For those not on the Aptera Facebook forums, we've been having a spirited discussion about battery size, range, and road trips. A recent article on the Ford Mustang Mach-E prompted me to think about highway range and how EV road trip mileage is presented in testing articles and videos. Since some who are interested in the Aptera are also new to EVs, I wanted to point out how the driving and charging cadence on EV road trips typically works.
Typically, you don't run the battery to 0% state of charge (SOC) and typically, you don't charge above 80% after the first trip leg because the 80-100% SOC charge time takes so long. Therefore the battery charging and discharge cycles tend to oscillate in the 20-80% SOC. One important factor is the charging power and thus speed. This is where the Aptera is a game changer. 50 KW DC fast charging (slow by 2021 standards) would add enough energy in 20 minutes to cover more than 2 hours of driving due to the Aptera's efficiency. Even the lowly but ubiquitous 7KW Level 2 chargers add a mile a minute of range.
Since we all still have the opportunity to do the final configuration on our Apteras before delivery, please think about what range and battery size makes the most sense for *you*. One size does not fit all.
Discussion and constructive feedback is welcomed.
-Karl
Reservation #14005
First let's observe: "Range Anxiety" is a form of anxiety. Anxiety is not to be encouraged for any reason.
Now that I have an EV, I find that it can easily be charged during the sitting around time at home. I was able to install a level 2 charger (dryer plug strength) for about $500 after rebate from my state government. This amount of charging makes it easy to keep my "tank" near 250 mile range.
I want the cheapest purchase price that can satisfy my "needs." Since I understand range anxiety is not a concern for me, I want the Aptera to realize its design goal of passive charging. If that works, should not need extra battery, which entails more weight, which means less efficiency and more need for plug-in charging.
On the basis of these criteria I chose the entry level range, with the optional maximum solar panel upgrade, and the camper option. I like to camp, and if I can't plug in, will just make camp until my Aptera soaks up enough charge to move on.