@Rhynri would be interesting to see the damage resistance to a 5 mph side impact such as what happens when backing out of a parking spot. If the shell cracks the car is totaled due to the micro channels in the cars skin.
@Riley The insurance companies will be very interested in these results as well. However, have you seen the video of the old 1st generation Aptera body being hit with a sledge hammer? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdqUTDCOGSs
Nobody could break it or even dent it! The body material is very resilient.
@Derick Perkins I work at West Marine. We sell all of the materials needed to effect repairs on construction similar to the Aptera's and it can be done without expensive tools or welding equipment. I would be able to do many repairs myself that would otherwise require a trip to a body shop. Just because it is different, does not mean it is expensive or difficult. Many bumps that would result in crushed metal will only need a scuff repair on an Aptera.
- For less than your Bolt cost, in a 600-mile Aptera in the winter you could crank an inefficient resistance heater even before you get in, wear a T-shirt & shorts, drive as fast as you can, & probably still go farther!
- Aptera has an even smaller, easier-to-heat cabin than my 500e, whose resistance heat only takes about 1kW at freezing (after 5 minutes of 8kW to warm it up).
At present the haven't been able to source a heat pump with a reasonable lead time, so unless this changes, it will be AC and resistance heat for the first models.
I live in Canada in southern B. C. and currently drive a Bolt. In the winter with that type of heating it really effects the range and also does not heat that well. Our winters are a lot milder than most of Canada very close to Northern Oregon and Washington. To us this is the biggest issue with most Ev 's now that range is getting addressed with many now over the 300 Mi range. Being able to drive a long distance is not fun if you have to freeze to do it
@dankor A big difference between the Aptera and all other EVs including the Bolt is that Apter's body is not made of metal. Rather it is composed of a molded composite of highly insulating hollow honeycomb fiber materials, epoxy resin filled. In addition to having a much higher strength to weight ration than steel or aluminum, it apparently keeps the heat (or the "cool") in much better than traditional metal body materials.
So significantly less energy will be required to keep it comfortable. It least that's what I heard.
It was designed to work well "down to -20F and up to 120F". (I've been out XC skiing in -40, but they didn't say how well Aptera would do at that extreme. I know very few cars would start at that extreme.) They are planning to perform extreme temperature tests in the next several months once they get prototypes 2 and 3 completed.
https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/26407/20200710/super-white-paint-reflects-98-heat-sun-keeping-buildings-cool.htm white paint that can reflect much of 98% of solar heat apparently
with the body of the Aptera is made from a honeycomb fiber material, any body wonder how it would get repaired if it was involved in an accident??
...and there's fluid flowing through the Aptera skin, that's heated by the motor/battery/PV
- For less than your Bolt cost, in a 600-mile Aptera in the winter you could crank an inefficient resistance heater even before you get in, wear a T-shirt & shorts, drive as fast as you can, & probably still go farther!
- Aptera has an even smaller, easier-to-heat cabin than my 500e, whose resistance heat only takes about 1kW at freezing (after 5 minutes of 8kW to warm it up).
At present the haven't been able to source a heat pump with a reasonable lead time, so unless this changes, it will be AC and resistance heat for the first models.