I think initially, Elaphe AND in wheel motors are out at Aptera 

Without the in wheel motors it doesn't seem to be an Aptera .

Getting in wheel motors to function under automotive conditions is revolutionary. I was hoping it could happen. Obviously, Steve and Chris were not idealistically ignoring the risk of in wheel motor tech not being ready. They had a plan B and have reached a decision to move the Aptera production forward. Fortunately, their awareness allows Aptera to proceed and not be held hostage by a lagging system. It isn't great, but it is reality. There are automotive and motorcycle technologies that do not require in wheel motors. Let's see what they come up with before passing judgement.

I won't go off the deep end here, but I'm just a bit perplexed over this traditional drivetrain. I specifically remember Chris a couple years ago speaking about the design of the in wheel motor and that they decided to tackle the AWD first instead of FWD to avoid redoing the work for AWD later. While I applaud getting the vehicle out sooner by simplifying, I feel I've been led to believe they had the work done already for testing. I wonder how this may or may not effect the efficiency of the vehicle and that may still be fine, but I don't like the additional complexity of having a traditional drivetrain. The beauty of the Aptera is in its simplicity for me. I will continue to watch with hopeful engagement, but I'm beginning to wonder how ready they really are to deliver their specs.

Aptera's comment from your video 2 weeks ago also relevant here for people freaking out "Elaphe remains a valued partner in our journey. Due to market constraints last year, we paused some custom engineering projects to explore off-the-shelf solutions that require less capital and offer a faster time to market, while retaining our efficiency ethos. We will have more to share on our production drivetrain soon." Why do you pause the video to complain about a missing connector when Chris explains it directly after?

Honestly, if they are able to engineer a traditional drivetrain into the Aptera at this late stage, that's incredibly impressive. Makes me think they always had that planned as a backup option

For such a major design change, I would think this information would be announced officially instead of back-doored like this. What else is planned to change what we all thought was settled design. Going back to the drawing board and repeating all the testing they've already done seems to be a drastic step. Were they that clueless about the feasability of hub motors that they went this far before deciding for a major change? I don't know anything, yet, so I will have to wait for definitive clarification.

Note that an onboard motor doesn’t necessarily require a transaxle. You could very well have dual onboard motors without the efficiency loss of a transaxle, differential, etc. In fact, the light weight of the Aptera might be what enables that more efficient onboard configuration. I wouldn’t worry too much.

I find this significant change to be seriously concerning at this late in the game. This was one of the key features of the car that they indicated was pretty baked in over a year ago. It brings up a number of questions and honestly pisses me off and makes me feel like I've been lied to as an accelerator investor.

Steve, the Launch Edition is an all wheel drive configuration. Will Aptera change this for all of the Accelerators? As an Accellerator, this concerns me greatly.

The board to wire components have a metal hook that holds the tinned wire mechanically surprisingly well. I've used these. You just push the wire in. The tool is only used to release them if you need to swap the board. It's typically just a metal pin like a sim card tool. No crimping required and the socket is pick and place soldered by machine. These look a bit different than what I've used but I'm guessing the concept is the same.

I'm not worried about the shift from in wheel motors. Clearly they had no choice but to do this, probably because Elaphe had the rug yanked out from them by Lordstown. I trust Aptera to keep working to fulfill their dream, just like they've been toiling for years now. Our keyboard angst cannot hold a candle to that.

We've seen JC before... She was in an Aptera update video in 2022. If recall correctly she was demonstrating the test bench for the electrical system. That's when she showed us the "knock knock feature for the first time... GO JC!!!

Why did they not make this clear earlier,about the IWM, this makes a big difference to many supporters. Kinda sneaky...

Steve, as most of the time, you captured it right there. IWM's will not be part of the LE and maybe more vehicles delivered after LE's. That's also our take. Our guess is a traditional E-AXLE more or less from the shelf of a "major trusted" manufacturer. We're wondering what the consequences for the LE price, handling and efficiency will be . Quite some chances from what was promised during LE launch. Want to know what ELAPHE CEO has to say? Watch our channel for the next 10 days. There will be an interview with him ...

It will be a miracle if they ever get this into production. I did invest in the company a while ago and remember it very being a very promising idea. I too even got friends to invest. By the look on his face I think its over and they will be bankrupt next year. Seems like the company is surviving off pure Hopeium and we all know where that ends. I give them props though for trying to build such a revolutionary vehicle but they should have followed the KISS rule keep it simple stupid. Not sure how much money was wasted on the solar aspect and the IWMs when the vehicle could have been done without them with considerable cost savings. At this point just sell the shell to me and I will finish it myself.

I think the safest course of action is to just reserve judgement until we see what they have cooking. I am really glad I ordered the 1k mile variant, hopefully that will be getting made so much farther out that they will get all these growing pains sorted out by the time mine ships. I'm absolutely commited to hub motors, maximum drivetrain efficiency is important to me.

First, I can't imagine Aptera without in-wheel motors. Second, I can imagine the 'improvements' made to the motors for Aptera - we were told of a winding methodology over a year ago that dropped power and upped efficiency in the Elaphe design. I'm guessing the tools used for the alternative winding for efficiency is something that is not in the cards for across the board inclusion into the product catalog of Elaphe. In essence, this is the "Aptera Motor" ... and it would be unique. In-wheel motors are critical to the delivery of the accelerator models that are all-wheel drive and I don't see a four-wheeler option. That said, I guess I could see an in-board motor option for the front wheels but the differences in motor characteristics between an in-board motor and in wheel, particularly in terms of RPM capability, suggests incompatibility unless you govern the speed of the in-board motor. The problem with this is that with this configuration, the two-wheeled Aptera, because you could remove the governor on this motor, would be potentially significantly faster than the three-wheeled version. I just don't buy that they would opt for an inboard configuration based on what? A Fiat 600E? What I think is more likely is that the original contract with Elaphe called for Aptera purchasing 20,000 motors from them and then, Aptera would be qualified to manufacture their own motors. As previously known, Aptera is not buying an off-the-shelf M-700 motor, but rather seeks a more efficient winding for a derivative motor that I get the idea Elaphe is balking at producing a limited run of 20,000 custom wound motors using Aptera's motor IP along with theirs. And Aptera has no use for 20,000 M-700 motors. I will point out it is always a good idea for an automotive company to own its 'motor.' I will say, one of the things you have to appreciate about Aptera is their showmanship. They're going to be going out to big financings including debt as well as equity financing. They need a big announcement. Given an option between a 'fait-accompli' announcement saying they're using Fiat's or MB's or even Chery's in-board motor - which will at least involve concerns about such a dramatic change in vehicle architecture - or they're buying a factory to produce Aptera-branded motors that are a derivative of the Elaphe motor but engineered to a higher level of efficiency, and manufactured exclusively for Aptera. I think the latter's obvious evolution seems most consistent with the past and therefore the easiest sell. Going to an inboard motor for early production would seem more stop-gap and therefore a harder sale to investors. I mean, they've had five years to get this critical aspect of the supply chain solved and dropping the plan that has been in place for that entire period unless it is some super-sweet deal, seems just odd. whereas announcing a new Aptera subsidiary that makes the advanced in-wheel motors using Aptera developed IP sounds sweet to my ears. .

Isn't a little late in the game to not have the drivetrain nailed down? So obviously the production configuration is NOT set in stone yet. From the previous announcements I thought this was done and they were ready for production. At this late stage this is very concerning.

I knew the in wheel hub motors were gone when I saw the release of the electronic test bed a week ago or so ago. It had one output for one inverter = one motor. I am kind of disappointed because I wanted the all-wheel-drive version…. Major Hub Motor Players: Schaeffler AG (Germany) Printed Motors Works (UK) Nissan Motors Corporation (Japan) e-Traction B.V. (Netherlands) NTN Corporation (Japan) ZIEHL-ABEGG (Germany) Elaphe Ltd (Slovenia) Protean Electric (US) ECOmove GmbH (Germany) I presume Aptera has talked with all of these? And let’s keep some perspective. The original Tesla Roadster was launched with a transmission, which was totally unnecessary mostly because it was stuffed into fossil car. Charge on!

As long as they give a good explanation as to WHY IWM is out. This feels like it came out of left field. Every prototype up to now has used IWM.

I understand some people's disappointment about the first Apteras not having in-wheel motors. IWM are an excellent idea, but so was the integrated belly cooling. It just turns out that it isn't feasible to put IWM into the initial production cars. If the leadership insisted on having IWM, I'm guessing that it would have delayed production even longer. Please consider the fact that a gearbox and associated transmission parts between the motor and wheel will result in about 3-4% efficiency loss. The single most important contribution to efficiency is the aerodynamic body; I'm sure it accounts for something like half of the efficiency gain over a standard EV. If the range is 400 miles with IWM, there would be a loss of 12-16 miles due to gearbox losses etc. It would be great to have IWM, but overall this feature would just not be nearly as significant as aerodynamics and weight. I do hope everyone keeps their reservations.

While a lot of this is based on what and/or may not have been said, at this point a lot of this is pure conjecture. While we do want the AWD, disappointment abound if there isn't AWD on the LE, etc. Let us remember that they have been transparent as possible. The 'news' when they have it, for the most part is always a positive. Remember when they were looking for capital, etc. The announcement was done with excitement. When Audra was talking and got cut short, she was excited not in a low mode. This could all be coming together with an announcement of great things to come, one thing that comes to mind as the Accelerator program comes to a close. Hopefully an IPO will happen quickly AND it all falls together with US Capital providing funds for 'what is yet to be discovered'. That said, just maybe as others have said, maybe they are bringing motor production in house and we have spent negative energy or emotions needlessly. Add to all that, they didn't go to Abu Dhabi for no reason. That may possibly be a factor with the IWM's as well and funding for them. The AWD for us is almost a necessity to get up our driveway in any sort of weather, let alone in inclement weather. If it were for a FWD vehicle being in the LE, we likely would wait until AWD is available or sell the LE as we currently sit with production of it being completed within the first week of production. Time will tell, we have our trust in Aptera that what is to come this next week in their announcement is for the betterment of the company and us receiving our vehicles sooner.

Steve, Chris explained why they are going to on-board wire connectors. It’s for reliability. Two additional points, first he states that the tinned wires are pushed into the connector. This would not require a tool for assembly, but I suspect will require a tool for disassembly. Second, as JC explained, the on-board wire connectors are surface-mount (SMT) components that are placed on the circuit board by the automated pick and place machine and soldered to the circuit board like any other component. This actually eliminates one manual assembly step. If they used a connector, it would require two manual manufacturing steps. One to manually push the wires into the connector and second to manually push connector together. The design they are using eliminates the manual process of pushing the connectors together and it eliminates the connectors so it should be a more efficient, less costly and more reliable design. However, it does move the step of pushing in the wires from the wire harness assembly process to the vehicle assembly process.

For better performance in handling and power inboard motors are better. Hub motors are mostly looked down on in most all applications not just cars. Biggest advantage to hub motors is space and maybe stronger braking from regen. Strongest disadvantage with inboard is the axle with CV joint has efficiency lost, but there is gearing ratio that a hub motor does not have that is so much better that a hub motor will never have. Gearing ratio can optimize not just performance but efficiency too. Great example are bicycles. Low end ebikes uses hub motors while performance ebikes use mid motors. You'll find that hub motors in bicycles need to be really big with more watts of power compared to mid drive motors that all perform better while using a smaller watts power motor. At a steady state the direct drive like a hub motor is great for machinenery and tools where the rpm used is constant but for a vehicle not so cause vehicles are always changing speeds. Because of that constant change in speeds the direct drive hub motor is not efficient. If it really is inboard motor I'm glad, back when they first said they wanted to go hub motors I was a little disappointed, I prefer in board motor even with the disadvantage of CV joint efficiency lost, it has all the other advantages on its side while hub motors have too many disadvantages. But it could be that they are gonna use a hybrid drive incorporating both inboard for the front wheels and hub for the rear.

I just don't understand how they can switch from in wheel to drive axle without a major redesign. And a major redesign is really expensive if they've already tooled the components to press the body pieces.

I am surprised about a change of something as important as the propulsion system so close to production. It seems as they have had this in the works for some time. There has been no indication in the past that there was any trouble designing the Elaphe motors to propel the Aptera. As a minimum the change will require changes to the shocks and springs rates to account for the reduction in unsprung weight. It might also entail some suspension changes to accommodate the half shafts and CV joints. I wonder if the major purpose of the Beta vehicle testing in Modena was to validate the new arrangement. If not I don't see where that could have been done. Up to now I thought Steve has been pretty transparent with us investors. The lack of information is a disappointment. How can they make such a change and be ready for production soon? As to who they are using my speculation is they are going with Bosch for the motor and drive train. Being a German company noted for their electric motors and not far from Italy they would not arouse much suspicion if their engineers were testing their system on the Beta vehicle.

It is too late in the game to change something as basic as the drive train. In wheel motors was a major inovative selling point. This is a very concerning late stage plan.

On Elaphe's web site. they do not list Aptera as a partner any more. Just some pictures of an Aptera here and there. but no mention any where of Aptera .

Fun watching J.C. She was great in her understandable explanations.

I 100% agree and I looked at my wife when he said that and said there is a big big change coming and personally I am really bummed it won’t have in-wheel motors in the front BUT every time they make a change it’s for the best so just go with it!

I can understand the issues… things happen. i was originally disappointed that the PI builds will not have the belly cooling and now AWD and hub motors are gone. These are MAJOR changes to what were sold to accelerators. It will still be a talking piece and help promote the brand, but not the car that I would want to keep, once the other features come back… and by then we will be in the back of the line. Hopefully when i drive it around for months at a time, I will get enough referrals for a free one. This also better reduce the initial price…because of less expensive parts AND features not being provided.

Should I wait for Aptera 2.0 (or is it 3.0) instead of my current LE? - In-wheel motors - AWD vs FWD - Belly cooling vs radiator and fans - Efficient HVAC heating (heat pump) - ADAS (Comma AI) - Efficient inverters (SiC) - Off-road - Color choice - Interior choice Why does this sound like an Osborne moment?

Whatever the new, presumably not Elaphe, possible not in-wheel motors, is, both Chris’ seem confident in the design they have locked down, and confident that we’ll like it. Chris A. mentioned the design had to be both mass producible and efficient, so I’m guessing there won’t be a big hit on efficiency. I suspect whatever disappointments this might cause will be accompanied by surprises of the good kind. Considering the design is already locked down, I trust Aptera’s judgement that this is better than the risks of proceeding with the originally conceived approach. I’d go so far as to speculate that they were developing two drivetrains, in parallel, all along. The “switch” we’re speculating on may be nothing more than Aptera finalizing selection of a less risky option that has been under development all along.

It was so good to see the positive energy within the team. They all want to make this thing happen. The marketing girl is the free spirit of them. Incredible people skills

I have not suspected a shift from in-wheel motors until this video, but upon this additional review of what Chris A. has said, it surely looks that way. I feel it's dangerous to speculate about it also, so I am falling back on the fact there I circumstances we do not know about yet, and that Aptera has been wise and careful in their decision making all along. The word from Aptera is that an announcement is coming soon, (by the end of next week, I believe) so we don't have long until the changes will be known. It does no good to get wound up about what I don't know, so I wait patiently.

I am a reservation holder of the LE since Feb 2022 and small investor. I can understand the disappointment in many who've hoped for in-wheel motors and AWD (that includes me - I live in Canada (Subaru country) where it snows and would have found AWD useful). However even though it looks like AWD and in-wheel motors may not be included in the initial models, I have to say I am a bit relieved because of the following reasons: a) Free-wheeling efficiency: There is now the ability to allow all wheels to coast without the magnetic drag of the electric motors. On the highway, this ability to free-wheel can significantly increase long-distance range especially on the highway (where the Aptera can really showcase its efficiency). b) Reduced un-sprung weight and overall weight: We all know of the issues of un-sprung weight on ride quality, handling, and stress on suspension and shocks, and tire/rim choices. c) Lower overall weight and cost: With paring down from 3 motors to 1 motor, there are both significant weight, complexity, and cost savings. e) Protection: The single motor and its high voltage lines are now protected within the nose area away from the elements. Its high-voltage lines can now be fully shielded and protected and encapsulated within the front compartment and are not subjected to constant flexing. With the in-wheel approach, both the motor and its high voltage lines are constantly being flexed and shocked and have to be protected from the wind, rain, mud and high-speed impacts of pebbles, rocks, dirt/debris and mud. A high speed crash of a front wheel will expose high voltage lines. f) Maintenance: Any motor maintenance of an in-wheel motor work must begin with an arduous/costly cleanup step and inspection of power lines. Instead of having 3 motors to maintain (motors and power and cooling lines that are subjected to both shock, flexing and elements), there is now only one motor that's fixed and protected and shielded from elements. It's non-flexing power lines can now be fully protected and shielded. The traditional central motor approach is already the established auto industry approach and takes advantages of current auto industry services. Current braking system, drive train components, suspension and control arm designs are already designed and optimized to operate within the harsh environment of an automobile under carriage. Brake/Alignment/wheel/drivetrain Auto maintenance shops are already established. But they are not equipped nor ready to have to deal with a 400-800 volt motor staring at them in the face. They will refuse to do the simple alignment, brake service, control arm, or tire/wheel replacement/service. I'm staying: If the LE comes without the in-wheel motors and only with FWD, I am welcoming this change and keeping my reservation. I do hope, however that there is a reduction in cost of the LE (at least removing the $2,500 extra charge for the 3rd rear wheel motor).

Their design is adaptable to what parts they have available, which is very good. And be realistic, it wasn’t like I was going to get one the first 40,000 vehicles anyways. I’m happy to sit back and let them work out the kinks and update their parts.

21:33 If the Launch Edition has a drivetrain, not in wheel motors, it kills the collector value. Right to repair give an owner ability to put in wheel motors? How can it be 3 wheel drive? I have a lot of patience, but how much longer will this delay the process? Steve, if anyone can get clarity from Aptera it is you Slick! I am not pleased with this and hopefully it will not delay it any further. My desire to get out to Carlsbad to pick mine up is not diminished, but at 75+ years old, the clock is ticking louder now, time keeps on slipping into the future! Obviously something is changed, sadly Aptera doesn't have the wherewithal to buy out Elaphe, but in my head vertical integration makes wonderful sense. Bringing the motors in house, will result in better control, and higher profit later. Elaphe might need Aptera even more than we think, as Lordstown and Light-year are no longer, along with Fiscker

I want my scale model!!

Thanks for deep dive into this. I am still hoping for in wheel Motors and 3 wheel drive. Hoping that if Elephae Motors are not to be used that another In wheel motor producer is used. I am waiting to wait for in wheel Motors eleven though I am currently sitting #340 on the Leaderboard.

I guess this means that the initial vehicles will not be three wheel drive.

Ok, question: how do the direct wire to board connectors play into right-to-repair? If I have a failed board, can I easily replace it, or is it beyond the scope of most of us? Can a board be unpluged from the wires and a new one just plugged back in, especially considering the board and connectors will be encapsulated in goo? Very curious what the drive train is going to look like.

Although there seems to be informed opinion/consensus that the wheel motors are off the table for now, I'll wait for the announcement. If it is true and they have at least a front wheel drive implementation that can still achieve the 100 wH/mile or better efficiency and has adequate electronic traction control, I can live with it.

What's going on? This is first time I heard any change to the motors. Are they saying the motors for the Aptera are not going to be in the wheels. If that's the case, won't they need to change the body for more room to incorporate the engines into the body.?

I live in the Pacific NW and really wanted AWD. I drive over mountain passes during the winter and it's a must. Very bummed to hear the early version will only be FWD.

The "unsprung weight" argument may be a moot point right now. If they can achieve what they need with more traditional driveshafts it might actually be better, dunno??? They'll definitely need a hub motor for the rear wheel though.

The inwheel motor is indeed the highest risk component (unsprung weight, wear, cooling) in the Aptera design. A small onboard motor would have less power compared with two inwheel motors, and there is no torque vectoring (??) I assume, and could have lower efficiency (??). Typical engineering job to evaluate the pros and contras, 100% confident Aptera company makes the best decision.

I think that your drivetrain analysis is correct, supported by the changes to the front part of the frame and suspension released in the June update - from two days prior to the livestream. It’s a controversial topic in the community, and I really appreciate the timely covering of this topic. Keep up the great work Steve!

Steve, the question you raised around minute 9:15 about connecting the wires onto the board: the same manual assembly process is needed for traditional wire assemblies, it's just done by the harness manufacturer. Traditional connectors still require crimping (done by machine) and pushing the crimped wires into the connector housing (done by hand). I expect that Aptera will receive fully prepped wires (cut to length, ends exposed and potentially with ferrules attached, and color coded with heat shrink labels) and they'll push the wires into the connectors on the PCB during assembly.

Also means that the 3-wheel drive comes only when the in-wheel motor is available (which is only a long-term thing).

Many pros and cons with traditional drivetrain with crash safety, reliability, and part replacement cost. Could decrease insurance rates and increase overall quality of the PI builds. At least for now I wish Aptera would offer like a hub motor version (AWD) and a traditional drivetrain (2WD). Make one like ‘sport’ and one like ‘base’, respectively.

I am mildly disappointed about the in hub motors not being released on the first production units, but I certainly understand. I wonder what the efficiency penalty is going to be.

Maybe a Single (Central motor at Front- TESLA?), and Elaphe (or Other) at rear for starters? Lower Unsprung Weight in Front Drive, and Possible More Steering Lock/Smaller Turning Circle. Less Hoses and Cables through the Front Suspension, with possible Aero gain for Smaller Struts? Copper Cables work harden and Break! Cable runs and insulation are Heavy, so a MUCH Shorter run Lightens and Makes more reliable. As a Maintenance Engineer for Container Cranes, the Connectors were a Major Source (>50%, every one of 26 Years) of Downtime.

I'm thinking that Cherry is going to supply the inverter, motor, and gear box for the propulsion system.

The car is designed for in hub motors. How could the add a front motor with drove shafts and u-joints... It would not be the same car with the same efficiencies.

In the previous video they said the on board wire connectors are lighter and more reliable than the traditional connectors. Those are the reasons they are going with them.

Sending the beta mule to Italy for some last-minute suspension testing may have been necessitated by a change to the drivetrain. Back when they did the beta mule testing of the suspension, they said it was "done". Recently, we found out it wasn't. That points to a change that affected suspension performance and could back up Steve's thought that an in-wheel motor is out of the design initially.

JC did a video several years ago about the low voltage system that was set up on a table top including the knock knock door unlock

do you know if the seats fold forward for access to the back?

I knew the Elaphe partnership was dead. They talked about it all the time a few years ago but in the last two years, nothing. This surprises me zero percent. It doesn’t bother me, per se, but it is a point of unusually non-transparency for Aptera. Looking forward to hearing about their near term solution. But all wheel drive customers will be waiting to hear the long term return to hub motors. I don’t see another way to efficiently power the back wheel.

Hopefully by the time they get to their 600 mile units they’ll have this worked out

18:09 I think we saw JC in a video a while back where they were showcasing a low-voltage test-bed. I haven't checked and it's been a while, but I think it was JC.

If they are not going to have in-wheel motors, how are the going to fulfill my order for a 3-wheel drive? I sure hope you are wrong about this.

The removing of IWM actually pisses me off. That fact that things that critical are being changed this late in the game cause me to regret investing. And also makes me feel less certain about making a purchase. Dude. I convinced friends to invest in this company. Wtf..

Just became an investor!

I don't believe they are switching away from in wheel motors.... rather they are switching to a different manufacturer of in wheel motors... time will tell

That was my impression as well when they were talking about it in the drivethru line. Elaphe out despite all the R&D of custom motor, Protean technology in? I hope it has high bioavailability!

I asked about Elaphe in the 'Issues of Concern' area of the website community. Someone there said that they will be released from their NDA next week. They said they will be able to say more about it then. I guess they could fit a motor or 2 motors in the front space with half shafts. If it's only one motor, I think it would lose torque vectoring. I also heard that they might use a company in Denver for the drive train. That might have been just speculation.

Is there off the shelf in wheel motors ?

Go look under the hood, and if you're nimble enough, under the instrument panel of your car. Massive, messy masses of wiring. This looks very delicate, but also very simple by comparison. The overall labor involved may be much less and the wiring harness will be much lighter and cheaper.

On the website the launch edition still says all-wheel drive. Also sounds like they are going to directly integrate the open pilot.

Hopefully this is only a way to get them into production and then figure out the hub motor as things progress. I have to wonder how much of an efficiency impact this has on the whole vehicle.

I dunno. Go to Aptera Motors right now.and order an LE. They are still selling it as AWD.

Well than the production models can't be all wheel drive because the rear wheel must be in wheel drive as I understand .

I believe the third wheel in the LE will have the Elaphe motor if things work out according to plan. The expectation is all wheel drive for the launch edition.

I think JC was in an early video showing a bench-top breadboard of the low voltage hardware in operation.

There goes my AWD Aptera...

I don't understand. If the motor is in board, doesn't that reduce efficiency a whole bunch as now you need a full drive train?

Wonder where the fuse box is?

I wonder, what level of flooding can the vehicle withstand? In Detroit, we do Water Fording (driving through a channel filled with water), then there’s static levels.

Possibly the need for different gauges of wire for different current loads, is why they are going to wire-to-board connections? The fly in the ointment for conventional FWD - is the spinning driveshaft will have a rather larger effect on the aero drag. UNLESS is can be enclosed in a streamlined cover?

Living in Wi I am hoping for AWD. Is it a deal breaker? No. Plenty of us snow belters make it with FWD only. Are the IWM a deal breaker for me? No. If Aptera doesn’t feel the reliability is up to snuff or supply is an issue then go with something tried and tested. The technology of the IWM matches the technological advances of the rest of the vehicle true, but not a deal breaker for me. Later on maybe I trade my launch edition vehicle for an AWD with IWM. As always, thanks for all that you do Steve.

I was getting ready to say you were wrong, Steve but that's a great catch on the in wheel motors that is something they still want down the line. I didn't catch that when I watched it. But aren't the launch versions suppose to have the hub motors and all wheel drive? Or is that something that they can change and then we just have to go for it if we want it?

My guess would be that the cooling system will pull air from the cowl under the windshield. Usually a higher pressure area of the car in motion and maybe some efficiency benefits.

I love the mechanical simplicity of hub motors and the ability to do torque vectoring, which is important for aerodynamics because the wheels do not need to move as much. It seem that the easiest path forward is to use fixed-gear pancake motors beside each wheel. They could run at higher rpm than hub motors and therefore reduce the motor weight at the wheels. The seal would then be at least a few centimeters higher from the road and considerably smaller than hub motors, increasing reliability. This design would preserve some of the advantages of hub motors (avoiding long drive shafts and differentials) without being too much of a radical departure from their current design.

Where are the frames? I see CPC parts. Seems like there should be PI frames by now? Probably ordering new frames to accept the new drive train........

For the board connectors, it seems like more work to connect the wires directly to the board because you have to do each wire. But if you didn't do that you'd still have to install each wire into a connector one by one as well, then install the other side onto the board still. So either way you're doing assembly, plugging every wire individually into something right?

def on board motors for PI builds

What kind of solder they are using.

I want some of those stickers they're using for laying out the wiring! If anyone at Aptera is reading this, this would be a great way to connect with your fans!

Changing from in-wheel motors to an in-board motor will cause changes to the ABS and traction control hardware and software.

If the wire onboard connections are made while the board is being made sounds like it is done by robots so that the boards come to Aptera assembly line with the wires already strung out from them and they just connect the other wire end during the assembly process (guess)?

I can hear aussieman now.... he's gonna have a field day on his youtube channel with this IWM change. He has a thing for AOC/Steve and Aptera the company. He noted spelling SUNA backwards is comical.

The board to wire method maybe uses spring loaded wire traps built into the PCB similar to how WAGO push wire connectors work. Maybe?

Are they considering the same EV drive train I saw three years ago at Scottsdale's Barret Jackson from Gilbert-based AZ company Zero Electric Vehicles (ZEV) used on Sprinter vans and is now out of business, but their design is now used by Lighting E motors out of Denver on their ZEV3?

A person I convinced to buy an Aptera and who invested to receive an LE edition says he will wait to take delivery until they can deliver AWD. Aptera might be facing the same level of outrage and rebellion that occurred over the fast-charging issue.

I agree with your interpretation of the motors situation. I'm thinking the most efficient setup would still be two motors, just in-board.

If this indeed means a conventional front wheel drive I am very disappointed. I hate FWD because of the loss of traction and the torque steer. I have been very eager to get this car, but I may have to wait until I can get 3 in-wheel motors.

I wonder how the new drive train affects crash safety.

They probably have a super-efficient radiator diffuser duct to make it work as efficient has the P-51 Mustang. It requires a lot of long volume which is probably available where they put it in the rear.