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Rear Hatch view and info
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Rear Hatch view and info
updated 2 weeks, 2 days ago 49 Members · 95 Replies
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I wonder if it will be relatively dark inside the cabin if the rear window is sacrificed for rear panels
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@Edward Goodley – with massive side windows and a large windscreen, I think the cabin will be sufficiently bright. The Beta interior features an off-white headliner which serves to increase the sense of light and space.
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Another benefit of the rear solar hatch instead of glass is the lack of greenhouse effect from the large area of glass. I live in the CA desert and with a similar hatch the interior of my Volt gets extremely hot if not parked in the shade. I can adapt to the lack of visibility with the solar hatch if camera coverage is sufficient.
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@Matthew Goike – rear visibility via cameras should be significantly BETTER than trying to see through the steeply-raked rear hatch glass…
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I like the extra power that the solar hatch offers but I also like being able to see behind me without relying on a camera. For now I’m considering laying a pv panel on the floor inside the hatch so it can gather some sunshine without blocking my view. I remember years ago hearing MIT was working on transparent PV, anyone know if they’ve made progress with this?
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Even without the solar panels you won’t be able to see behind you: there ISN’T a rearview mirror. The mirror has been replaced by the display screen for the rearview camera. If you want to use your Eyeball, Mk. 1, you’ll have to at turn your head around 180 degrees. While you’re doing that, you might run into someone in front of you. When I learned about the camera display replacing the mirror, I added the solar panels to the hatch.
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There are combined rear view mirrors and displays, if they use one of those then you’ll still be able to see out the back when it’s in mirror mode.
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Aptera may have thought about some of these options, although this may be a case of “maybe in the future”
From an Aptera patent application:
As shown in <figref idrefs=”DRAWINGS”>FIG. 4</figref>, and in a similar manner to the embodiments described above in the context of a group of solar cells on a dashboard, the vehicle 100 can also include a group 120 of solar cells 122 in the interior of the vehicle beneath the rear windshield 402. In some embodiments, the solar cells may be located on a rear shelf, perhaps behind seating, or on the floor of a rear storage area. In some of these embodiments, the coating may include a protective layer, or a protective layer may be placed or formed to the coating, to protect the solar cells. The protective layer may include texturing, such as ribs between the solar cells, to limit the movement of objects placed in the storage area.
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my 2 cents, keep the rear view high. For Backup, low does better for finding toys and small children.
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For me, parking in a garage most of the time I cant give up the rear glass. Plus one can easily get solar panels and lay them in the rear so the window is not blocked, at least thats my plan.
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I ordered mine with an open rear window, no solar there. Just too old to give up over the shoulder check behind me as well as the open feel. All the other comments are great to read and hear about camera rear mirror etc, I doubt the 2 view points would be included with the thin backend this has.
However, I do wonder how much heat a glass back will add? Full Sun on this window on an already warm day. makes me wonders how many BTUs this will add? Wondering if I should change to Solar Rear and if that would save much heat? I like cold and hate heat, I know some are not as bothered by heat as I am.
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The Delta design of the rear hatch:
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I currently didn’t order the solar on the hatch. I may. $600 for an extra 18 miles per day is pretty tempting. Then again my driveway doesn’t get sun all day. Many parking spaces may but you would have to park strategically. Even a van that parks next to you may block some sun.
I wonder how sensitive Aptera will be to partial shade? Many solar panel configurations stop producing power if a corner is shaded. Is the front on a separate string from the back?
I am starting to think I won’t miss any view out of the back. IDK Torn.
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Hopefully the Aptera team will show a Delta rendering with the back hatch having a glass window without the solar cells.
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@Wayne Forkum They’ve received several requests for this. I’m certain that, once things settle down a bit, they’ll get to it. We also need to see the non-solar hood…
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I saw a rendering of an interior view, looking backward at the hatch area with full solar. It reminded me of a cave. Having slight claustrophobia, as most people do, I am going to have to rethink about whether I want full solar or a window.
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Another zinger from Jason Hill. After years of showing us a back window, The Aptera team has removed it from the production. Announcement was on Aptera Owners Club interview. Can’t wrap my head around it. Disappointed.
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I don’t follow…The hatch is a glass window unless you get Full solar
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Yeah, I heard him say that in the interview also. He said the overwhelming majority overwhelming majority of reservations were for solar hatch. You can still order glass, so if that’s enough orders come in for that option, I would hope they would provide it. Personally, I’m going for the solar hatch, but I would be disappointed if I couldn’t get what I wanted.
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It is part of the Launch Edition which is FULL SOLAR. The later non-LE vehicles will have glass hatches unless you add the $600 solar hatch option. Only the roof and dash solar panels will be standard on the non-LE vehicles and there are two single optional solar packages: nose solar panel for $300 and the above mentioned hatch solar panel. “Full Solar” adds both of those options for $900.
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Jason says a LOT of things – and HAS said a lot of things – that were more based on dreams, ideas and wishes than they were on reality. And we – as a group – are so hungry for information that we tend to pounce on every little thing as if it’s gospel and/or a “done deal”.
Do I, personally, NEED the solar hatch and hood? No – my Aptera will be garaged. (In order to park it in the sun I’d need to drive it 2 miles away and leave it in the middle of the Walmart parking lot.) Do I WANT to spend the extra $900? No. Will I drop Aptera if they make “full solar” the only option? No.
With any such “pronouncement” I think it’s best to adopt a “wait and see” attitude: When I see it confirmed in writing from Aptera or I hear it announced by Chris A or Steve, THEN I’ll believe it.
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The LE has no options and I suspect that they are going hard into minimal options in the future and I think that’s smart. It’s more cost effective to build one configuration than to build many, you save on engineering, on inventory management, tooling costs, and component costs because you have higher volumes of each component. From a customer standpoint you get more for your money.
Personally I have no use for solar and would prefer a rear window but if full solar is standard them I’m fine with that. Windows are all custom, there is no such thing as an off the shelf window for a vehicle especially one that’s as unusually shaped as the Aptera. If they always have solar panels on the rear then they don’t have to design a rear window, they don’t have to pay a glass manufacture to make the tooling for that window, and they don’t have to inventory them at several hundred dollars a piece. They also don’t have to have two sets of tooling for the body components because every car is the same.
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Hi Wayne, can you please post a link to the video where you saw this statement made by Jason?
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Thank you for providing this interesting video, Wayne. It does clear up the confusion that the post created. Nobody at Aptera has actually directly and officially stated that there is not going to be any rear glass hatch option. They have only stated that more people ordered full solar and that they are fully supporting this approach, especially upfront.
It is important to remember that both Jason and Chris tend to exaggerate sometimes to drive home the viewpoint they want people to believe. Jason redirects hard questions by going back to his “ethos” crutch on a regular basis, waxing philosophically. Chris talks about “amazing” things that come from a specific company viewpoint.
For instance, your video shows Chris stating that from the pre-orders “they knew what the most popular interior was.” How could that possibly be true? The white/gray interior was first sprung on everyone with Gamma. The online pre-order form only (still) includes Codex, Coast, and Vida options, NONE of which are the white/gray interior that they instead decided internally amongst themselves to go with.
I can see the appeal of full solar for many people and believe it is a great option to have. Nonetheless, due to the poorly designed view-blocking side door windows and the desire to not feel like I am driving down the road in a dark coffin with the rear blocked even more, I personally prefer the solar roof/hood option with an open view rear glass hatch and as such have retained my original non-LE order configuration.
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I have not heard anything official from someone ‘in the know’ about this. One of my orders is for my daughter. This will be her second vehicle so she will not be very experienced at street driving. My thoughts were that it would be safer for her if she could see out the back. This could just be me projecting my experiences, as she is much more tech savvy than I am. Unfortunately, she spends half her waking hours staring at a small screen so this may not even be an issue for her at all. For me, I was not going to make my final decision on the rear hatch until I sat in both, outside in the sun. Apteras Launch Edition has kind of forced my hand and I will go with it for me.
I do see how they could make the rear windowed hatch with the addition of three pieces. Using the existing (well, proposed) interior piece, and machining out a hole. I know it would be a little bit wasteful, but maybe not as much as a separate mold for this part. Then they would have a new molded exterior piece covering the entire hatch area, with a hole slightly larger than the underside, and a ridge to hold glass and a separate seal. I feel like I got to wordy and still didn’t convey this very well so I will stop here.
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What does everyone think about having the rear hatch removable. I don’t plan on having it removed for long periods of time, but if I want to haul… Let’s say a tree in the back of the Aptera, I could just take a few bolts off, and disconnect the solar connector, and viola I have a very light duty truck.
I would love it if it’s feasible, but what are some problems I’m not seeing?
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If that makes you happy.
Remember you really only have about a 200# cargo weight limit. ( 500# total vehicle payload for best ride
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I doubt that would be a factor in short uses like he mentioned.
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You will also have to disconnect the the CHMSL and the rear view camera (not to be confused with the reverse camera) as they are on the hatch.
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That is a good point, I completely forgot about the rear view “mirror”. That may add to the complications.
I would definitely take into consideration the payload, I’m just thinking about out of the ordinary items. Nothing too crazy. I’m not trying to fill the back with gravel or anything.
