Three Wheels, Sunshine, and a Prayer: The Aptera's American Adventure
Image Credit: Aptera.
I've just clapped my peepers on something that's either utterly brilliant or spectacularly bonkers. Or, knowing my luck, a delightful dollop of both. This, my friends, is the Aptera. And no, it's not some newfangled kitchen appliance. Although, given its looks, you could be forgiven for thinking it's a high-tech panini press on wheels.
Apparently, the bright sparks from California have been at it for two decades, trying to birth this futuristic tadpole car into existence. And lo and behold, they've actually driven it! Not just around the block, mind you, but a proper 300-mile schlep down that iconic ribbon of American tarmac, Route 66. That's about 480 kilometers, for those still clinging to the sensible metric system.
Aptera's co-chief chap, Mr. Steve Fambro, bravely (or perhaps foolishly) took the wheel of what they're calling a "production-intent vehicle." I've seen "production-intent" before. It usually means it's 95 percent there, with the remaining 5 percent being the bits that actually need to work properly. Still, fair play to them for venturing out into the real world.
And what a sight it must have been! Sleek, pointy, and undeniably… different. Mr. Fambro himself admitted it looked like it had "dropped onto the freeway from beyond Earth's orbit." Quite. Though I suspect most earthlings would just scratch their heads and wonder where the other wheel went.
The clever bit, or so they claim, is that this alien pod can apparently suck energy straight from that giant yellow orb in the sky. They've slapped 700 watts of solar panels across the roof and hood, which they reckon can give you up to 40 miles – that's a smidge over 64 kilometers – of free motoring on a sunny day. Forty miles! Enough to pop to the shops and back, assuming the shops are within a reasonable radius and the sun decides to play ball.
Image Credit: Aptera.
For those with a slightly longer commute, the initial "Launch Edition" comes with a battery pack good for a claimed 400 miles, or about 640 kilometers. And for the truly adventurous (or perhaps those with severe range anxiety), they're even hinting at a monstrous 1,000-mile battery.
These rather ambitious figures are apparently down to two things: the lightweight carbon fiber body of the Aptera and its slippery aerodynamic design. They boast a drag coefficient lower than a greased otter on an ice slide. Lower, in fact, than some land speed record cars! Which begs the question: if it's that aerodynamic, why doesn't it just sprout wings and fly? Missed a trick there, chaps.
Powering this futuristic tricycle is an electric drivetrain churning out a peak of 201 horsepower, and they reckon it'll hit a top speed of 101 mph. Not exactly going to set any land speed records itself, then. But enough to keep up with the flow of traffic, I suppose, assuming the flow isn't on the German autobahn.
Aptera apparently has been faffing about with low-speed tests since last November, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence in its high-speed prowess. But this Route 66 jaunt, they say, proves its "mettle." Mettle, eh? Sounds rather medieval for a vehicle that looks like it's beamed in from the future.
But there is a ton of good news for the company - they apparently got 48,000 reservations for this three-wheeled enigma. Forty-eight thousand! Seems there are a lot of people out there who either have more faith than I do, or perhaps they just really want to be noticed. The Launch Edition will set you back around $40,000. Forty grand for something with three wheels and the vague promise of solar power. You could buy a perfectly respectable second-hand… well, almost anything else for that kind of money.
Aptera plans to build a "small number" of these things this year, ramping up to 20,000 a year by 2027. That's quite a jump. Let's hope they've got more than just good intentions and a spaceship-shaped prototype.
Image Credit: Aptera.
Mr. Fambro, bless his optimistic socks, reckons this trip shows that a solar EV isn't just a "concept for the future, but a real-world solution ready for the present." Right you are, sunshine. And I've got a bridge to sell you. A very lovely bridge, powered entirely by good intentions and the faint hope of a sunny day.
He even mentioned that the Aptera was pulling in 300 watts of solar energy before the day even began in snowy Flagstaff, Arizona. Which either means they've invented some sort of anti-gravity, snow-melting solar panel, or someone's been at the happy juice a bit early. Apparently, even on an overcast day, they were seeing over 545 watts of solar input. Which is all well and good, but I'd like to see those figures on a gloomy day. I suspect the output would be closer to the power required to illuminate a particularly dim Christmas tree light.
Image Credit: Aptera.
The journey took them down historic Route 66, which Mr. Fambro rather poetically described as "the path not really taken." Which is probably because most people prefer vehicles with, you know, four wheels. But fair play to them for wanting to be different.
Mr. Fambro gushed about the "panoramic windshield" giving an "incredible view of the landscape," like a "big picture window into the future." Which is lovely until a stone chips it, and you have to remortgage your house to replace it. And apparently, everyone they passed was filming them on their phones. Well, I'm not surprised. I'd film it too. Mostly out of sheer disbelief.
Right, jokes aside - it took 20 years, but the Aptera finally landed. And that alone deserves a round of stiff drinks, so when the team is in my neighborhood - the drinks are on me. I might be as skeptical as it gets but I actually believe this is the Prius moment. No - scratch that. This is the Honda Insight moment - awkward at first, but once the public got used to it and celebrities embraced it - the world went cuckoo. And now we all drive hybrids and electrics. Well done Aptera, well bloody done.
Image Credit: Aptera.
So, the Aptera has finally completed its first little road trip. It's driven 300 miles. It soaked up some sunshine. And it's certainly turned some heads. Is this a genuine glimpse into the future of motoring or just a rather elaborate science experiment on three wheels? I don't have an answer. But it's certainly more interesting than another beige or silver SUV. And for that, at least, we should probably give them a polite round of applause.
