classed as a motorcycle in many states, including California. The red tape required to market a motorcycle is less rigorous than for a four-wheel car. "It allows us to leapfrog into the market," Fambro says.

A motorcycle classification and Aptera's electric drivetrain also fulfill his dream of developing a car that's legal to drive solo in California carpool lanes.

But some involved with alternative-power vehicles warn that buyers could be dubious about the three-wheel arrangement. That worries some alternative-energy advocates. "Will consumers be able get their heads around driving something with only three wheels?"

Aptera will be crash tested by an independent lab using the same protocol as the one followed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, including a side, rear and 45-mile-per-hour frontal offset hit, Fambro says. The car has a special nose that absorbs a frontal impact, pushing the frame down and away from passengers. "We want to define the brand based on safety and efficiency," he says.

Even then, it could be a tough sell, says Ron Cogan, publisher of GreenCar.com, a website and journal devoted to environmentally friendly transportation.

"Consumers are hesitant to buy into new concepts until they prove themselves on the road," Cogan says. "The market for three-wheel vehicles has been slim to none, and I don`t see that changing in a significant way anytime soon."

There's also the prospect that major automakers could race ahead and make their own unique alternative-energy vehicles. General Motors for instance, has promised to have its Volt electric-gas vehicle in production in 2010.

Fambro says he isn`t worried because Aptera is more nimble than the giants. For example, when the company needed to choose low-rolling-resistance tires, it didn`t spend weeks or months quizzing manufacturers. The crew simply mounted each one they could find on a cart loaded with 400 pounds of sand, then rolled it down a hill and up the other side to see which tire would carry it the farthest. "You don`t need a six-month study to get good data," he says.

Before production starts, managers are being issued copies of books detailing how Toyota (TM) cuts waste and encourages quality on assembly lines.

The goal is to produce two or three cars a week once production begins. The company expects to become profitable once production hits 160 vehicles. [no problem with over 1000 on order!]

If nothing else, Fambro is confident that Aptera will be a hit on the beaches near headquarters."You can fold down the front (passenger) seat and put in a surf board," he likes to point out.

The Aptera, with a range of 190 miles between charges, is intended to sell for around $30,000.

Riding in the Typ-1 is sort of like being in a high-tech fishbowl. There's incredible visibility from all sides except the back, which is equipped with a rear-view camera that displays whatever's happening behind the vehicle on a trio of computer screens.

formed from high-tech fiberglass that isn`t just lighter than steel but 10 times stronger, according to Fambro. The Typ-1 has yet to be crash tested, but Fambro says the crumple zone on the Typ-1 is longer than that of a typical car, and the crush strength of the roof and side doors is stronger than what's been mandated for a regular passenger vehicle.