g-n
Forum Replies Created
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To those criticizing this request for its triviality:
You and I might buy an Aptera even if the side logo is distracting to other drivers and ugly-big/bright – out of altruistic environmental concern alone.
But some fraction of potential buyers won’t. If we want the vehicle to have maximum impact on the market, we should want to help them improve the product and increase its appeal.
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A single-seater or tandem (like Volkswagen L1) would be great – especially if cheaper. Could still do the monocoque safety cell; that would set it apart from all velomobiles I know of – even Northern Lights (no testing that I’m aware of).
I do wonder whether the risks from side winds increase significantly if it gets much lighter or the side-area-to-weight ratio changes. I think those considerations went into their decision to seat side-by-side.
I appreciate the discussion about second cars. I imagine many households are like ours: 1 car gets a single commuter around; the other gets the whole family around. So optimizing for those two conditions would make sense as the two first models.
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They made a couple videos going into the testing conducted on the in-wheel motors – they’re clearly thinking about the same hazards you are. After watching those, I’m not tremendously concerned.
They also claimed that some fancy electronics will help minimize the effects of high unsprung weight. They’re also obviously going to great lengths to reduce motor (and entire wheel assembly) weight. I’ll be very interested in what impartial reviews conclude regarding whether that challenge has been sufficiently tamed.
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I’m pretty concerned about winter highway driving on 3 wheels. Seems like a high probability of fishtailing in the inevitable mound of slush (or black ice), even with torque vectoring. But who knows, maybe torque vectoring is more effective than I expect??
The only 3-wheelers I see around here are weekend/3-season toys like Can Ams and Slingshots, whereas I’d want an Aptera specifically as a commuter. I suppose I could just work from home on those days….