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These 3-wheeled "legally a motorbike" car things are always an unpopular niche. Fantastic efficiency and a low price, but most people would rather shell out for

by wisty 4y ago

These 3-wheeled "legally a motorbike" car things are always an unpopular niche. Fantastic efficiency and a low price, but most people would rather shell out for a full-sized car. They're legally motorbikes, so they are often not as safe as cars. This one boasts "eggshell" composites for crash safety, but often the lack of mass makes it hard to make these as safe as a heavier vehicle. 2 seats. It seems to have a lot of storage (25 cubic feet) but I bet it handles very badly if it's weighed down. I can't find any mention of performance. I bet it's relying a lot on the high low-end torque of electric motors, and aerodynamic design at high speeds, and I wouldn't be surprised if it still handles quite slowly. I found a claim somewhere that it's over 99mph, which isn't exactly stunning. There's already plenty of 3-wheeled EVs, the SARIT, ElectraMeccanica Solo, Spirtus EV as well as this one - https://electricautonomy.ca/2021/05/10/electric-three-wheeled-vehicles/ https://electricautonomy.ca/2021/05/10/electric-three-wheele... These things never do that well. It's not because they're a terrible idea, they just have a lot of compromises. Of course, if conventional cars are too expensive (either the high upfront cost of an EV, or the high running costs of a gas guzzler) then it does make them a little more attractive. Every time gas goes up, you see a bunch of people driving motorbikes or scooters to work to save money. Something that's legally a scooter but has a nice canopy could make a bit more sense, but it rarely seems to catch on.

incompatible 4y ago
Where I live, having a license to drive a car doesn't give you a license to ride a motorcycle. You have to go through whole stages of training/certification.
- Kon-Peki 4y ago
  That's the same where I live, but there are plenty of motorcycle learn-to-ride classes that cost maybe $200 and provide the motorcycle. On the last day of the course, a person from the state comes by, supervises the testing, and (if you pass) signs the paperwork to get your license. It's about as easy as it can be; if you want this Aptera thing a motorcycle license is not a barrier. What concerns me more is that they have their factory in Carlsbad, CA. I don't think there are too many worse places to put a factory if you have a price point to meet, and I doubt that there is any space to expand.
  - incompatible 4y ago
    It's a bit harder here, since you go through several stages, firstly a "learner license", with an "L" plate on the vehicle, then a "provisional license", with a "P" plate, before getting a full license. I think it's a somewhat expensive and time-consuming process. I haven't done it that way personally, I got a car drivers license decades ago, when it was easy, and swapped it every time I moved countries. Getting a new license for a motorcycle isn't very appealing.
namlem 4y ago
The battery adds a lot of weight so thing thing is heavier than a gas powered trike. I believe 1800lbs for the base model and 2500lbs for the longest range one.

by wisty 4y ago

incompatible 4y ago

Where I live, having a license to drive a car doesn't give you a license to ride a motorcycle. You have to go through whole stages of training/certification.

Kon-Peki 4y ago
That's the same where I live, but there are plenty of motorcycle learn-to-ride classes that cost maybe $200 and provide the motorcycle. On the last day of the course, a person from the state comes by, supervises the testing, and (if you pass) signs the paperwork to get your license. It's about as easy as it can be; if you want this Aptera thing a motorcycle license is not a barrier. What concerns me more is that they have their factory in Carlsbad, CA. I don't think there are too many worse places to put a factory if you have a price point to meet, and I doubt that there is any space to expand.
- incompatible 4y ago
  It's a bit harder here, since you go through several stages, firstly a "learner license", with an "L" plate on the vehicle, then a "provisional license", with a "P" plate, before getting a full license. I think it's a somewhat expensive and time-consuming process. I haven't done it that way personally, I got a car drivers license decades ago, when it was easy, and swapped it every time I moved countries. Getting a new license for a motorcycle isn't very appealing.

namlem 4y ago

The battery adds a lot of weight so thing thing is heavier than a gas powered trike. I believe 1800lbs for the base model and 2500lbs for the longest range one.