Just curious if there is anyone besides me that wishes you could order a no solar option. Because of where I live, (SE Alaska), and my cloudy weather, having solar on the car is really not any advantage. I'd rather save a few bucks and just not have it. The design is already so efficient, I have no problem just plugging in for my charge. If I really wanted the benefits of solar, I'd just cover my carport with solar panels and capture electrons that way. I know the whole "never charge" thing is a big attention grabber for Aptera, but for me, (and I suspect others as well), it's just a "gimmick" that has little practical use. Now if I lived in Arizona you best believe I'd want that "gimmick". Just wish I could exclude something I don't need, and it seems like it would be easy for Aptera to just leave it off the menu for those who don't want it.
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in no solar option, the solar can be replaced with some dummy structure, so when user wants to buy the option later when solar tech updates, the solar can be plugged in
instead of aftermarket:https://www.aptera.us/forum/main/comment/6057ecb389ce580057e72051
also batteries maybe can be reused in other applications
changing batteries (including alternative batteries, like the combustion fuel battery in second link) https://www.aptera.us/forum/aptera-design-discussion/future-battery-upgrade
https://www.aptera.us/forum/main/comment/604ed95b33a38a00151f78f9
talks about personalization options for interior to allow lower base model costs and more flexibility for peoples different desires, while being probably even cheaper than current aptera setup
https://www.aptera.us/forum/main/comment/5ff79bf582b26c001731915e
All Apteras come with a wrap from 3M which is suppose to last 10 years. What happens to the solar cells when that wrap must be replaced? I suspect the wrap will be so bonded to the solar cells from 10 years of heat, that some cells will come off with the wrap. Then what?
I assume small holes are in the body, under the solar cells, for the electrical wires to each cell. These holes would have to be filled.
i3 range is "limited" to 383% of my US-average daily driving needs. My current BEV has "only" 250%, so of course it has met 100% of my needs for over 5 years*. Its batteries' standard operating range extends to 125F, but I don't think there's an airport for me to park it at in Death Valley to try to hit that limit.
i3 is RWD & regen is fine. ABS on regen prevents wheel lock, same as it does with friction brakes. "Improve handling" by just adding an anti-roll bar like every other car. They imply that might be needed when making it the proper width for the EU.
*P.S. I CHEAT! For long trips I just rent! I stole that idea from Fiat's 1st release, which included "free" gas rentals, but I take it one step further & borrow/swap with a friend. The other idea I got from another forum: For REALLY long trips, just drive to the airport!
I think we have found one of those market situations that is known as "Les Ismore". Heck of a nice guy but sometimes he just has to do what he has got to do. I'm shopping for a BMW I3 at this time. The only one I'm considering is the Tera World Rex. The Crème de la Crème unit. And because of limited range they're down from over $50K to under $20K in four years. Be careful what you wish for.
If the Biden tax credit goes through there will be brand new $20k Bolts. By the end of 2022 there are going to be some very pleasing and pocket book soft landing automobiles.
Aptera needs to design for the worst case scenario, which would be a car parked in a shadeless parking lot, say for a week at the Phoenix airport. The car and the batteries will get hot and even the belly of the car will get radiative heating from the hot asphalt and conductive heating from the hot air. There is no radiator fan like on most cars, the Aptera depends on car motion to get air flow over the cooling panels. Without some ventilation or active cooling, you could get a condition where the batteries get too hot and you can't even start the car up. You could use the power from the battery to run the cooling system, but you don't want to get back from your trip and have no range left. The energy from the roof solar would help a lot in these kind of edge cases.
Personally, I would park it in my garage at home and plug in most of the time, but getting some extra charge while at the office or camping would just be very handy and well worth the small cost of the default solar roof. It is a very cheap way to lessen range anxiety compared to buying a bigger battery. Since you still need the charge controller, batteries, and roof and dash panels, deleting the roof and dash solar cells just won't save much money compared to the loss of functionality.
Removing ghe roof solar might save $500 pn the purchase price but could cost money in the long run. The original Aptera and some other electric cars use roof solar just to ventilate the cabin from getting too hot and then needing to run the AC which would cost you range. Also, the full solar at 700W is enough to run some heating and cooling, and not just ventilation. Reducing cabin temperature swings will increase the lifetime of the electronics, plastics, etc. The batteries are mounted under the cabin, so keeping the cabin cool will help the batteries stay cooler as well, extending their lifetime. Overheating batteries are a safety issue as well, although not so much in Alaska where the OP is.
Removing ghe roof solar might save $500 pn the purchase price but could cost money in the long run. The original Aptera and some other electric cars use roof solar just to ventilate the cabin from getting too hot and then needing to run the AC which would cost you range. Also, the full solar at 700W is enough to run some heating and cooling, and not just ventilation. Reducing cabin temperature swings will increase the lifetime of the electronics, plastics, etc. The batteries are mounted under the cabin, so keeping the cabin cool will help the batteries stay cooler as well, extending their lifetime. Overheating batteries are a safety issue as well, although not so much in Alaska where the OP is.
@boreal I asked this same question several months ago and was told that there had been discussion about a non-solar option becoming available in the future.
As you may or may not know, Aptera is designed with an inner structure to which outer body panels are attached and then the space between them is filled with foam. Right now the roof and tail panels are designed to hold solar cells: Deleting them would mean creating alternative panels. Same for the dashboard.
There's already a non-solar hood (bonnet) and a non-solar rear hatch - so it's probably just a question of getting the first iteration out the door before going to the additional expense of offering more options. The cost saving - between basic solar and no solar - is probably minimal.
YAY! If resale is nice & low, I might be able to afford a used one 🙂. I can't afford a new one because it is only available with 200% or more of my needs 🙁.
Early Leaf is an extreme case, with virtually no battery cooling or buffers. If Aptera is like nearly every other BEV, battery degradation will be minimal.
My pre-owned $6k BEV is on track to have more than 40 miles range after over 260,000 miles. Even then, since the loss is SO gradual it would be better than a Leaf which is still plummeting fast below 40 miles.
Don't forget about resale. EVs that have a low range due to small battery pack size or battery degradation are difficult to re-sell, and a vehicle that lacks the standard features wouldn't be attractive either. I know someone with a used Leaf with low odometer miles but with only about 40 miles of range. He can hardly give it away.
Above I forgot to say:
What I DO need is an affordable price.
& I hate waste (money, resources, pollution...)
Also, 10kWh would fully power my home during a 5-day blackout, even if I didn't cut back on computer or TV time.
YES! There IS someone else (ME!) who would rather save a few bucks (& resources, pollution, etc.) with the option of deleting items I don't need:
- I don't need solar. If I need to precondition I can click the phone app. I charge free in my building's garage, & there are at least 20 free public plugs on my usual 20-mile drive. The grid keeps getting greener, supposedly fully green in a few years. Solar would be useful for others though, so it's a nice option to offer.
- I don't need 0-60 in 5 seconds. I'd rather save cost, & unsprung rotational mass, and just have one RWD motor. Others prefer FWD for snow, or even AWD, so they're nice options to offer.
- I don't need 625% of the average daily driving range. For long trips I rent/borrow, or drive to the airport. For daily use, 250% is more than enough, so I'd rather save cost, weight & resources with a 10kWh battery. That still gives more range than my current BEV (or early eGolf/Leaf). It has met 100% of my needs for over 5 years.
- I don't need fancy wheel covers or sideview cameras. My driving is 75% city, where drag hardly matters, but curb-scraping does.
I suppose you would get limited seasonal benefit from the basic roof and dasboard configuration, which at least powers the interior venting.
I suppose you could switch that off???