Popular Mechanics test drove the Aptera Super-MPG Electric Typ-1 e. And despite its stupid stupid stupid name it looks like it works great. Capable of achieving three hundred miles per gallon in its hybrid version, the $US30,000 Aptera is a winner according to them: the electric-only version is stable, practical for daily transport and drives well, all while looking like a prop car from Woody Allen’s Sleeper or Logan’s Run, specially its 80s-retro-futurist interior:
For now Aptera is only going to sell their Typ-1 e and future hybrid version cars in California, where everyone is chic and cool, like Jason Chen. [Popular Mechanics]
kent beuchert
Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 11:33 AMI can understand why they are going to California to sell – those people will buy ANYTHING if they thinks it’s on the edge. Unfortunately, the Aptera is no more advanced that the Detroit Electric car was. And that car was built in 1907! Throw a bunch of crap on an
automobile and the yokels come streaming in to your carival tent. This car’s use of space is
just plain braindead.
Tony Belding
Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 11:42 PMNot sure what is stupid about the name? Am I missing something?
Electric car companies have been coming out of the woodwork in the last couple of years. Aptera is one of the most interesting of the bunch, as they’ve taken the most radical approach to improving the whole car — not just the power train.
David Lassiter
Sunday, December 23, 2007 at 10:17 AMKent Beuchert works as a PR person for the oil and gas lobby and has offices based out of Virginia and Florida. He has posted on hundreds of elecric car articles to discredit them. If any information has been found please forward so we can further expose. Regards – David Lassiter
Dataland
Monday, December 24, 2007 at 3:35 AMThe more I keep up with this car, the more I believe this is the first real re-thinking of the automobile since its inception. I know this sounds a little over the top, but the Typ-1’s design is what I consider truly clean and innovative. In fact, I think if this car achieves satisfactory adoption, the rest of the auto industry could very well be shaken up. And that, in my opinion, is a very good thing when the status quo of auto makers today is entrenched in the production larger and larger oil belching monsters….
Crosstalk: http://dataland.wordpress.com/2007/12/23/aptera-video/
Gary
Monday, December 24, 2007 at 9:24 AMSadly, this car is being hyped just to debunk the idea of an electric car on a practical scale. General motors did a practical electric car a few years back, the EV-1, and it was systematically shelved 4 years later. GM took every one of them of the road and crushed them.
http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/
eb
Monday, December 31, 2007 at 12:15 PMcheck out apatera.com
This car will go 1000mpg (if your trips between charges are 50 miles or less) the worst mileage the hybrid will get is 130mpg after the battery is spent. trips of 12o miles get around 300mpg.
At less than $30k each and nothing but breaks and tires to worry about for maintenance for 100,000 miles the total cost to own is under 30 cents a mile. at $3/gallon of gas, we can replace 2/3s of the vehicles on the road in the USA in 5.5 years for the same cost as the gas we would need to buy to go the same distances with our current, less fuel efficient cars.
This car is going to be the one to watch. Teslamotors is now 2nd coolest and at 3 times the price of an aptera a far smaller market,
Ronald Simonsen
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at 12:50 PMThis looks like an extremely cool car, and i wish i had one. Please don’t sell to the oil companies, because i am sure they want to buy the patent and keep this car from going on the market. The world needs this car now and so do i. keep up the good work
Sincerely,
Ronald S
Edvin
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 1:03 PMI think is a grate car bur it is to spensive for people to affored people are trying to get some thing that helps save money. If it would be shiper i would get one my self.
doc3osh
Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 7:12 AMkb, how is the use of space any more “braindead” than a Ferrari? Or a 911? It’s a two seater with a small back seat, plus a trunk. Ferrari’s have less useable space but people pay 180K for them because they think they think they look cool and they go really fast. Just as many people will pay 30K for the Aptera, because they think they look cool and they go really FAR.
Kevin J
Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 9:38 AMYeah the bad part about the Aptera is that it’s ugly as sin. I mean I know it’s a personal taste thing, but mainstream America will never drive that. The Tesla on the other hand has it down, and I’m now seeing more thought put into design as well as functionality which is nice for a change.
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