You may soon witness one of these space-age electric vehicles cruising down your neighborhood when production models of the Aptera Typ-1 start in October 2008. Resembling an aircraft sans the wings, the body of this three-wheeler is made from composites used in aircraft construction.
Aptera’s founder Steve Fambro wanted to build a vehicle that is “safe,
comfortable, and the most fuel-efficient ever”. He hypothesized that a
low-drag, aerodynamic body shape could significantly reduce energy
wastage, and that this could be achieved without sacrificing comfort,
drivability or safety.
The first prototype generated much media
coverage as it clocked 230 miles per gallon (about 98 km per liter).
Seating up to three passengers, including the driver, the Aptera Typ-1
can run up to 120 mils on a full charge on the highways. It takes only
a few hours to recharge. To make the vehicle more environment-friendly,
even the seats and flooring in the Aptera Typ-1 are made from recycled
materials.
Besides driver and passenger airbags, the EV is equipped
with energy absorbing foam and crumpling alloys to redirect energy from
impacts. A “Forumla-1 style” composite safety cocoon shields the
occupants from cockpit intrusion. Passenger comfort comes from the
multi-zone comfort control system with directed heating or cooling to
the passengers. The only catch is, the windows cannot be rolled down.
www.aptera.com