Vehicle total weight 250 mile vs 1,000 mile

@Harry Parker I was contesting friend Bojan's conjectural math, not making any claims.

Remember, this vehicle is a composite "eggshell" with running gear bolted to the bottom of it - there's no structural frame to carry any internal load so we have to trust them when they say the body is rated to carry only 500 lbs. To draw a ludicrous analogy, if my house is engineered to carry a concrete roof and I replace that roof with feathers, the floor doesn't suddenly become stronger! 😁

@Kerbe #12705 Merry Christmas!

I guess the Aptera's weight limit depends on what is the limiting factor. Removing 3/4 of the battery won't make the rest of the vehicle weaker, as far as I can see.

Apparently the 2200 lb (100 KWH & AWD) version has a 500 pound carrying capacity. That limit is at least partially due to the spring strength of the wheels' suspension. Too much weight and the springs will bottom out.

About 1000 of those 2200 pounds are the battery modules. Eliminating the 50 pound rear motor and 3/4 of the battery lightens the load by about 50 + 750 = 800 pounds. So now we have a 1400 pound Aptera.

Do the battery modules add structural support? It doesn't look like it to me, but I'm no mechanical engineer. The strrength is in the body and the suspension. So with the same body and suspension, I don't see why the lighter version couldn't carry those 800 pounds as cargo, so 1300 pounds total cargo, as long as it was properly distributed. The weight would need to be kept low and centered to retain the Aptera's stability.

@Harry Parker Composite boats have weight limits, too - I really think it's all about stress on the body (and how the drivetrain components attach to it) that determines the limit. And Merry Christmas to you, as well!

@Riley Tesla includes the case in their battery pack weight figures: The Tesla case is exposed under the vehicle and, therefore, is very strong and heavy. Aptera's battery packs are inside the body and the Founders have frequently referred to them as "light weight".

Thank you for the picture. I know that tesla's 100kwh pack weighs 1,377lbs. That would mean the Aptera without a battery is roughly 827lbs and with the 25kwh 1,171lbs.