All about Gamma

[blake-english]

Did they mention any details about the key/unlock system? I’m hoping a company located in San Diego will keep us surfers in mind when selecting entry key system. Waterproof key fob/entry code (knock pattern? lol) /etc…

[Gershom]

They demonstrated over the weekend that the doors and hatch can be opened by just knocking on it. Presumably this requires you to have a fob/phone app nearby. There will almost certainly not be a separate key.

[Solana]

I attended Saturday’s session of the Fully Charged unveiling of the Gamma.

Loved what I saw and placed a pre-order the next day.. Woo Hoo !!

With that said, there are a couple thing I hope they change:

1. Center Console material. Please go back to black, like what is shown on the interior order page.

2. Cup Holder. Please replace with something more functional and easier to clean.

3. Did not see much cubby storage in the passenger area. You know for small stuff like sun glasses, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, phones, ect..

Happy Trails

– Ron

[Lane-Costilow]

A condensed list of features presented by “Instant Torque”

[Pragmatic_to_a_Fault]

I see side mirrors now , not cameras and monitors on the sides of the dash.

[curtis-cibinel]

NHTSA requires them. The cameras are in the side mirror units. This could mean that when the rules are fixed to get the extra efficiency the entire side mirror will need to be replaced with a camera pod.

[Pragmatic_to_a_Fault]

I for one have a love / hate relationship with backup cameras. When they are clean. They are awesome. When it’s raining , or foggy or snowing and they are dirty. They are trash, absolute trash.

Side note: Dave Kindig did NOT design that center console that has to be the most hideous console ever installed in a car.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by  James Lee.

[tim-dean]

Wheel pants are only 3” above the ground. Lose air pressure or blow a tire when cruising at 70mph? BANG! They will scrape the ground and be and damaged or destroyed.

The wheel pants should clear the ground by several inches with completely flat tires. Basically >3” above the wheel rim, not the ground.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by  Tim Dean.

[fkilc]

The wheel pants – how easy are they to remove ? I tend to check tire pressure when refueling, so I suppose there is some indication somewhere for tire pressure ? The nice problem I will have is that I’ll never have to check tire pressure since I won’t ever refuel 😂

I wonder how easy it will be to inflate the rear tire as well….

Does anyone know if this has been addressed ? I’m still looking, at if I find it, I will post the answer.

Update – dunno how I missed the entire “tire rotation spare etc” thread… but still, no one has an answer. Did anyone ask during the Fully Charged event ?

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by  francois kilchoer.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by  francois kilchoer.

[paul-kirchner]

According to a video from Aptera’s Owners Club that dropped today. 30 seconds to remove the wheel pants (if you use a powered tool to remove the four bolts that hold it)

[curtis-cibinel]

I’m 90% sure they said we will have a tpms (tire pressure monitoring system) in an ambassador call early this year.

[Fran]

With all the talk here about paint vs wrap, I have one question I have asked before but still have no answer for. Maybe now that many of you have seen and sat in the Gamma, maybe you can answer this question: The parts of the upper half of the vehicle that are black (like the A pillar, the B pillar, the hatch, the nose cone, the side windows separators), are these vinyl wrapped or are they painted or are they black composite? I think wrapping them would be lots of work, and painting then makes sense, but I haven’t seen the car. Which is it?

[curtis-cibinel]

I’m choosing to believe that the fact Chris called it film means cosmetic paint protection film (ppf) since the term film isn’t generally used for vinyl wrap. It is similarly applied, costs more and lasts way longer. I’d gladly pay a premium for cosmetic ppf rather than vinyl if needed. Cosmetic Ppf has warrenties up to 10 years so it will probably last as well as paint. Unlike vinyl the material isn’t readily available to consumers so it kills the idea of a diy job but if it’s done in the factory initially and lasts I don’t care.

[Biker]

Who’s the driver?

https://youtu.be/YUR5MFo2P44

[OkieKev]

My guess is Brian Homsangpradit. What does the winner get?😁

Edit: Changed my guess. Had second thoughts about it being Gabriel Iosif.

On a side note, when you slow down the video playback, Steve sounds hilariously drunk.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  Kevin Bradbury.

[seth]

So far I’ve only seen solar actually charging, but no numbers

Heard mention of them testing the efficiency/range. I’m hoping this gives them at least 400 miles to decide whether their choice of steering is truly ergonomic or a mistake.

What’s everyone else looking forward to see the results of?

[ironman]

Noise inside the Aptera at different speeds and undergrounds.

I think this will be a surprise. Engines at the outside and the best aerodynamics. I think we will hear only our superb audio system 🙂

[NetworkRick]

I’d love to see:
1) Chart showing Watt/km at different speeds (from 50 up to at least 130 km/h)
2) Impact on HVAC (both heating and cooling) usage on above numbers
3) Details on regen-brake settings
4) Inside noise samples at different speeds
5) Max. hill climb (degrees or %)
6) Preview on user interface and features (Navigation system details, BT connect for phone calls, Input interfaces like SD slot(s) etc., some detail about Auto-Pilot mode or if just adaptive cruise control)

[david-marlow]

Gamma is not yet ready for real testing, as they have only shown it driving very slowly. There must be more work to be done on the attachment of the solar and other things.

[alain-chuzel]

Seth, Regarding your first sentence “So far I’ve only seen solar actually charging, but no numbers”. Is it fair of me to interpret that as Gamma was sitting out in the sun and you saw an indicator showing “charging” or something to that effect?

• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  Alain Chuzel.

[Solana]

My impression… The company will build only one Gamma. The purpose of Gamma was to bring all the major subsystem together and then evaluate and put on display for the public.

I believe the company will build multiple Deltas with the purpose to do all the testing we as customers will be interesting in. For example, Crash testing, interior sound, range, etc ..

[ray-holan]

Hi, Ron. Jason Hill has gone on record asserting that the design for the Delta will be completed by mid November. While I am rooting for production to begin before the end of 2022, that looks like a long shot. However, I agree with your belief that multiple Deltas will be built to do crash testing, fit and finish, and mechanical functioning of things like doors, controls, suspension — here’s where everything comes together and hopefully makes beautiful music!

[david-marlow]

The main thing to be tested with Gamma is to get more large investors by having it out and about. I think they are waiting to see and ride in the nearly final version.

One new problem the EV market, is flood damage causing battery fires. It would seem that the Aptera is at a point now that they will be able to make sure that the belly pan section will be sealed off from this potential problem.

It would be nice if Gamma will be able to float to prove this point and put Aptera one big step ahead of the rest.

[jonah-jorgenson]

More than the belly pan would need to be sealed off to provide battery protection. Floating is out of the question. Never was and never will be engineered to float. That was an erroneous statement about the Aptera early on by the now no longer involved Chief Technology Officer, Nathan Armstrong

[RajGiandeep]

When I talked to one of the Aptera employees at Fully Charged Live. They mentioned with gamma they can start to test the real world range since the change to delta will be so minor.

[barry-schader]

Did anybody else feel like the seating material and the material on the center armrest cover were a little cheap? They’re not intended to be the final interior materials, I’m guessing.

(Note: I only sat in the passenger seat — didn’t want to wait in line for the driver’s seat.)

[christopher-morehouse]

My understand was the gammas would be used for a lot of pre-production testing.

I have only seen the one. How many are there? If it is still just the one when will there be more?

Even if there are no deliveries this year, will production be started this year? Or tooling of the production line even? There has been a lot of ‘news’ lately without much actual news… How close is Aptera to making a product?

Related question that I don’t expect a direct answer to, but would love to hear those on here’s speculation; How much longer can Aptera function absent a revenue stream? I’ve heard the figure thrown around that they need $50M to start production, but that assumes production starts when? If the date slips to the right, that number goes up, thats just how this works…. So is it $50M assuming they have the production line started tooled and manned by the end of this year? Or by 1Q next year? Again, I don’t expect a real answer, but would love to hear what people think.

I invested previously, but intend to skip this round unless we get more news from the ‘news’. Still wishing them success, and hoping to see my car in 2024 (600 mile AWD, so I have no expectation of seeing it before 2 years from now which is what I was expecting when I preordered but now consider that best case).

[john-young]

1 gamma. Probably not anymore. On to Delta.

Aptera hopes to have the production intent design by the end of the year.

The next 6 months will be production parts procurement and validation per Chris during the Gamma reveal. A few Deltas will be built through that period of time. Deliveries can’t realistically be expected until next summer at the earliest.

[david-marlow]

I suspect they are building at least one more Gamma to have to take around the country.

They have said their goal is to have the design of Delta finished in November.

The question I have is, what are they currently doing with the Gamma they have?

[mark-salyzyn]

At fully charged they mentioned they were already pencils down on Delta design. Indicating there were a few changes.

[christopher-morehouse]

So what size battery is the one and only Gamma? I assume it is front wheel drive only.

[kerbe2705]

@Christopher Morehouse You assume incorrectly, my friend: The current Gamma is the 3-motor AWD variant. We don’t know, yet, about its battery but it’s safe to assume that it’s a small one as the prototype doesn’t have a functional belly-cooling system.

[steven-g-bueche]

Hey look, I’m just some guy who threw a couple of bucks down, reserved and invested so what do I know.

It boggles my mind that the two things Aptera touted more than anything (besides range and efficiency) were Solar and Belly pan cooling. So how is it that we don’t have a functional cooling system yet this close to production?

Changes? We can keep making changes until the cows come home. All this will do is delays things. Unless they’re major, what’s the point? Get this thing out the door. Rates are climbing which will hurt some sales. Other EV’s are hitting the market that are close if not cheaper than the price point.

Now, there’s only one or maybe two Gamma’s when we were told many would be made for testing.

I’m starting to feel like this thing will miss another deadline (that makes 2 or is it 3 now?) and we won’t see this thing start production until mid-late summer. Where’s the monthly updates? Where’s the Here’s Where We’re At postings. Can it be so hard to say, This is what’s going on and why the delays? These are our plans moving forward.

Why must we only be told after some other video tells us what they’ve found?

Ok, sure I’m a little impatient at this point. Been waiting since 2008 and I thought I’d be driving this thing by now. But I’m not waiting until the 12th of Never.

And no, you can’t have my place in line. lol

Has anyone mentioned the green windshield and its purpose?

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Steven G. Bueche.

[Fran]

What “Green Windshield” and what “deadlines”? I have seen goals but not deadlines. Deadlines are for subordinates with consequences of “you’re fired.” Deadlines and promises have not been seen, only assumed by posters on this forum. Patience is a virtue in high demand here. “Tribulation worketh patience” Romans 5:3.

[ROMAD]

True the only real deadline they rushed to meet was the Fully Charged event in September. As for the “Green Windshield” that may be an artifact of whatever tinted glass they used and the light on and through it. Of course, their refusal to provide actual information to we customers isn’t helpful.

[seth]

So far Chris Anthony and Aptera have lots of unproven claims.

-The wrap will be super duper durable, and environmentally friendly (I’d believe, and be less critical of admitting it’s simply the fastest/cheapest path to production. It would certainly sound more honest to me)

-100mpwh

-40mpd max solar charging (with real world driving and sunlight I’d expect 15-20miles average in san diego)

-The belly cooling pan (I’d worry about rock impacts and road debris on top of any mechanical failures or overloading the tiny fan)

Lots of thing to test, so it’s kind of surprising at least to me that gamma is missing key systems, or that there is only only one to go around….

[david-marlow]

I was hoping that by now we would be seeing a lot more of Gamma. The C.P.C. announcement was very reassuring, but it seems like we will not see a Delta until about spring. I am expecting that reviews of actual test rides by well known Aptera fans should be comming soon.

To have it shown in places other than the southern California area would also be impressing more investors.