I purchased a Honda Insight in 2001 and drove it for 15 years and 225,000 miles (362,000 km). It still remains the best car I have ever owned and these include a 2019 BMW and a 1970 Porsche 914/6. But the Insight, also designed to be highly wind and rolling resistance efficient, quickly lost its edge on mountain passes. When the battery discharged on the climb, the car slowed to 35 mph. How does the Aptera perform on long (Rocky Mountain pass) hills? The second major joy of the Insight was Honda service. In 225,000 miles of driving I needed only one major service. This was to replace one of the wheels that had been so finely milled that it had a pinhole. Other than that and the battery replacement (which was well beyond the initial expectation) the car was flawless. What and how would one have the Aptera serviced and how would Aptera warranty the car and its components? (I understand that EVs require much less service than gas powered cars.)
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Simple answer:
1. A BEV like Aptera up AND down hills makes little difference.
2. BEV service is nearly zero.
Details:
My current BEV is by far the best car I have ever owned and these include a 2000 Toyota MR2 and a 1972 Datsun 240Z with a 5.0L Ford V-8 5-spd O.D. manual with Torsen diff.
Insight is 100% gas-powered. Aptera & all other BEVs are quite different, being 100% electric-powered.
1. A BEV takes a range hit on ONE-way hills, but on up AND down, it makes little difference, regaining most of the losses by brake regeneration on the way down.
2. In 5 1/3 years of BEV ownership, I've needed NO service except tires & 12V starter battery replacement, which is normal for any car after a few years.
$0 for oil changes. $0 for smog checks. $0 for air filters. $0 for brakes (it's all electromagnetic, except below 7mph).