Battery Policies

@john3c Lithium ion batteries have a long useable lifespan after they can no longer effectively power a vehicle when used for storage. After several decades of that service they can then be recycled and the lithium reused. As to there not being enough to go around, lithium is the 25th most abundant mineral in the earth's crust - out of 3000.

@Kerbe #12705 Yes but easy removal of batteries will limit CRUSHING of old or damaged cars which then makes that a much more expensive lithium supply.

Cheap lithium is limited in supply; recycled will be in the mix somewhere but not all lithium sources are currently cost effective sources. No need to repeat the same old resource patterns whereby we waste it until prices rise significantly. Like all these disposable devices today using lithium batteries that can not be removed.

@john3c I don't have any Aptera inside information, but I can't imagine building any EV without a simple way to replace any major component, whether that's the battery, electronics module, pump, motor, lights, etc. Probably you will just need to drop its belly pan, unplug the electrical and cooling connections and unbolt it. Or maybe you will need to get to it from above by removing the seats and floorboard.

Batteries have a limited lifetime, so of course they will be replaceable. If the vehicle becomes popular, after market replacements will surely pop up, just as they have for Nisson Leafs and Chevy Volts.

You can find many videos on YouTube about replacing and using those car batteries for your own personal home "Powerwall". In a decade or so I expect we will see Aptera versions of those videos.

@Len After the tech briefing's description of the solar cells being embedded in resin I started wondering about that "user replaceable" thing. Then I realized that the hood, roof and hatch - depending upon how much solar you spec on your vehicle - must be what's replaced.