Aptera Beats Tesla? | In Depth 

So glad you interviewed Steve & Chris! The Aptera is not for everyone, but I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will want one, just because it will be so very cheap to operate.

You charge the Aptera to its 1,000 range (or whatever it ends up being), and then keep it there with the free charging supplied by the solar skin of the car. You might need to plug it in once every 6 months, or once per year, depending. This car has an electric charging port, so you can charge it. You can charge it overnight just like Tesla, but with a standard 110 volt plug. Twenty five thousand dollars, deduct all the federal and state incentives, and you end up with a totally affordable car for most people.

Quite possibly the only car that you DON'T want to park in the shade.

If they can deliver this will be the first solar powered car which seems worth it to me. Good compromise between efficiency and practicality at a reasonable price.

That's where it went wrong for Aptera - they hired a management company from Detroit.

I got this from the Aptera site. not as dangerous as it looks? We will not know Aptera's actual rating until we pass a production vehicle through the full safety test. But we are designing to exceed all passenger car standards and the previous version had the highest roof crush strength of all passenger cars on the road, and it performed exceedingly well in actual side and frontal crash tests. Aptera features a Formula One-inspired safety cell with advanced composites and metal structures for impact strength. Similar to aerospace and racing, these energy-absorbing methods are a core part of our safety strategy and have proven effective time and time again in high speed impacts. Aptera also makes use of today’s best forward and side airbag systems in case of an accident.

There's one thing automakers need to take into consideration: a big percentage of auto work commuters do go to work on their own. Therefore no need for a super giga SUV for that kind of use. And as far as single ppl go, the Aptera can do everyting for them.

I’ve been watching Aptera since they started years ago in San Diego. I’ve got email from them as early as August 2009, when I considered buying one. Seriously wanted to work for them. Then they got caught up in Detroit madness, then overcooked the batteries in the challenge they entered. They faded away and were rumored to have sold to some Chinese investors. Glad to see them back! Still want one! I wish that Elio Motors could get some traction too.

This channel is the most expensive thing in my life, first a cybertruck now an aptera, next maybe solar roofing who knows, but I'll probably find it here.

I’m liking the all black with neon green branding - This is what a car in 2021 should look like. Something out of blade runner

I always wanted to get an Aptera, paint it T-Rex lizard skin with teeth and name it the RAPTERA.

the way things are heading, not having to rely a person's access to fuel, or even a place to charge, really appears like a game changer with this vehicle............

I think you are discounting the look as being negative. I think many people will buy it because it looks distinctive.

Actually... the “p” must be pronounced. The word aptera is inspired by “apteron” which means “wingless”: a-pteron; the “a” denotes “lack of” and “pteron” is Ancient Greek for “wing”.

I immediately fell in love with the looks of Aptera, It doesn't look weird at all. Now, I've really had to strain to appreciate the Cybertruck. This one was easy!

People keep saying that the APTERA does not look good. The first thing that I thought was, what a great looking ride, and I can’t wait to get mine. By the way I will be 82 next month😆

Honestly I wish Tesla had a small solar panel to offset phantom drain, any range increase would just be a bonus

I feel like id buy this in australia. I would literally never have to charge, be a perfect commute car. I heard they were looking at 4 wheel, 4 seater version in the future. If so thatll definately be coming home with me even if it is less efficient version. Its unique look just adds to the appeal.

Wonderful, wonderful. Wonderful squared! We have owned and maintained 40+ cars and trucks for over 40 years. Currently we have a 12 wheel Peterbilt roll-off platform for machinery moving. Had lots of motorcycles too. We know auto-mechanics! However this Aptera takes the cake AND the brass ring too....for economic, applied aerodynamic ergonomics for human transport, and some charging by sunpower to boot! What's not to drool over? I'm signing up!

The most important thing's that we learned is Munroe Associates is involved in the production process, better chance to see a production Aptera on the road and near the price announce!

When I heard Sandy was part of the gang I was sold.

I hope it's successful. I want to be able to look back in 20 or 30 years and realize all the cars in 2050 are completely different from the cars in the early 2000s.

it looks like a plane had a kid with a 3 wheel motorcycle. i like it

Pre-ordered mine with your referral code! Wishing all the best for Aptera!

So glad you guys covered Aptera. I've been following them since 2006 and was one of the investors in 2019 that helped them come back. Looking forward to getting an Aptera myself. My driveway is going to be the only non-boring driveway in my neighborhood with an Aptera and a Cybertruck side by side.

This is a follow up to my last point, the drag on a car is minuscule below 50 mph. The predominate issue is tire friction. That being said, if you are driving to work in this every day on surface streets, then you completely killed utility due to the tear drop shape for no gain at all in aerodynamics. This is likely why the BMW car - made for city use - did not compromise on internal utility. You are not going 60mph driving inside the city. BMW is not stupid. They are heavy into formula 1 racing. They know EXACTLY about aerodynamics. This is fundamentally why it has skinny tires.

The appearance and shape of the vehicle will have negligible impact on sales. The big question is whether or not this will make it to delivery. If it does, it will find a niche among EVs.

The Aptera will be one of the most significant & important vehicles in automobile history. Super efficient and (mostly)self-sustaining. It will quickly make all other EVs without similar attributes completely obsolete.

I am 100% in on Aptera, i love the design and am dying to see them come to market . In My dreams My driveway has an Aptera parked next to my Cybertruck ;)

Well done everyone! I’m an engineer and obsessed with form following function. I would buy one of these in a heartbeat. If you focus group design a car, you always end up with a compromise. It’s worth remembering that VW did this with the XL1, but it was £100k design exercise.

Honestly I love the way the thing looks it’s this futuristic tear drop coup and that’s dope

Would like to see how safe it is in a crash .

I like the design. It’s an airplane body without wings and a vertical stabilizer. I love it.

This is the EV I'd choose (the 1000mile version) out of all the EVs available right now If I had the money and it was available in my country.

If Aptera is delivering vehicles when we're ready to buy, it's going to be a tough call. I've been in love with the design, even in the old days when it was a hybrid.

1000% Visionary vs every other box like automakers, including Tesla , I really hope we see this type of innovation continue. It's also interesting to note the rising cost of electricity in most countries so a car that can recharge without the grid even more attractive.

It's ok to look different. Witness Cybertruck.

Gas car companies must be going crazy right now.

i'd love to see more diversity in vehicles on the street so this has my support :D

It looks great , I like It so much ! I would like to have an Aptera for my weekly trip from Milan to Tuscany i am sure Leonardo da Vinci's land would greatly appreciate its hyper-efficient design. I remember that Leonardo was the first to understand that friction is the most important obstacle to overcome in order to be able to build functioning machines.

correction: 34k gives you 600 miles not 400. You can get that one for 30k.

Ah yes. On New Years Day too. HNY to you. Just while I'm waiting for dinner to cook; enjoying a cocktail [ok, several], and you guys [inc Brent and Bobby] put in the effort to keep with the In-Depth series. It's appreciated. 👍

the efficiency is what makes me want this thing

We’d now entered the Jetson era. I remember watching the Jetson cartoons some decades back and wondering if cars like this would ever exist in my lifetime. Not only did this come true. I can actually buy one.

They should take this and do the nikola challenge rolling down that hill in Nevada. Would beat the model 3 record.

I live in SD and have seen them on the road, thinking what kind of Arcimoto is that? Now I know! Some might find the Aptera ugly; not me. I think it’s exciting and truly representative of our 21st “new century” disruptive space age.

Total game changer. I bet they can do a 4 seater and still be efficient beyond the most efficient other EVs.

I’m on board with this company. Definitely investing in this SEV

I was disappointed that the elephant in the room of **safety** was not addressed in this video.

I’d hate to get into an accident in this thing lol

I love the look of the Aptera; It's so futuristic functional. People are scared of change and therefore won't think out of the box. Even Tesla is guilty of that to a minute degree when it comes to body design and solar options. Honestly if you are going to be progressive in EV/green industry then you can't limit yourself. After all the sun power is free even on a cloudy day and who would turn down a free meal when they're hungry? Personally, I still like the idea of a hybrid gas engine rear wheel option even if it's just to get you home for one reason or another. But that's just me. The best options in any vehicle are Affordability, Comfort, Reliability, Inexpensive maintenance and of course mileage. in this day and age Purchase Cost, let's not forget why VW and Honda really made it in the competitive energy business market their affordability and just barely. Volkswagens cost $1200+/- and if you bought a Cadillac, they gave you a free Honda Civic. LOL Truly...

This is the car the world has been waiting for. Simple. Clean. Efficient. Self fueling. Elegant. Beautiful. Low cost. Though I know nothing on earth is perfect, this is a huge leap in the right direction.

I love the design. So futuristic.

Stability & Crash Compaction? The “Mr Bean” wheel rollover silliness associated with a 3-wheel tricycle car! And, when my wife swerved to prevent a head on in her Toyota Highlander and saved a life before hitting a guard rail at speed and popping air bags, but she came through fine (the Highlander was repairable from front and rear wheel damage)! As a licensed airline transport pilot, these affect me much more than the very pleasing, but wierd, aerodynamic look. A dear friend built an experimental Rutan Long-EZ experimental aircraft, and I got to fly it and appreciate its incredible speed and range due to its clean aerodynamics. He introduced me to the Aptera car in the early days; he was looking to purchase before it fell apart in its 1st incarnation. I was very favorably impressed then and still am! BUT, my fears that need to be addressed are STABILITY & CRASH! SANDY MUNRO does a good job of addressing these issues. Please address these issues too. The Stability vs 4-wheels seems solved with low center of gravity, triple motors, and smart suspension: controlled by miniaturized accelerometers & gyro-sensors as in modern cell phones, i.e. no more Mr Bean silliness. The crash worthiness still plagues me with concern? I’m am 74 and still drive motorcycles. I had only motorcycles in college years; like so many I had a few close calls (near death) my 1st year on a motorcycling. The big lesson is massive amounts of paying attention (with absolutely no lapse in attention) while driving can and does work to keep you safe! The thing that AI full self driving (FSD) does is have MANICAL paying complete good attention to just driving safely! I’m in line for a FSD Cybertruck, and would like to replace a 2nd car in the family with an Aptera, but I’m still concerned about Crash Avoidance & Worthiness being sufficient. Here again Munro has begun to addresses this, but F=ma (Force = mass times acceleration) and when “m” is big, and everything else on the road is a big “m” pig, and your “m” is small . . . Hum? Modern crashworthy designs with crush zones do an excellent job of dealing with this, but I need convincing about wether the software and AI driving assist features have the necessary avoidance capability to make up for the little “m”. I believe many people pay attention to, and trust the facts of science and the need for form to follow function, and see beauty in that. Given a little time, the money saving power of efficiency Will win; the bean counters will have their way - as they usually pay the bills, they should. With modern engineering I believe the specter of poor stability is solved - Stability is on par with four wheeled vehicles. I believe the specter of crash worthiness is primarily dealt with high quality FSD or at least Driver Assist Capabilities to maintain required vigilance (As well as novel airbag, crush zones, & materials).

Absolutely love this concept! The ingenuity incorporated into it is amazing. I do however have a problem with calling it a car. A lot of the weight savings are due to this technically being a trike (motorcycle), and not having the same regulatory requirements of a car. That said, this kind of aggressive counterculture thinking will push the industry in and the market into a more sustainable direction.

I have the 400 mile Aptera on order. I'm big on efficiency and this car has that covered. I live in the Sunny Phoenix AZ area so the Solar will be perfect.

The USA government need to stop subsidies for oil and gas. But, the US economy is built on cheap subsidised gas so that’s not going to happen overnight. If gas was suddenly $9 per gallon, energy efficiency would be top of the agenda. Change will be slow, but we will get there.

I was enamored with Aptera initially and was surprised that they floundered, but am happy to see them back and definitely think they have a product with a future.

I would ALWAYS want solar panels on my electric car. Absolutely free transportation of ANY distance is amazing. If I just let my car sit in the sun and I get free miles, *WOO HOO!* Especially relevant the higher the prices for gas and maintenance are.

You guys nailed it with this interview (still rest of the world hasn't got it and keeps building large boxes and ton of battery).

funny story- at first... my wife wanted model Y tutorials, I pulled up a bunch on youtube- I told her to watch you guys- she went for the girls doing tutorials, then 1 minute in.. she'd skip- and keep going "I don't want to hear about their feelings & preferences- JUST SHOW ME HOW TO USE THE TOUCH SCREEN!- then she finally saw Jesse's tutorial- and got hooked. lol. 'daddy's girl'.

How would anyone not like the looks of this vehicle? I think it’s a work of art. I already put a deposit down - too bad because I’d love a ride in the roadster.

"Another car company could have done this". But they didn't! They might have with similar vision, passion and dedication, etc......!

As a guy who has a family unfortunately this isn’t feasible.

I think the car is great but, as a Canadian, how does it handle in Winter ? That is my 1st question.

I think that Elon's comment from a few years ago, that Solar on EVs is "Not that helpful, because the actual surface of the car is not that much, and cars are often inside. The least efficient place to put solar is on the car" will go down as one of his most erroneous calls. Every EV will incorporate some kind of solar into it by 2030. There are SO many benefits.

May I comment that this vehicle is adorable. I think they ought to call it the Aptera "Penguin". When the VW Bug was introduced to the public in the 40s-50s people said it was ugly. They said no-one would want to buy it. Before 1970 there were thousands of them on the road. If the Aptera can get a battery that will charge to 100% in 15 min and go 1000 miles this car will devour the competition. Mainly because its very economical. The design is efficient and no, not everyone will like it, but then that's why there are so many cars to choose from. I love it. Solar? Well that's a pro. Con?. Is the company solid? They need to get the public to drive this car at shows and let them see the future. I never dreamt that in my lifetime I would actually see a "car of the future" for real! I'm 73 by the way.

I think this car is great. I am retired and just drive local for shopping and will purchase one when available. My awesome 14 mpg 1996 Chevy C2500HD ( just under 5000 lb in weight) would only be used for heavy cartage. With the 50 gal 2nd fuel tank it costs over $300 to fill up.

Function over Fashion all day, all year!

I ordered 1. Well see how it does

What do you mean, at 7:58, "40 miles is pretty close to an average commute." You imply that it as a good part of a typical commute, when in reality, you should be high fiving over the fact- the CEO JUST told us it is substantially OVER an average commute. PLEASE give the Aptera people FULL credit where due. It is truly amazing the amount of miles per day, that one can travel on direct sunpower alone! With a science degree, and 35 years of both ICE and electric vehicle experience, this new Aptera is an incredible people mover that SHOULD become as popular as Tesla!

The Aptera is amazing. Besides the crazy efficiency, the right to repair is baked into it! The parts have QR codes that bring up videos on how to repair them.

Reading some of the comments, yes probably not a car for the snow . It’s not going to haul lumber out f the woods either. But in cities the snow doesn’t get deep so it would work all year round, For lots of other folks it could be an interesting and fun second car , and thats a bigger market than the super efficiency and EV Geeks!

36:57 So, hold up! He's saying they could use a 200kWh battery pack to travel 2000mi or 3200km on a single charge. That means by using a battery pack with 20kWh, smaller than the 1st generation Nissan LEAF, they can travel 200mi / 320km on a single charge. They'll easily be able to sell the cars at a low price with high margin! :O

I am impressed with the Aptera Company Mission Statement: “To design, build and deliver the most energy efficient vehicle possible.” The result is the closest “function = form” design I have ever seen in an EV, especially an affordable one. I just reserved one. Thanks Zac & Jesse.

My desireable distance from previous trips (in a Saturn SW) was to see my daughter who had a free weekend [1,600 miles in 24hr including a brief nap. Then took my time driving home [2,000 miles going home.] A few days later, I drove to meat cove at Nova Scotia. Years earlier, while changing duty stations, I drove 2,100 miles (900 + 1,200mi in 47 hours in a Plymouth Valiant. (San Diego to Indianapolis).

If they use some supper efficient solar panels and put some on other empty spots like on the back window (the whole window could be one giant solar panel) they could pull off much more than 40 miles a day... it may even reach to the point (someday) where you get enough energy from the sun when driving - unlimited range as long as it's sunny.

Tesla fanboys don't understand how important price is. Price is HUGE. If this is cheaper than Teslas and usually doesn't have to be charged and when it DOES need to be charged can be done with a simple extension cord from an ordinary outlet, it will sell.

Guys, we don't ever need to put down anyone in order to push ourselves forward. Praise them for having taken the first step on the road before us. We are all equal players, each one of us helping our world move forward. 🌎🌄✨

Aptera is the vehicle that the world actually needs. I am so sick of the boring 5000-pound massive inefficient flat grilled SUV vehicles.

Efficiency grows exponentially

I wish a car like this would already be out and available here in Europe

FYI... My 2019 BMW i3 BEV on a good day will charge to 175 miles of range. In 2019 BMW upgraded the battery to 41 kWh. The i3 was truly an experiment for BMW.

Remove a component, remove a line of code, do more with less, I am also an electrical engineer and this is also my philosophy. Nature is efficient by nature, and mankind is slowly waking up to nature's intelligent potential. We have seen nothing yet (investigating ZPE to electric power conversion for 25 years now). Kudos to the Aptera team and Elaphe, I hope this car becomes street legal in Europe asap.

One word. Safety. If this car passes well on all the safety tests, I'll be on board. It's so easy for everyone to get excited about all the flashy or nerdy stuff, but just remember; the Tesla Model 3 is the safest car ever tested in all categories in both the US and EU. If I have a choice, I'll sacrifice efficiency for safety all day, everyday.

No word on how this car does in our harsh Canadian winter conditions.

We need more people like Aptera. The problem now is people take gas car design and stick an electric motor in it. That is the reason big car company will fail. An all electric need different design.

always a pleasure to hear Americans finally becoming aware of "efficiency" !! the same guys used to find normal to take any car with a 5,7L V8 to go buying bread or beers ( miles around (at 35 Mph ...)

I would love to have solar on my model 3, because when I leave it parked on the street (in winter) it looses 15 km's per day, just by sitting on the street. I hate to loose this energy.

A good example of a compliance car made without their heart in it is my Kia soul EV, which still offers to find the nearest gas station for me when my charge gets low. Did they forget to tell the software engineers that it cant use gas?

I opted for Noir exterior, two motors, full solar package, 600 mile range, Vida interior. I like the unique look, I have a motorcycle endorsement already. So, that is not a problem. I like the efficiency of the shape and that helps increase the range the batteries can carry me. The solar charging option was paramount, and not having to pay for liquid fuel (gasoline) was the best part. $5/gallon in the Pacific Northwest for regular 87 octane is very annoying for 14 gallons on my ‘clown car’ (small econobox). Then there is oil to change, oil filter, air filter, alternator (PITY) for my car = back of engine out the bottom of the car). If all I am paying for are tires?!?! Really!?!? Is there any question why not to get one of these Apteras? No. Aside from me and one other person as a max occupancy, then I’m good. There are no worries there.

I really like the look of this. Also, the I3 deserves some credit. Using carbon fiber on a car like that is a big move and should be used by EV companies as well.

I think it's ugly. But I'd DEFINITELY buy it for all the benefits... And more important, invest in the company.

Just put in a pre-order. Thanks for the great In Depth and the referral discount!

Two concerns here. First is how safe is this vehicle in crashes. Second is how safe is this vehicle in high winds...

I love the look. There's plenty of things in the world for people that like conformity. I'm glad there's stuff like this for people like me that love change and love new esthetics. I wish i could be hitting the road with an Aptera tomorrow. It's smart and I love that it looks different.

What is the "5 star" safety rating on these?

Safety, HVAC?

I Like the Aptera since it’s first introduction. Was sad to see them disappear. Saw you video and I went to preorder the new Aptera and used the link to get the $30 discount. Aptera charged my card the full amount anyway even though the discount was indicated at time I entered purchase order. I have sent several email for weeks now and not a single response from Aptera. So I am losing confidence in this company. If customer service is so poor that they can’t even answer my emails than what kind of support can we expect after sale if they even cam come through with that.

Like Lotus Racing car company owner Colin Chapman said, to go faster add lightness not horsepower