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Tire info and service
updated 6 days, 3 hours ago 57 Members · 114 Posts -
Because of the low weight and efficiency of the Aptera, it should be very easy on tires. I’m wondering if there is a way to estimate the reduced tire pollution, as compared with a large I.C.E.-powered SUV? I would guess somewhere around 30-50%. If we are reducing the impact of transportation where the (synthetic) rubber meets the road, the Aptera Paradigm wins again!
- This discussion was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by
Gabriel Kemeny. - This discussion was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by
Gabriel Kemeny. - This discussion was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by
Gabriel Kemeny. - This discussion was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by
Gabriel Kemeny. - This discussion was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by
Gabriel Kemeny. - This discussion was modified 2 months ago by
bbelcamino.
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I went to the tire shop to have the tires rotated on my Ford F-150 (yeah I know it’s an ICE vehicle but is only used for loads my Prius or eBike can’t handle. It sits in my driveway most of the time). Anyways while waiting for the technician to start I told him I was purchasing the Aptera and explained it is a new 3 wheel solar electric car that is going into production in December 2021. So I asked him. How do you rotate tires on a 3 wheel vehicle? He was stumped. He even asked his co-worker how to rotate a 3 wheel vehicle. He responded with a puzzled look on his face…
That being said, does anyone know how to rotate tires on a 3 wheel vehicle???
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Although this is not a validated reply I did have this conversation with an Aptera member who said….
Front wheels could be rotated but not the back necessarily.
We will hear when they get to that type of detail sharing
We do have Polaris Slingshot owners in the forum? Or you can speak directly to three wheel vehicle dealers of Polaris and Vanderhall, etc…
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The rear tire (driving wheel) of a Slingshot is significantly wider than the front tires and the front rims are 18″ while the rear is 20″.
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Do you know if front and rear wheels are the same? Are they the same in 2 wheel drive and 3 wheel drive versions?
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We were told, during a webinar, that all three tires would be the same. Later, one of the engineers suggested that the rear tire might be wider than the front tires.
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From “Car and Driver”: “Rotating your tires evens out the wear and makes them last longer. Proper rotation not only helps even out wear and extend the life of your tires, it provides the perfect opportunity to make certain all four wheels are in good working order.”
If all three tires on an Aptera are the same size then the answer would be “Clockwise or counter-clockwise.” If the rear tire is a different size then the front tires would just trade places with each other.
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If they are all the same, there are only two possible combinations:
Clockwise and counterclockwise.
If just the front, you just swap the two. If they are directional, you’d need them demounted and turned around then remounted. Like a Dodge Viper where they are directional and the rears are bigger.
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The way I would do it would be to switch the right front tire with the rear, leaving the left front in place. On the next rotation I would switch the left front with the rear, leaving the right front in place. At this point the former right front tire will be on the left front, but will have had a low stress period rolling in the rear position to reduce the stresses on the plies normally associated with switching a radial ply tire from one side to another (although I sense that this is less of a big deal now than we were taught when radial ply tires were new).
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I have not rotated tires from left to right in years, having been told tire rotation should not be reversed. On my cars with “staggered” (unequal) front and back, there’s no way to rotate at all. Be careful with inflation, watch for signs of alignment-caused wear, and that’s good enough. For a BEV, tire load on the Aptera isn’t too bad, so wear should be reasonable.
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Taking into consideration the wheel covers and in wheel motors, how easy or what’s the process if you had to change a flat tire (is there even a spare?)
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Aptera hasn’t shown the finnished wheel cover design but they have stated that it will be very easy to remove the covers. The in wheel motors won’t have any affect on the process. There won’t be a spare tire but the wheel and tires will be a standard type that is stocked in most shops.
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This does raise the question of what kind of wheels?
The possibilities range from the funky steel wheels secured by three nuts like the Citroen 2CV (lightweight vehicle) to styles aluminum or other more exotic designs. Styling would be secondary as the wheels are enclosed fully in fenders for aerodynamics.
I’ve had one flat with a ‘spare-less’ car and ended up driving very slowly on the flat for about a mile to a tire shop. I did that after the spray stuff proved ineffective. Care was taken to allow the wheel ‘survived’ the ordeal but the flat tire was toast. As it was a standard rim size, I got a used replacement at the shop and ordered a new set of tires for the rear axle.
It would obviously have been a more expensive issue if the wheel had been damaged. Which of course, begs the question, what kind of wheels – plain, stamped steel from a Chevy or Ford, or some custom styled light-weight alloy? Which will be standard on the Aptera?
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Here’s what the alphas have and currently use 195/45 R16 tires.
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Speaking of changing a tire. Will their be a jack kit in the vehicle? Including whatever tool(s) needed to remove the wheel covers?
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It’s too soon in the developmental process to have information about tool kits but, as Riley mentioned above, Aptera has said that the wheels will be easy to access. Traditionally, fender skirts on automobiles were held in place with latches or some other sort of locking mechanism that didn’t require a special tool to remove. I suspect we’ll see a removeable panel of some sort on Aptera.
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With no spare tire, which I am fine with, I will be keeping a tire plug kit and a small compressor behind one of the seats. If I get a puncture, I will be OK until I can get to a tire shop. If I damage the sidewall then I will need a flatbed tow-truck anyway. My insurance includes roadside assistance. I have had 2 flats from punctures and a blowout at high speed in the last 10 years, so I would not say a flat is rare. A spare was useful during the blowout, but I am willing to take the risk for the weight savings.
Update, I looked at the FAQ and saw that there will be a 110 AC outlet in the car. With that I would use a small 110 volt compressor rather than some anemic 12v unit.
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The majority of new cars sold in the US come with a small compressor and a can of tire gunk in lieu of a spare tire.
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How to proceed in an event of a flat tire?, Aptera provide a jack and a Flat tire kit?
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This has been answered in the FAQ spreadsheet
No spare tire
Flat tire leak repair kit ( can )
No jack or tire iron, (too much added weight)
There will be lift points, (not yet shown) Wheel covers will be easy to remove. Some unclipping expected
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I read somewhere that the wheels and/or tyres might be slightly larger on the off-road models. Am I right?
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I haven’t heard that but I hope so! 45 profile is not making me excited about off-roading with it. Also the 195/45/R16 doesn’t have any all terrain options. Any chance you can find where you saw that?
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Bruce thank you for your feedback, I understand the no metallic jack and tire on the Aptera keeping weight. Then my question, does Aptera will supply as a kit something similar to the X-Jack Exhaust Jack, or it is our responsibility as driver to buy one?
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I would plan on it being our responsibility. They may offer a kit down the road but that’s years down the road. I just got a Kia Niro EV and had to buy a (hyundai sonata) full size spare tire and jack (subaru) and wrench.
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For an 1800 lb car, a small electric jack should suffice. There are several types, sizes and weights available on line. A better solution might be an auto club membership, for a tow to a tire shop.
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Does anyone know what size tires/wheels the Aptera uses or will use when released? I didn’t see the wheel or tire size listed on the vehicle specification document. Also, what is the spare tire or flat repair strategy, full size spare, can o’ stuff?
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” The rims are “standard” – Aptera currently rolls on 195/45 R16 rubber.”
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How do you add air to the tires when only 30-40% of the tire is accessible? Do you have to add air to a tire, roll forward / backward until another tire is in the right position, etc.?
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I will guess you remove the cover and top off the front tires. For the rear if you need to place something on the ground, do so lay on it and top off. If it’s incomprehensible you can always pay someone to do it.
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As light as the Aptera is the tires should last just about forever.
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Except that most tire makers recommend relacing them after about 8 years due to degradation (not wear).
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After viewing some of the current track testing I noticed the rear tire not tracking with any of the turns and taking a bit of drag on it’s lateral sides. Sure some of the turning in the videos is a bit hard due to that particular test. but How much lateral wear will come from every day driving? How it will effect the tires longevity. Will it wear out on the outsides before the middle.
Any thoughts?
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The tires are so lightly loaded, the interest in High Efficiency (thus at slightly elevated pressure), and opportunities for Driving at that level are so Rare in Day-to-Day driving, I believe that the Center of the tread will probably wear to the Warning Bars first. RANK CONJECTURE on My Part.
