Aptera's 4 wheel vehicle design revealed? 

that looks like Canoo delivery van

I just was fed an Aptera ad in a pre roll ad for this video.

"spring loaded" front wheel covers have been routine in solar racing for decades.

Im very excited for the future of Aptera. I appreciate all the work you do on this channel. I've also decided to ignore all negative comments from those who are grifting. Its better for my health and its pointless to feed the trolls. If anyone sees me respond to these people please call me out on it going forward. Thanks! 🙏

Thanks for making this video Steve! I was just blabbing about this on Discord when I saw this published!

I'd like to have a very aerodynamic and light weight popup camper that can be pulled by the Aptera. The camper could have solar panels, battery, and wheel motors. Because the camper is self propelled, there would be little weight drag on the car. Once at the campsite, the battery and solar panel would power the heat, A/C and appliances.

Chris keeps highlighting fleet vehicles as a great use case for Aptera technology, and he's probably on to something. I'd like them to make a derivative of the current vehicle targeted at rural deliveries, where efficiency at highway speeds is important.

I remember in one of the old presentations there also was cool Semi concept

The long saloon is my choice for their next vehicle... would like covers over the wheels though.... maybe not as long of a wheel base and smaller rims. 🎉

I was just hoping for a separate crowdfunding effort. I’d be in. Tomorrow.

The lifted solar truck could work if the battery packs get smaller and composite bodies get stronger. I have an F-150 and a Kawasaki mule and I use them a lot but mostly for light duty rural stuff. I don’t drive more than 5 miles on most days and farm trucks sit out in the open a lot. Aerodynamics wouldn’t be an issue for off-road or utv type use.

The car to the upper right is a station wagon, or as the EU call it, an estate car. It's long and low instead of tall and boxy. I've been saying it's better aerodynamicallly than an SUV. It would have lots of area for the solar panel, and the hatchback design with the truncated tail looks great. I'd like Lightyear to produce the Lightyear and Aptera produce something with coversd wheels. If Lightyear'd going to piggyback off Aptera's success, though, they will need a lower priced option. Sure, there will be a market for a luxury version but there's room for competition. I like the pickup truck design. It looks off-roady, with those lifted wheels, but the nose has that Aptera look, and I like the idea of a removable solar panel over the Cybertruck-like bed. If you're carrying cargo, you can sacrifice solar charge, but if it fits under the cover, or you just have passengers, you get the full solar option. You could add removable wheel fairings, or just accept the reduced range. You'd get most of your charge from standard sources anyway.

I really want that baja vehicle!

3:38 This is what I thought as well when I saw this during the webinar. 6:09 Looks just like the Honda Zero, which IMO is awesome, and the one I would like them to make next! 6:57 Looks kind of like an autonomous Canoo.

Canoo is the car I believe your looking for...

It's the huge efficiency jump of the roadster that grabs me.... unless that can be maintained, the four wheel designs don't speak much to me.

I completely agree with your take on the choices for which should come next.

I'm a big fan of 10 and 4 self-driving passenger vans. I suspect I'll give up driving in 10 years.

I'm skeptical about them producing a 4 wheeler, mostly because it negates a lot of the advantages that they have. the 25% less rolling resistance from eliminating a wheel goes away immediately, and the regulations are stricter for 4 wheel vehicles, so they have to spend more time on compliance. Another advantage comes with the small size, which is that it only takes one carbon fiber part to mostly span the length of the vehicle. If the entire vehicle is one part on top and one on bottom, it adds to the structural soundness, since there are far fewer joints. In order to preserve this benefit for a four wheel four door car like this, making the carbon fiber bodies could need machines with 2-4x the volume, and it remains to be seen if that is economically viable. The vehicle immediately becomes much heavier, and they may need to reinforce the frame with a proper skateboard structural battery. the only real benefit is added area for solar. I think that if they want to make a four wheel vehicle, they could take their existing design and make it slightly longer. Then, instead of a 2x2 seating arrangement, they do a 1-2-1 seating arrangement in a rhombus shape. This means that they can make the vehicle narrower in the front and more teardrop shaped. then they can configure one large door to open on the front left side of the teardrop, so that the front seat and left middle seat can be accessed, and a second large door to open on the rear right side of the teardrop, so that the right middle seat and rear seat can be accessed. Since the driver is in the front seat and their door is on the left, they can still access drive thrus, parking garages, and tollbooths. Alternatively, the middle two seats can be replaced with a bench, making it a two-door five seater car. Lastly, instead of one rear wheel on a carbon fiber fin sticking straight down, add two rear wheels on smaller fins canted outwards at 30ish degree angles. Maybe adjust the rhombus to maximize the "squareness" of the trunk, and you have a four-wheel aptera.

Thanks for posting. We agree on your choices for next vehicle.

Aptera should look at the suspension chassis of the Citroën 2CV in offering a light, efficient, go anywhere 4 wheeler SUVs need not apply

I agree completely Steve, I think the core of Aptera is the ultimate aero efficiency coupled with lightweight. Lightyear is my vote.

Thanks for the time you put into making your videos Steve! I really appreciate and enjoy them! Would you consider making your mouse larger so it's easier to see when you're using it to indicate something? When you are pointing out the different models in this video, for instance, especially when you are moving your mouse fast, it can be hard to see.

I dont think future Apteras are going to look anything like these. The current Aptera was designed through a completely different process, and I have to assume they would follow a similar path for the other variations.

Rapid advances are in the industry pipeline for both battery and solar cell cost/efficiency -- more power with less weight. This may enable designers like Hill to offer four wheeled EVs with slightly higher drag coefficients that still offer practical solar-drive performance.

The people mover looks like a cross between a Canoo and Local Motors’ Olli. I think the top right is actually supposed to be more like a pickup than an SUV and that’s why you only see windows up front. My favorite is the far left hatch/shooting brake design.

That square boxy one looks similar to the Canoo LV

One thing I think about is parking. Will a given concept vehicle fit in the parking spaces. The concept vehicle upper right looks awfully big.

Cool video I agree with your selection.

There should be more iterations of the 3 wheeled vehicle explored before they consider developing any type of 4 wheeler. Possibly a light duty pick up, 3-5 passenger vehicle or even a light duty cargo truck. Right now APTERA does not have any competition in the market place for what it will be offering. Once they decide to offer a 4 wheeled vehicle, you will be competing against Tesla and all the other already established manufacturers of electric vehicles, aside from the fact that regulatory development costs would be far greater than what they are doing now with a 3 wheeler.

In 50+ years of vehicle R&D engineering experience I have not seen any concept vehicle make it to production in the original form. All run into the practicality of production constraints and expense. Not sure why Aptera chose to expend $ to produce these at this time with funding is in such short supply. Many of these are takeoffs on existing EVs. LightYear, Honda, Canoo. Moot if not successful with the current Aptera variant

I would love a station wagon Aptera. Given enough time, i would only be driving Aptera vehicles.

If it hasn't already been mentioned, maybe the rear wheels aren't covered because they too are involved in turning.

If aptera really wanted to go crazy with the solar camping concept, they could make a van or minivan with solar panels that extend out while parked, making a canopy over the sides. Otherwise, they should do something like MIT's new solar car, the honda saloon concept at the top right, or the bottom of the 3 on the left with the chopped back. The top of the 3 on the left is too much like every other SUV on the EV market

As stated, the 3 wheeled Aptera is the only one being built, and it's success will bear out future vehicles. Or not. It seems to me that the simplest solution for a 4 wheeled variant would be to mirror the front suspension and fenders out back. Potentially, that could use most of the same parts, to build an affordable 2+2 seat coupe. The added benefit would be that it would be immediately identifiable as an Aptera, and not veer into crossover territory. Like everyone else. But then it would qualify for federal subsidies, if they used domestically sourced batteries. This is fun to imagine, but Aptera needs to remain focused on building their latest 3 wheel design.

I just want my Aptera. They can keep the other concepts.

I would vote for the hatchback design. The lightyear 1 was more a concept. Lightyear 2 would have chopped off the hatch a bit. It’s not given that the current iteration of Aptera 3-wheeler can succeed in Europe as it fits in no vehicle class. A hatchback would.

Any money spent on a 4-wheel vehicle doesn’t go to 3-wheel vehicles. Then they’re bankrupt like Fisker. Use it to raise money, maybe, but do not spend any money.

Next should be a mid size SUV that is not too large for Europeans and not too small for Americans. Sedans are out.

I want an EV van with a kick ass set of solar panels on the entire roof since we have progressed from softball sized hail to DVD sized to Melon sized during this spring, my regular glass solar panels won’t survive. I’ve seen flexible solar that you can glue to the roof and walk on, but I haven’t bought them since I haven’t been in a hailstorm yet. Nobody has done an EV RV van yet. I think they could sell the daylights out of them. All the companies in the US are doing short range vans for deliveries which is fine, but the batteries they put in the pickup trucks are twice the size, so it’s got to be possible. The best I’ve seen so far is gas vans where the lithium house battery has made propane obsolete, although they have mostly moved heat and hot water to the gas tank. Otherwise a successor vehicle from Aptera would need to stick with the efficiency angle, otherwise it would just be another crossover in a sea of them. Since we should be well into 2028 before a second Aptera came out, the solid state batteries and the super fast charging batteries should be in the market already, and that will remove a lot of battery weight from new cars

Totally dig the truck concept! By applying roadster type wheel spats, the aerodynamics could be greatly improved. Thanks for posting all these concepts Steve!

Like Ron Weasley's Ford Anglia. Delivery vehicle comes to a stop, opens the door, and the packages spit out the back onto the road. ;) Next!

Does anyone know how many launch editions are in the 47000 reservation pool?

I like the saloon. I'd also be interested in knowing if all the wheels could be covered if they implemented all wheel steering. It'd look unusual but more or less all recent velomobiles (milan, quattrovelo, snoek, bülk, etc) are internal wheels and I don't think they look *too* weird. They pay the price in turning radius since they can't really do the mechanical complexity of rear steering but the Cd are seriously low.

It could be Canno but the exact render looks like the GM cruises full driving vehicle built in Lake Orion, Michigan

Im sure that the interest in Aptera is making companies like Tesla concider making a very efficent 4 wheel solar vehicle and may actualy come out wit one before Aptera does.

I was hoping the Aptera truck would look like a reimagined Holden Ute, would sell really well. The second vehicle Aptera should make is the large one, better for fleet sales, etc; would be interesting to see how the doors work though.

A long range aptera saloon car that I can color like a Silencerz car from Hot Wheels Acceleracers would probably make me the happiest car owner in the world

I like the off-road ones on the bottom. They are much more aerodynamic than Jeeps and fill a gap where EVs and efficiency do not currently exist.

Should just stretch aptera a bit, add 2 more doors. Add 2nd rear wheel if needed that is like current wheel, both pushed to outside instead of just one in middle

Aptera is poised to perfect solar mobility and become the benchmark; there will be so much potential for new ideas. The Aptera is going to drop at the perfect time, and when it really becomes recognized as something that parallels with our planet becoming a type 1 civilization. I am optimistic that we're transitioning.

I find these very interesting and a couple of them I'd even call compelling, however I'm curious if any of these are old renders from the late 2000s

It probably doesn't make sense to build, but I would totally buy that lifted truck. It looks awesome!

Jason can think up something better than any of these. Why not just expand the current Aptera fuselage to 4 doors and use 2 rear outboard wheels similar to the outboard front wheels?

That upper right design is just the alien's head from the "ALIEN" movie but with wheels. If these renders are Jason's work then thankfully he was not hired to come up with the current Aptera's overall design. None of those drawings look like what a future Aptera should look like. A four wheeled Aptera should just look like the current Aptera but with the front wheels brought in some and covered as part of the main body and of course 2 wheels in the back that also have motors. Still have gull wing front doors and either no passenger doors, or maybe one normal type passenger door, or two normal passenger doors. 2 to 4 seater depending on how many passenger doors. Covered front and rear wheels to minimize turbulent air drag. Clearance around covered wheels enough to accommodate left and right turns. Motors would all be independent in the same sense that a multi-engined aeroplane can limp home on one engine when some of the other engines stop.

Nice video Steve. The mouse can be kind of hard to follow, if possible switch to a laser pointer or something like that.

It seems like the van was a French or certainly European last mile delivery van. I saw a video about it 3-4 years ago. I think I saw one thing about the van within the last 18 months. I cannot remember. I back door was different and it was designed to be setup in many different configurations. It definitely was not the German X-Bus.

Thanks Steve! You/ We saw the Canoo at the Fully Charged show( in person ) in San Diego, which has some of the same boxy van look. I have old concept drawings ( more like 2D sketches )of Aptera, which were Confidential when posted but …they have partial covers over the wheels . They even had a very distant vehicle…. that was a tractor trailer ! The Aptera size , at ~177” is perfect in my garage. I dislike long sedan vehicles but understand their EV design . I don’t like to side step around my vehicles in the garage. So the one “ under Thank You” might be interesting but… hard to see to appreciate! 🤔 Thought : If the Aptera tub was the largest one piece SMC formed… imagine the size of a dye to form a SMC piece for these longer vehicles?! Have a great weekend. I hope you recently planned climb was “ elevating “ 😉

Any word on the hub motors . Elaphe conspicuous by it's absence! Steve, any info or thoughts? PS the channel is great thanks.

Best looking one is the 3 wheel sorry.

Those concept images for possible future vehicles, the one in the top right looks similar to the Honda EV announced recently. The Saloon model they showed. Even the rear having a red rectangle is similar. The Honda Saloon concept model had 2 doors, but they opened upward, like Aptera's doors, but the Saloon looks to sit 5. The one below this does look similar to other EVs I've seen, but can't recall which ones. Those are also all just concepts in that image, AFAIK. I know they each have the Aptera logo on them, but my guess is we might see other brands using the Aptera solar panels on their own items before we see Aptera putting out another vehicle. As much as I would love to see an option with more seats. That said, I hope the next vehicle Aptera makes is something utility. Such as that delivery vehicle, but I don't see all those small shelves being useful. More likely they would be divided into just a 2x3 shelf area for the canvas box-like things Amazon uses for sorting.

Remember that an auto cycle has far fewer regulations than a automobile. Crash testing in particular. Huge costs involved.

i see self driving small electric buses around china daily in Wuxi.

From Aptera SEC document May 30, 2024: "Aptera will need to raise additional funds to finance its operations or fund its business plan. Even if the company manages to raise subsequent financing or borrowing rounds, the terms of those borrowing rounds might be more favorable to new investors or creditors than to existing investors such as you. New equity investors or lenders could have greater rights to the company’s financial resources (such as liens over its assets) compared to existing shareholders. Additional financings could also dilute your ownership stake, potentially drastically."

That’s a 3d render, and they are so obviously just various concepts. 0 production intent or engineering at this point

Van transporter next. Please.

Ii really hope this isn't their plan. I hope they make a 4 door/4 wheel version of the current Aptera.

I also think Aptera will mostly stay with pressed composite carbon.

They shouldnt even tease these til they are ready to or actively delivering launch editions. Take care of pre orders first before building out more product lines

266... What's up with the colors? Every thing is right-shifted. (Including your opening shot of Aptera Owner's Club and Zoox.)

Why do you think they should make the Lightyear-looking one? The Aptera is already super efficient. Is there a point in releasing another ultra efficient SEV? Shouldn't they tackle other niches if their primary model is successful? I feel like once they get the main vehicle successful, they should either branch into four/five seaters or larger cargo variants.

As a stockholder I sure hope we didn't spend much money on these concepts.

Couldn’t they just make the wheel in the back two by moving the pair to the sides? And elongate the sitting area for 1-2 more seats in the back. Of those i like the baja looking thing in the bottom left. Long saloon is interesting too.

That bus looks like something by Local Motors for an autonomous mini bus...

The bottom two are probably aimed at being off-road vehicles, rather than on-road.

I always keep in mind designs like these are often modified and refined.

That original design came from a sci-fi movie

I really didn't want to stare at a post

The truck looks nice but they all look wonky and weird

Your YT thumbnail is a Zoox, isn’t it? Interesting choice.

4 wheels is more accepting by most individuals

I think my favorite is your least favorite. Compact SUVs are big money makers and I'd be curious to see what they can do with 4WD and hub motors.

Im pretty sure solar won’t do anything for a 4-wheel vehicle - cost vs benefit. Uninspiring looks and the delivery looks like Canoo

I honestly don’t like any of them. I would like to see a 4 wheeled Aptera that is basically the same design as the 3 wheeled (and shares as many parts as possible) with 4 doors and room for 5 people.

Stick to the 3 wheeler for now as vehicles go. Offer a third seat version and a last mile delivery version. Build and sell a million by 2030. ASAP build residential battery storage systems for regions that can purchase discounted power at night and use that power when more expensive at peak. Build RV battery systems. Solar packages for homes and RV’s like you have already done. Vertically integrate as you can or develop partnerships with suppliers like you did with the battery assembly company. Develop a partnership with a logistics company for distribution of your components to the many assembly plants. Develop a car share app that owners can use to create an additional income stream and you can make a commission from each connection made. Look for a partner to make Aptera FSD. After you accomplish this in about 2030 you will be in a good position to pursue four wheels trucks trailers whatever you can imagine!

Zoox is interesting

An affordable Lightyear for a family of 5 has a big draw for me

The main trouble with more traditional designs is the solar and efficiency advantages wont be much. I like the look of that truck and even if it only gets 10 miles of solar it would still be a good vehicle if you need a truck. The problem is these markets also have a lot of competition and their is little reason Aptera could make a compelling truck that Tesla, Ford or Rivian would stomp in terms of value and performance. Telo is brining the ultra space efficient design which is a good niche and might be enough but a truck with solar will not compete well. Aptera has a lot of great tech but they should not be in a rush to compete head to head with companies with 10-100x their resources. I really feel if Aptera branches out it should be a small family car which could still get 24+ miles peak and use much of the same tech. For now the best thing they can do is be the best affordable solar electric sports car they can be and simply refine and iterate on their current niche.

Aptera should skip passenger cars . And go to Semi's and trailer production... 46+' x 5.5' of solar production capacity. Paired with aerodynamic engineering to redefine the look of the cab. I bet aptera could get 100 miles a day in solar miles

Not seeing a pickup in these. What is being referred to as a pickup looks more like an off road vehicle.

Designing vehicles with CAD is child's play these days. Producing one is the challenge. The Aptera appeals to me because it's hyperefficient. The solar panels are nice, but I'd buy an Aptera with no panels. None of these other vehicles interest me.

Aptera should stick with covered wheels. Elongate the roadster and use two more front wheels on the back. None of those designs are aerodynamic.

Too much Syd Mead for my taste. Very retro.

the 3 with the Aptera-like rear side lights are the most likely since what the company would probably shoot for is a 4 or 5 passenger car. I think they're all pretty ugly.

I've wanted the 3-wheel version of Aptera since 2008. Back then my daughter was in kindergarten. I'm still waiting for that car, and now my daughter will be entering medical school this August. I wonder if I'll see it before she is a practicing doctor. If Aptera is going to make a 4 wheel car, I'll just get a Tesla (which I haven't done so far). I really do wonder if Aptera is just a company that will perpetually be asking investors for money, so the founders can go to tradeshows, without ever actually giving anyone that car I have been waiting for since 2008.

Something you said reminded me to worry about what happens when one of Aptera’s huge body panels gets cracked or broken in an accident. Is it just totaled then? So much of that car is bonded together with extremely strong adhesive, or is just one giant part that’s structurally integrated… seems like it’d be way too expansive if someone were to ram your Aptera and make a significant break in it… I mean that’s not gonna stop me from trying to save up for one (I have one reserved, and I’ve invested), but it does make one wonder…

These vehicles don't look very aerodynamic. Sandy Munro is right. Making a 4-wheel car depends on how fast they want to lose money.

I put my money down

I know why they did this. It was for the investors. We all know that three wheelers are a niche product and never sell well in this day of age. So, investors bring this up as they do proper research. So, Aptera uses this as a carrot, as to when the three wheeler sells good enough, they will get into car production with four wheels and then the money comes rolling in. This is why they put this in.

Aptera’s albatross remains its excessive width for a 3-wheeled vehicle. Assuming they get some skilled manufacturing help, funding, and can actually viably produce, it will be interesting to see what its acceptance actually will be. Besides cumbersome in a metro situation, it’s still only a 2-seater with limited capacity due to its cargo location for a 3-wheeler. And can they mainstream 3-wheelers? So the jury is out on whether they have a future or not. What’s interesting about the concepts is that it looks like the Morelli plan is a one-trick application. Not surprising. The adoption of CPC-type parts by others, and the continued aero improvements by others, is really where I think gains will be made, along with electric storage improvements and home solar cost reductions. I think Telo may start small (as a company), and it may not be as exciting to look at as an Aptera, but they are creatively addressing something that has serious utility. I also think they are going about it the right way, as in commodity items wherever possible, and having lots of options to source the unique parts. They are likely to ship at a fraction of the startup amount that Aptera has already gone through. Back on Aptera, believing final price will be $40K+ and % of reservation followup will be less than stellar when people actually have to drop anchor. The builds are so far behind that I question final content, quality, and reliability. The BinC should have been running, not sitting. We’ll see…