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All about Delta
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All about Delta
updated 1 day, 11 hours ago
38 Members
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93
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The unwrapping is next week:
https://www.facebook.com/ApteraMotors3.0/photos/a.2231979167061867/3130850157174759/?type=3&app=fbl
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A REAL vehicle or just more of their CGI releases? I won’t believe there is a true Delta until it is an actual physical vehicle and is shown at various events around these United States and Canada. Also all final specifications need to be released along with detailed photos of all functions of the center screen, the enhanced audio system with all ports, the port(s) for connecting external solar panels, etc.
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This reply was modified 9 months ago by
Dennis Swaney. Reason: Deleted last sentence in light of Thomas Bushaw's above post
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@Dennis Swaney – a complete physical Delta is probably at least 6 months away along with the UI – all renders at this point.
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This reply was modified 9 months ago by
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Another teaser from Jason Hill – the wheel pants seem to have a lot of clearance at the back: #kingpininclanation
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More from Jason Hill:
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I’m counting 193 cells (30+20+50+93) total. At 3.8 W, that adds up to 733.4 W. Nice!
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I’m so happy they decided to pop that lit-up pimple at the tip of the nose…:)
With structural batteries and a more rigid frame, that center hump running between the seats may be eliminated. Making a 3-seat delivery from the getgo possible. Heck, there may even be welcome changes to yoke too.
Great job not rushing the process, Aptera!
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I think I see a camera in the wheel pants, too. Really excited to see the final product… it’s hard to be patient, but it will be worth the wait!
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That is an ultrasonic sensor in the wheel pants.
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Sweet looking rendition…improved looks almost everywhere. Looks well crafted and complete. Can’t wait for APTERA to start cranking them out!!!
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I am a bit confused. The center flatscreen now says PRD for shifting gear. Okay so far. But then below the flatscreen there is a dark patch (button bank?) labeled PRND.
I can imagine a scenario where the flatscreen UI is defunct there being a more manual mechanism for putting the vehicle in neutral for pushing or towing. Still likely to be a electronic function though. Grasping at straws now, and rapidly running out of them.
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Aptera has stated that anything on the software side, including the console GUI, is low on their priority list right now, since that’s something they can change and update up to and even after they roll cars off the production floor. So don’t take any UI images as anything other than temporary placeholders. The end product may be exactly like that, or nothing like it.
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Love it, hope to be driving mine this time next year.
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Love it. Noticed the “exposed” copper solar connectors didn’t make it out on Delta.
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The horn button is convex while the other button is concave. I wonder if the top of the console is a lid and opens up. Contents of the console is open on the sides, showing half used Kleenex, ink pens, phone cables, and other utilitarian items. The document holder in front of the passenger is different. I hope it still holds documents. The console while empty is very beautiful. This console is as beautiful as the other console was ugly.
I see there is no neutral gear to select on the screen, but PRND is shown below the screen on the dash.
The light does not wrap around the corner of the tail?
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Me likey! Just 2 points of concern. Not sure how accessible the storage space is under the center arm rest, especially if there is a passenger seated there as well. Though I like the look of the new rear grill, concerned about the reduction in rear illumination. Really would like something brighter than any follower’s phone screen. Maybe Jason could tack on a nighttime sequence for an example.
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Does anyone know the purpose of the letters P R N D on the dash under the touch screen? I assume the P R D on the touch screen is for gear selection. Might be nice if they were spaced apart a little more. Why does one have the letter “N” and the other does not?
All this can be seen at time 1:29 in the video.
https://youtu.be/PQuLuHzR52Mhttps://youtu.be/PQuLuHzR52M
I assume we can get the owners manual emailed to us a few days before we take possession o f the vehicle.
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> Does anyone know the purpose of the letters P R N D on the dash under the touch screen?
Chris M said on Reddit that it was there in case the screen failed. It is both an indicator and a control (I imagine that if it is winter, and you are wearing gloves instead of heating the interior, you can still change gear without having to take off your gloves every time). https://www.reddit.com/r/ApteraMotors/comments/zzz67w/meet_delta_apteras_production_design/j2elnax/
I think I’d mainly be using those controls for the gears rather than the ones on the touch screen. Easier to find without having to look down.
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This reply was modified 9 months ago by Michael Marsden.
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This reply was modified 9 months ago by Michael Marsden.
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This reply was modified 9 months ago by
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No obvious provision for a small tow hitch receiver in Delta.
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Hi Paul, Aptera publicly said a while back that there would not be a tow hitch option in the first production model, though they would like to add one in the undefined future. This is also stated on their public FAQs page, too.
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What about those cup holders. Spillage directly onto carpet. Not sure how I’m going to deal with this.
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I see there are mouldings under the cup holders to catch spillage or condensation.
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What do you think that dark shiny rectangle is above the cup holder? A phone charging?
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Most likely a phone holder (though not necessarily a charger, TBD). There was a phone holder in an earlier iteration of the overall center console in that general area, though it was horizontal and awkwardly arranged for access. There is still your open question of whether or not a phone can be easily charged from this holder. Also, the earlier version actually obscured the phone screen, which was (inappropriately) justified by saying that someone should not be looking at their phone while driving, anyhow. Nonetheless and no matter how good the idea of blocking a phone screen sounds on paper, people still glance at their phones while driving, using map apps, to see an incoming caller identification, and many other quick interactions.
Perhaps the dark shiny rectangle there is actually meant to be a phone that can just be laid back into that open reclining square area for easy access and visibility. Although it would not be “secured”, phones frequently are not fully secured anyhow (like cups, etc.) and that could be a workable design. However, how a phone’s charge cord would extend from the phone’s bottom plus where the cord would then go to (i.e., where is a USB connection or “cigarette lighter” / auxiliary power outlet) remain open questions. Since wireless charging is only useful for a subset of phones, requires more exacting alignment across different phone sizes / cases, and there are other devices that need to be charged beside phones, auxiliary power outlets and convenient cable access to those outlets will be needed to meet most customer’s needs.
That phone holder square perimeter should ideally have included a small channel cut out of its bottom edge to allow a cable to come down while allowing the rest of the phone’s lower edge to rest against the holder’s lower perimeter (without the cable lifting the phone off of the underlying surface to get itself over the holder perimeter’s edge). This would also have a side benefit of helping to keep the phone in its intended position while driving.
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The rear of the seatbacks are now upholstered – no longer plastic shells: That’s gonna help with acoustics.
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I’m glad to see the tunnel between the seats had been lowered. Hopefully the arm rest and cup holders are still removable.
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Don’t have a clue about all the complexities leading up to manufacturing, but after viewing “Delta Production Intent Design”, I think that there is a lot of vanilla pudding without any specs. I’m impatient for some testing of performance, solar efficiency and anything else that we can sink our teeth into. Is the Delta road worthy? I’m assuming that if the solar was operational, it would be huge news. Materials and fabrics are cute, but test results are where the real beauty resides.
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> Is the Delta road worthy?
Production parts need to be ordered, manufactured, and delivered, then it needs to be built, before any road testing of it can take place.
Crash testing was scheduled for Q2 (that’s what Chris said back at Fully Charged Live in September), so I would expect the other testing will also be taking place in a similar time period.
They do have some numbers from Gamma, but they are not publicising them. “Solar performing as per expectations” (or words to that effect) is as much as they’ve said. I think they want to wait until Delta.
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The only part of the Delta design that really rubs me the wrong way is the horn and volume buttons. I think all the cars that I have owned have had the horn in the middle of the steering wheel. Having a Tesla, I love the scroll buttons. That is what I would like to see on the Aptera. Eventually it will need to go that way. Fishing around on the screen to pause the audio is not safe.
The only reasons for not doing this is parts cost and possibly supply chain. The simple buttons will reduce the bill of materials a bit. And adding a horn button behind the center of the yoke will be an added cost. But the wiring and assembly costs will be about the same.
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@Charles Lewis That’s why “pause audio” is a voice command in most modern automobile. And if you’re playing audio, there’s also an “audio” window open on your screen that probably has icons for pause, play, etc. right there with no need for fishing around.
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With regard to the steering yoke, I’m certainly willing to give it a try to see if I like it. But IF an Aptera owner wanted to replace the yoke with a more traditional wheel, I’m wondering if the wiring harness that it connects to will have additional wires for extra functionality that the yoke won’t initially provide? I’m thinking along the lines of extra, potentially remappable wiring that would allow for controls for the sound system (above and beyond volume), cruise control, menu navigation, etc.
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My gues the wiring harness will not have the features you describe. The engineeering on Delta was complete months ago against the requirements you see displayed in the delta renderings. The harness, to save weight and cost would be engineered only for the deta design. There would be no way to anticipate the need for additional leads nor need to because the design was complete.
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Hopefully the molds ar almost done. maybe some final adjustments, so it should not be too long before the first Delta build can begin. They should by now have enough solar panels and battery packs for a few, also some other Delta prototype parts allready recived or being built. Hopefully we will have some news of progress soon.
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I think that it’ll be pretty close to a year before we see the first production test articles completed. They appear to be placing orders for the longest lead time items for production, but have not yet stated that suppliers for all vehicle parts have been locked down, much less ordered.
First deliveries? My WAG is _possibly_ some time in 3rd quarter of 2024… maybe… if all goes well and they get all the funding they need to get into production in the next three to six months. Could be early 2025 if they get the funding but it’s more than 6 months from now. Much later than that and it might well be never.
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Agree. My projected delivery date has slipped at least twice now. Add in the fact that wealthy people are now being allowed to buy their way to the front of the line, doesn’t bode well for me at my age to ever get one.
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David,
To be a Delta, the vehicle must be built with 100% production parts, using production processes and with production equipment. (Can not be hand built). It will be at least nine to 12 months after the full $50M of production funds are achieved before production will start per Aptera management. The latest view of the production facility (Courtesy the Aptera Owners Club) shows no production equipment installed, but some crates along one wall. Your statement about a Delta(s) being available soon is way premature. Let’s not let people new to the forum get a false impression of Delta production.
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The earliest any version of Delta will be built will be after the first CPC parts are available which Steve Fambro mentioned being after August.
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Did he mention how many Deltas will be built? They’re going to need at least a few for the crash tests they said will be done.
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No, but figure at least about 15 before customer production vehicles are built.
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Please help me understand why a Delta vehicle, in order to be a “true Delta” in your words, has to meet all those ridiculously over-the-top criteria that you lay out. I feel like you’re just confusing people with these statements.
Here: https://aptera.us/meet-delta/ Aptera describes Delta as their “production-intent” design. They explicitly differentiate it from the “Launch Edition”, aka the first production vehicle.
There’s no way in the world that Aptera is going to begin production with a 100% finalized assembly line and full workforce without first building and testing multiple pre-production production-intent vehicles (which, again, is what Delta is). Automakers always build pre-prod vehicles with production-intent designs and no one ever gets their undies in a bunch over what to call those pre-prod vehicles, nor do they insist that every process has to be 100% identical to the eventual production processes, which is plainly impossible to achieve since manufacturing plans always change and mature based on learning from the pre-prod phase.
People just want to see production-intent vehicles built and tested so that this whole project starts to feel tangible and so that performance claims can be verified. No one will care if it’s not assembled on the final high-volume assembly line or if a few of the bolts are tightened by someone who isn’t one of Aptera’s future full-time assemblers.
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Are you new to the forum? Most who have followed Aptera development know this. There are four stages of vehicle prototypes, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, with Delta being the production intent vehicle. The Delta is the vehicle that would/will undergo government standards safety testing for automobiles. (In the case of Aptera to be conducted by a third party with the results submitted to the government for review and approval). Aptera is not a car, (Autocycle/motorcycle) but Aptera has committed to successfully passing the standards for car safety testing. That testing is done with a production intent vehicle. So, the government wants the manufacturer to submit a vehicle that will be the same as that delivered to customers, thus the requirements for it to be as close to the same as a deliverable vehicle. The government does not want you to submit a “Special” vehicle just for testing then switch things around for delivered vehicles. Therefore, the requirement for the vehicle to be made with production parts, using production equipment, and production process.
Makes sense, right?
I think most Aptera enthusiasts support Aptera’s approach.
The LE will be the result of the Delta testing and any remediation of defects needed and resulting changes to parts or process.
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This reply was modified 5 months ago by John Malcom. Reason: update content
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This reply was modified 5 months ago by Gabriel Kemeny.
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This reply was modified 5 months ago by
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– How many production spec test mules will Aptera circulate in-house for benchmarking?
– How long and how intensively will they test their mules before starting delivery of the first 2000 Launch Edition cars?
– How much are they willing to tweak the car design after testing actual production vehicles for the first time ever?
– How long are they willing to delay Launch Edition manufacturing and deliveries to improve Version 1 based on test mules data?
