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Third seat options
Had a interesting discussion on the aptera third seat today.
Aptera announced there will be a third seat option and i wonder if thats for adults or for childs-only.
I also wonder if aptera will make changes to the bottom structure for this option. For example, the difference between 25kwh and 100kwh will be significant in terms of space usage. The smallest option could leave for mors bottom space for a third chair.
Thoughts?
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This discussion was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by
bbelcamino.
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This discussion was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by
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37 Replies
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Third seat options
updated 4 months, 2 weeks ago
21 Members
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37
Replies
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I got the impression that was a “somewhere, sometime down the road” thing. I wouldn’t expect it in the near term.
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Third seat is the smartest thing they can do. Changes your target drastically. It would be nice though for it to still folds for a flat floor for camping.
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My understanding
Possible for future iteration…
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CA mentioned that the third seat would be an option on the base (250 mile version with the smaller battery) vehicle. So sense that model will not be available with in a year they will have time to work on making the third seat.
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Some adults are rather small. But certainly a child after the age of mandatory car-seats, and up to 100 pounds can fit on a redesigned front seat(s). I had a ford ranger that had “bucket seats” that included a fold up arm rest in the middle and sitting area with seat belt in the middle. Total width fits in the Aptera.
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Can the 3rd seat simply be in the form of a bridge between the 2 front seats?
Maybe a bit indented to the back if needed?
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The armrest in the Aptera is removable. Take it out and put a cushion down on top of the tunnel. There is your third seat. Install a seat belt and you can even be legal. If you want to get fancy, design and build, or find an aftermarket seat that incorporates a fold down arm rest like in the picture above. I have seen some on the internet. You don’t have to wait for Aptera to build a custom front seat arrangement. Also CA’s “basic model” he mentioned when asked about a third seat, is the Aptera. Other models he talked about are future models with four wheels, van, suv, etc. The third seat option will fit in all mileage ranges.
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This reply was modified 8 months ago by Francis Giroux.
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This reply was modified 8 months ago by
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The height in gamma above the deck behind the seats as measured by me at Fully Charged is 21.5 inches. That doesn’t leave enough space for a standard infant car seat which is commonly 26 inches inside height. They will have to carve out some of that back deck to make room for a seat. There was a large bump hidden under the center back in the beta where the back wheel suspension was. That will make it very hard to add a seat if it is still there. TLDR; THERE IS CURRENTLY NOT ENOUGH VERTICAL SPACE TO PUT ANY KIND OF SEAT BACK THERE WITHOUT CARVING OUT THE DECK.
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We really would love the option for a third seat to enable safe and legal transportation for a child in a car seat; we’re trying to start a family and really want to hold our reservation, but if it’s only for future iterations we’ll have to wait. Who wants to wait even longer?! Yuck!
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Would really love a 3rd seat for a child coming up. As long it’s enough to fit a baby seat, I’m sure my families and friends will be ecstatic to the point of wanting an Aptera as well.
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Apter has said there will be no third seat (Adult or child) in the first production Aptera. Perhaps in the next iteration of this Aptera and of cournse in the Four/five seater to come in the future.
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@Christopher Carter If there was a baby/infant seat that could be attached to cargo tie-downs, that could probably work – but all of the available baby/infant/child seats are designed to attach to standard “adult” seats.
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From the Republic discussion, official reply by Aptera:
We like the idea of the third seat but it is far down on our priorities list right now. I’d expect us to be able to work on this in 2024. And I would think it would only be possible on the 250 and 400 mile range options.
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What are the child seat requirements for 3-wheel motorcycles and autocycles?
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@Dennis Swaney There don’t seem to be any Federal safety standards for carrying children, infants or babies on motorcycles or autocycles… https://www.nhtsa.gov/document/summary-vehicle-occupant-protection-and-motorcycle-laws-fourteenth-edition
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I don’t think there is a Federal definition of an autocycle, they are just motorcycles. Many states distinguish autocycles from motorcycles, not mine unfortunately, and they may have rules regarding children in autocycles. You would have to check your state’s laws to get and answer as to whether a child is allowed to ride in an autocycle.
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I was just curious because laws on carrying children being different in every state. IIRC, just about all require them to be in the rear seat of a car or truck until they reach a certain age, weight, height, or all of them. I Have a Miata and after my nephew was born in 1994 it was a few years before I took him for a ride in it and even then I just drove around the block in his neighborhood. I don’t have to worry about being in that situation but since most states seem to mandate rear seat carry, it sounds illegal to carry children in a two seat vehicle, be it a Miata or Aptera. However, it would be interesting to see what state laws say.
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CA has exceptions when it’s acceptable for a properly restrained baby or child to ride in the front seat are: There is no back seat in the vehicle, like in a truck or two-seater car.
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From the delta video, it appears that the central tunnel is no longer part of the structure.
In previous forum discussions, one of the third-seat proposals is to replace the existing two seats with a three-person bench-seat. It’s not possible for gamma because of the central tunnel, which is said to be necessary for structural integrity. I am wondering whether the CDC and body-on-frame design of delta makes the bench-seat a possibility for after-market mod.
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So that middle passenger can smash their face into the center display during a front end collision?
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Yes, exactly. Who needs a center display, or face for that matter, after a major accident? 🙂
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Could you please link that Delta video you are referring to?
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This video:
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That is the same video that was on YouTube about 10 – 11 days ago. Nowhere in it do they show the interior, rather all that is shown are the outside body panels (sans solar) and the wheels.
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That vodeo doesn’t show the inner tub. The tunnel is still there in this video:
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I think you’re right! Steve touches on how it’s now flat like a skateboard. Here at about the 5:30 mark…
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No, he is talking about the sub-frame on which the body will sit. There isn’t anything on the interior design.
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It’s not whether the interior design will have a central tunnel. I am pretty sure the current design asks for a central tunnel coming with the two seats. We were also told that for gamma, the central tunnel not only serves as a design feature but is needed for the structure integrity of the vehicle, which means removing the central tunnel is not possible.
Now with CPC and body in frame for the Delta, the question is whether the central tunnel is no longer needed as a structural component. If it’s not needed for structure, then a modification can be done to replace the two single seats and the central tunnel with a bench-seat that accommodate three persons.
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We’ll just have to wait until Aptera decides to be open and show the COMPLETE Delta instead of being coy with their partial graphics of just the out side body panels (sans solar) to see what the tentative production MIGHT be. Remember they are over a year behind schedule since they had planned the first vehicles would be delivered by the end of 2022.
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For all those clamoring for a third seat, here’s the final Delta production intent design – perhaps this render will make it obvious just how much space (or lack thereof) there is for any kind of third seat. That center armrest is at most about 6″ wide – any kind of center tunnel is not an issue; lack of space is.
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Fair point. I do not know how the interior width of Aptera compares with other compact cars (Honda Fit, VW Golf, etc). I image the backseat of these compact cars be a good approximate of how a three-person bench seat would look like in an Apetra.
Honda Fit (note that it has a fairly narrow central tray):
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How’s this option looking for the launch edition for a future upgrade/modification?
