-
Aptera Passenger and Cargo Capacity
I understand the Aptera to have a maximum safe load of 500 lbs. I’m 270 and built something like a wrestler/weight lifter. With my primary passenger at 134 lbs, that leaves me slightly less than 100 lbs for cargo if I have my primary passenger with me. What happens with the Aptera if the vehicle is loaded 50 to 100 lbs above it’s rated capacity? My mother’s scooter weighs in at roughly 80 to 100 lbs.
- 70 Replies
-
Aptera Passenger and Cargo Capacity
updated 2 months, 3 weeks ago 38 Members · 70 Replies -
Is it possible to get dimensioning for the driver side or even a tool/graphic on the website that shows this)? For example:
– Seat to roof (min/max and range of angular adjustment) (assuming seat back angle is able to be adjusted)
– Seat back to pedals (min and max)
– Seat back to steering wheel (min and max)
I am a tall individual (6’3″ with most of my height in my torso), and I am concerned about how I would fit.
-
Check out this video by Steve Fambro as he reviews the Sol Alpha prototype. He discusses what changes will be made in the Beta prototype to accommodate tall drivers. The Beta is designed to accommodate drivers up to 6’5″.
The dimensions you are inquiring about will be available when the Beta prototypes are complete.
-
When they say up to 6’5″ I am hesitant. Being 6’5″ I would love to drive this car on longer trips, having the ceiling more than an inch above my head is nice though.
-
-
Any measurements you’d receive now will be irrelevant when the beta prototypes are built.
-
Thank you all.
-
It’s like the first gen Honda Insight which had a tiny payload capacity too. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. It’ll feel heavy but that’s probably about it. If you take it over some massive bumps you might hit the suspension stops. If you do this all the time I would see if there’s a battery option that weighs less but has the same suspension – since there’s a 750 lb difference between the smallest battery and the largest for Aptera.
-
Wait until they release the real numbers before you start to worry. The suspension system has just been redesigned. They are still planning on having a 100KWh(usable) battery option, that has to be 600-800lbs heavier than the 40KWh(usable) battery, the suspension has to be able to handle that.
I can’t believe that they would build a car that was for ballerinas only, it has to be able to handle two decent sized men and luggage.
-
Much obliged. I figured it would have a bit of overcapacity built into it. Unless I’m piloting the Aptera solo I do not plan to load it to capacity or to tail load it. With my favorite 92 year young mother staying with me now, I’m thinking that the all wheel drive, 400 mile, with the off road suspension might be my best set of options as most of our weekend excursions are under 250 miles and no practical commute for me is beyond 240 – 250 round trip. If I have enough capacity for my passenger, her small electric scooter, and a Costco, Sam’s Club grocery run, I will be one very happy fellow. Heck, this might even be a good incentive for me to return to my more youthful trim to carry more cargo in the Aptera and less on me. ;->> Again gentlemen, many many thanks for the insight and counsel. I’m really liking the Aptera community already.
-
Good for you! I am sure your mother likes road trips with her son. Unusual to see men in the U.S. taking care of elderly parents. Hats off to you for that. My mother lived to 98 and enjoyed road trips until her last day on earth.
Also some good common sense analysis for configuring your Aptera.
I will also take your advice for lowering the load on my Aptera from me. Especially important to keep in mind around the holiday season when I tend to overeat.
-
Thanks John. My mother spent the majority of her life taking care of everyone around her at work and at home and even within the extended family. When my father passed, she was the only earthen treasure of any real value in the family. I figure that she put in 21 years with me, I owe her at least as much in return. And yep, she loves road trips and I think the Aptera might even be easier for her to get in and out of given she currently has to use the steps on the side of my truck to get in and out of the cab.
-
-
-
-
Hypothetically if you are heavier (ie 300lb) and will constantly be at or around the overall vehicle weight limit (500lb for cargo/passengers) it should be possible to swap in the heavier suspension from the next weight/battery tier up (ie suspension springs for a 60 kwh battery in a 40 kwh Aptera). The battery is likely about 10lb per kwh so the math is relatively simple.
You would still lose range due to mass but by stiffening the suspension it would avoid bottoming to quickly. Obviously its best to stay under the 500lb limit but functionally they probably tune and test with the idea of a single 150-180 lb driver. Liability in accidents with an overloaded vehicle could also be a concern.
-
Here is a related question: My order includes the 40kWh battery pack. My wife and I combined are under 280lb. Would a larger battery pack make a slight improvement in ride quality? Presumably, the factory might make suspension adjustments for the change in weight. (600 extra lb, for example, with the 100kWh pack) Are we then back to square one?
-
-
Once they have a Aptera beta I can sit in, I’d be curious to try. I’m 6′ 1″ ish and if I put my hair on the top of my head is a rishi knot i’m 6′ 4″ – 6′ 5″
Even in my dads Prius i have to put the seat back so my hair doesn’t hit the ceiling. But in my 2013 Nissan Leaf I have enough headroom for my hair in a rishi knot
-
Raj – I would sincerely appreciate knowing the results of your experience should you get the opportunity.
-
-
It was stated during a webinar many moons ago that they Aptera was designed to carry two 250 lb adults and 500 lbs of cargo. So work backwards from 1000 lbs, not from 500 lbs…
-
I wonder if it changed? From the current FAQ:
What is the max payload for the cargo area?
Aptera is designed to carry a 500 lbs payload of passengers and cargo, or a max of 300lbs in the rear cargo (if you only have the driver).-
It must have done!
-
-
-
I once had eight people in the front (only) seats of my Porsche 914. I many times drove with three comfortably in the 914. The seats were about as far apart as those in the Aptera, but in the Porsche there was no tall armrest in the middle. I’m sure that armrest/cup holder/compartment can come out (with a saws-all if needed) and be replaced with a nice cushion like the Porsche 914 had. Yeah the passenger would have to share the foot space with the other passenger and couldn’t be the tallest one in the car (sitting on the hump that’s left after removing the arm rest), but I’m sure a kid would be just fine if you install a third seat belt.
I’m retired but I still sometimes transport my daughter and friend in my two seat 2000 Honda Insight. And there is an armrest in that car. It’s not quite legal without a separate seat belt, but you have to catch me to ticket me.
-
That center console will have batteries underneath it, so removal will not be possible.
-
-
I’m 6’5″ (36/37″ inseam, ~240lbs).
I’m “taking Steve at his word” that we will fit comfortably whether it be headroom or legroom and as such, both carefully & adequately considered from design through to final execution ????.
-
I do the impossible. When you can fit 8 people in the front seat of a Porsche 914, I’ll be more likely to believe you when you say that my third seat plan, is impossible. The batteries will not fill the interior of the center consul arm rest, so there is space there to remove the consul and install the cushion, even if it a few inches higher than the two front seats. Never challenge me to do the impossible. I built my first electric car in 1981 (135 mpg equivalent) and licensed it in New York State. I built two 3-wheeled cars and one 2-wheeled car (fully enclosed) from motor scooters and got 100 miles per gallon. I also sold worldwide a gas mileage enhancement system that improved gas mileage around 20% with equipment alone and 50% or more when using my driving tips in the owner’s manual. I also installed this system on a Saturn SL1 and competed in the Tour de Sol mileage competition and achieves 102 miles per gallon. Like Trump said in one of his inspirational speeches, “when someone tells you that what you are attempting is impossible, thing of it as motivation (paraphrased).” The impossible is only impossible until you challenge me to do it.
-
No matter how uninspirational the gibberish Trump says, right now it is impossible since there is not an Aptera you can take apart.
-
Apparently he didn’t inspire your small mind!
-
Let’s not get into an insult contest. They only make you emotionally smaller. Edify, don’t objurgate, disparage, and deride.
-
-
Noir, Sol, Luna, that’s three. There are likely at least a dozen original version Apterae still in existence as well. Careful how you use that word, impossible. I told you, “I do the impossible.”
-
-
Going to have to see how many people You can fit in the aptera, I bet You can do more than 8 if you include the cargo area.
-
Just in the back, I’ll bet you the price of an Aptera, that I could fit at least 25 people. I didn’t say I had eight adults in the front (only) seat of my Porsche 914. I said people. Twenty five kids or infants could easily fit in the back of an Aptera and not even exceed that 500 pound load limit. The Aptera front seat is bigger than the 914. Considering that in the 914 I had one teen to my left and one in front of me as I sat in the driver’s seat (reached around both sides of him to steer and shift), two on the cushion between the seats and three in the passenger seat like I did in the drivers seat, I could do the same in the Aptera without having to resort to grade schoolers. However no heads could be sticking out the windows like in the Porsche. Impossible?
-
Fran, I’ll bet you’ve got an old phone booth in your backyard somewhere…
-
-
-
-
Let’s just say, “I don’t use a cell phone.” But back in 1995 I had one of the first mobile phones in my truck, plugged into the cigarette lighter port and took up most of the space one the front seat between me and the passenger. Now I have abandoned mobile phones.
-
For a WOMAN, a CellPhone is Actually a Sceptre – It Makes Her QUEEN of ALLLLL She Surveys.
But, For a MAN, a Cellphone is but LEASH! I Don’t Need No Steeenkin’Leash!
-
-
I found that it was noted already that the distance from the back edge to the seats is seven feet. This being the case, what size surfboard do you think could fit in the Aptera with the passenger seat forward and the trunk closed?
-
That seven-foot distance might be with the seat somewhat forward – if you plan to have someone sit in the passenger seat, I wouldn’t count on fitting anything much longer than about 6+ feet. You might gain a bit more if you put it in at an angle – none of this can be confirmed until someone tries it in a production vehicle.
-
It would be really nice to get an 8 foot surfboard in as that is kind of a standard size—maybe with front seat laying back (works in my volt)?
-
Eddy,
I don’t know if you are a CA or FL surfer, or somewhere else. My eldest daughter is an avid surfer in FL. She intends to buy an Aptera as she is very environmentally conscious. She says her surfboard will not fit. Her plan is to remove the passenger seat which she claims she will not use and it will fit with plenty of room to spare.
Of course you can always saw off what doesn’t fit😉
-
Really hoping to see the lightweight tow option (talked about in FAQ) so that bike carriers or light utility trailers can be added for kayaks/paddleboards/surfboards. Obviously it will impact drag and only be good for a few hundred pounds but that is enough for most unpowered watercraft or a few mountain bikes. In my case I would rarely be transporting these more than 5-10 miles.
I have no idea how they would be planning to attach it but my best guess would be some bolts to the underside of the vehicle that forms a V around the rear wheel housing with 2 bolts per side and drops a seam down just behind the rear wheel cover. They could potentially extend the bolts directly into the area under the rear storage floor. To be viable I would think they would need to have some rough idea and rough of this in the molds.
-
-
-
This has been the one thing I have been wondering as well. What I’d love to see is a short video of them trying to fit a surfboard, or better yet, several surfboards, a bike, and any other types of adventure gear in the back. I am fairly confident it will fit a few shortboards, around 6 ft. I would be delighted if I could also fit a longboard in there, around 9ft, by putting the front seat flat or folding it forward. Currently, I can fit a 9′ longboard in my Honda fit by laying the passenger seat flat and going up to the windshield.
-
Hi Jesse, a video that showed easily putting a bike in the back of an Aptera can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0mJRSNOeTs.
-
While I don’t have a surfboard of any length, I too would hope that the Aptera passenger seat can be folded down flat to allow for transporting items longer than the 6’ bed.
-
-
-
I have been able to find ZERO information on this topic. I am 6’5 adult that has a pre-order in. I really would like to know if I can fit into the vehicle. From my back to my knee measures 26 inches and from my butt to my head measures ~36 inches. Please let me know if I have a chance. I watch all the ride-along videos out there but nobody tells us their height and it’s really non-inclusive.
-
Congrats!
It is discussed in the FAQ although they can’t get into the torso vs leg details…
Search Aptera’s FAQ Spreadsheet
Please search the spreadsheet with Ctrl+F (for “Find”), or for Mac use command+F or cmd+F
This spreadsheet is periodically update by an Aptera Team member
Beyond the above….
They are at the Beta stage with a little more side room inside we are told…
Stay tuned
-
Oh ok, let me check that out. Thanks for the reply.
-Matt
-
-
Hi Matthew! Yes, you’ll be able to fit in the vehicle. We have had basketball players well over 6ft take a ride in the Aptera— and they have no problem fitting comfortably! The Aptera was designed to fit someone that is 6’8 comfortably; however, someone taller may fit if they have a shorter torso. Our solar mobility is for everyone, so we’re designing Aptera to be very inclusive! Please let us know if you have any questions. Looking forward to sharing the final measurements with you as the specs are finalized. It’s exciting to share the road to launch with you! We are here to guide all Aptera members every step of the way.
- This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by
Kayleigh Venne.
-
Thanks for confirming this. When I put my hair in a Rishi knot on top of my head I’m about 6′ 5″ otherwise hair down 6′ 2″
-
Haha, glad we could clarify this for you then, Raj! 😉
-
luckily your hair has no nerves in them…hahaha
-
-
Thank you so much for the reply. It honestly made my day because I’ve been fantasizing about driving the Aptera and know my heart will be crushed if I can’t fit into one. I’m a walking advertisement for this company. I know you guys are committed to making something great.
Thank you
-Matt
- This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by
-
I just got to see the Noir alpha prototype in-person today at the Earth Fair here in San Diego. I’ll first say it is even more beautiful and striking in-person and really looking forward to seeing the production models.
I didn’t bring my measuring tape, however, I would say with the passenger seat folded down you could get an 8′ surfboard in there easily. Of course, the production vehicle may be completely different, yes we know this. However, Chris Anthony did mention in a video posted this month that it could fit a 7’6 surfboard and from my experience today I’m assuming he meant while carrying another passenger with the seat slid forward. He also mentioned you can fit 2 mountain bikes and even a canoe.
-
I saw it there today also. Remember, it will be four additional inches deeper and either four or six inches longer. Even though I remember seeing this video, it looked awfully shallow near the back. It was clearly a close fit for that bicycle, but the extra inches should make a big difference.
-
The bike video was with the alpha (before changes). I think Steve from Aptera owners club claimed we have like 7 feet behind the seats. The weight at the far back will be shallow but definitely enough for a board or your head camping (if you’re not claustrophobic)
-
-
Similar question, How about a 9ft fly rod? Can I drive/fish the river without breaking down my fly rod?
-
Assuming Curtis is correct about seven feet behind the seats, you should be able to fold the passenger seat forward to fit a nine foot rod in there without any trouble. If you had a passenger with you, you could probably put the rods between the seats even with the passenger seat up.
-
-
I am 6’5″ ~290lbs. Will I fit in an Aptera? Or should I look elsewhere?
-
@ian-comings Watch the most recent webinar video (it’s on the Aptera YouTube channel) to hear the vehicle’s designer talk about the interior: He makes a point of saying it’s not a “roomy” vehicle.
That said, they’re designing it for a 6’8″ tall person – but not for a very WIDE person.
We’ve also been told that the total payload (driver, passenger and cargo) that the vehicle can carry is 500 lbs.
We won’t know anything for certain, though, until they build and test a production-ready prototype.
-
anything new with gamma about this? 500 is extremely low.
-
