No side mirrors

[kerbe2705]

Probably because they’re legally accepted replacements for mirrors everywhere on the planet except the US…

[ray-holan]

Looks like we’ll be stuck with side mirrors for now. Chris Anthony stated as much in a December 2021 video.

[RajGiandeep]

At least the drivers side for now. But this could change. it’s not just aptera that wants this change in the usa

[greg-mirich]

If we have to have a drivers side mirror, maybe the powers to be will at least provide a passenger side camera and monitor. I think the autocycle requirement is that the driver side has to have a mirror. Maybe APTERA can make available a monitor, bracket and wiring harness so that a customer could install a driver side camera when the law changes.

[Shawgrin]

Maybe they could put a snap on glass mirror over or under the camera so you would have both until the law changed and then remove the mirror

[joshua-rosen]

Retractable mirrors and camera’s would be the best solution. The mirrors are only there for regulatory reasons if you have camera’s you don’t actually need them. If the mirrors were retractable so that they wouldn’t contribute to drag but could be folded out for inspection then the regulatory requirement could be met without compromising the aerodynamics of the car. Tesla mirrors fold in when parked, the only difference here would be that you could fold them in when driving also. If the camera’s were to fail then you would also have the option of using the mirrors normally, nice to have back up.

[wes-man]

This sounds cool, but I’m pretty sure adding something like this, right now would be more trouble than it’s worth. How would they have time to validate the durability of a retractable mirror right now, and also make sure it doesn’t cause any leaks or add additional wind noise, through the retractable mechanism?

I’m not against some $20 bolt on motorcycle mirrors from Amazon and keeping them in my glove box until someone asks otherwise.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  Wes Man.

[brandon-shaffer]

I’m a little late to this conversation, but I just joined the community and wanted to share a thought or two about the side mirrors.

Most people on this thread don’t like the side mirrors. I’m agnostic, but we don’t really have a choice – at least not in the US. Until the law is repealed or changed, we’re stuck with them.

So, if we must have side mirrors, why do we need the extra screens inside the cabin? They were originally located on the sides of the cabin, and now they’re behind the steering wheel (yoke). But, why? Can’t the video now be projected on the center monitor instead?

If we must have the mirrors, then I think they should simplify the cabin and remove the excessive monitors. My 2 cents.

[OZ.]

Brandon, the physical side mirrors that are being installed, are there just to meet the minimum area size requirement, if you look at the way they have been designed, their main feature is being constructed in a way as to present the minimum drag. The long thin shape is probably pretty useless for viewing for most folk. They are also designed so as to be removed easily when the laws catch up to reality, and will detach and leave the far superior camera mirrors in place.

[wingsounds13]

As Oz indicated, the mirrors are there strictly for compliance. The real rear view vision system is the camera system. The center rear-view is also video whether you get the glass rear hatch or the (opaque) solar hatch.

[Mangoat]

I might be wrong, but I could have sworn in one of the many Aptera coverage videos on YouTube it was mentioned that the side “mirrors” we see are easily removable, with the cameras in the stem/arm of said “mirror.”

Saying “mirror” because I believe they also stated they aren’t actual mirrors, but reflective surface that works well enough for it to pass as a mirror.