Learn how our ambassadors are helping us drive solar mobility forward.
“If I had the necessary combination of skills, inspiration, and resources, this is the vehicle I would have built!”
That was my first thought when I discovered Aptera. I don’t say this lightly because a business partner and I were trying to create a one-person, three-wheeled EV about two decades ago. It had Aptera-like qualities. Our design was aerodynamic, lightweight, and used composite construction. Unfortunately, we never got beyond one crude prototype. So I was thrilled to stumble across the first generation Aptera when it was competing for the Progressive Insurance X Prize. When I saw it, I thought, “this would suit me to a t.”
Back in the day, I was a sports car mechanic working on MG, Porsches, Jaguars, and Triumphs; though I no longer twist wrenches, I am still a bit of a car buff. I like to keep up to date on the newest and coolest things in the automotive world. In 2006, I wrote a 350 page book called Sliding Home: A Complete Guide To Driving Your Diesel On Straight Vegetable Oil. It never made the New York Times Best Seller list, but I revised and reprinted eight editions.
I’ve had a pretty varied career. I was a bartender and an alcohol and drug abuse counsellor, and for three decades, I designed databases.
I’m a firm believer in less is more. I’ve never understood why I or anyone else would need a 5,000 lb car to go to the grocery store. It just doesn’t make any sense to me at all. Traditionally, I have owned smaller cars, many of them two seaters. I had three models of the Honda Insight, several VW TDIs, an electric Renault Le Car, a CNG powered Dodge Caravan, and a three-wheeled, single person EV called the Gizmo. All of these are long gone. My daily driver is a Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. This will go to make way for my Aptera.
I am particularly excited by Aptera’s purity of execution. A lot of companies start out with a vision, but over time, it can get diluted. I love that Aptera is sticking with its original concepts and ideas. I also am impressed with how the company has opened their doors and given people a real insight into what they are doing. I can’t think of too many car companies that have told their story in the social sphere the way Aptera has. They are garnering a lot of attention, and it’s exciting to be a part of their mission.
I have been an Aptera Ambassador since September of 2021. Friends and family have many questions about the Aptera; I carefully explain compelling features like composite construction and its structural integrity, and the advantages of its lightweight and aerodynamic shape. It’s an excellent opportunity for a physics lesson! I want to make sure that as many people as possible know about this sensible option for transportation that sips from the Earth’s resources rather than gobbles them up.
Written by Michael Brooke
Over 700 global volunteers make up our dedicated Brand Ambassador Program. Aptera Ambassadors are sEV enthusiasts and leaders that play a fundamental role in the spread of Aptera’s mission: to create the most efficient transportation on the planet. In this series, you’ll discover who our ambassadors are, what attracted them to Aptera, and what it means to be an Aptera ambassador.