-
Aptera Seat Info
In this video at time 15:00, Nathan says they were experimenting with heated and cooled seats.
The idea is that less energy is used to heat and cool the body than cooling the entire vehicle interior.
He commented they had a weird feeling.
Aren’t these common today?
- 86 Replies
-
Aptera Seat Info
updated 1 month ago 59 Members · 86 Replies -
As an investor and pre-order holder I’m anxiously awaiting production.
One of the key updates I’d like to know about is about the seating. Last I heard about this Aptera was looking to select a tier1 supplier for the seats, but I haven’t heard any news on this. The current pictures have the same units. Is there an update on this that I missed?
-
None that I heard Bruce, but Sarah’s latest video talks about upcoming updates. ???? on content including seats
-
I think I remember Chris or Steve talking about how the seats could be put in an upright position, yet all of the videos I have seen show the seat in a fairly reclined position. I personally have neck and back issues and do not want to be driving in a reclined position. Of course, the seat can be reclined for entry and exit, then put more upright for driving, but will there be adequate headroom for the 6’ driver that wants to drive in an upright position? Any thoughts on this?
-
Seat controls should be no different that regular manual car seats with a fairly upright position possible.
-
I’m sure the control will be easy. I’m just wondering what the head room will be in an upright position.
-
In believe that, when they talk about interior headroom, they’re talking about measuring from the seat cushion to the roof liner – at a 90° angle to the seat. The alpha prototypes seem to fit someone 6’2″ while the betas are being designed to fit someone 6’8″ tall. But, as not all torsos are the same length (I have long legs but not a long torso and have a friend who is the exact oposite: We are both 6′ tall, but do not see eye-to-eye when seated across from each other.), such descriptions are relative.
-
-
-
The 6’8″ sounds great for me (6’2″). Anyone know if there will be vertical adjustability to the seat? I need to make sure my wife (5’0″) will be able to see over the steering wheel.
-
They’re achieving the increase by lowering the interior “floor” of the vehicle so, one would hope, this would make seat-height adjustment a possibility.
-
-
The thing that would make the most difference in winter would be a heated windshield. Windshield fogging is the thing that forces me to turn the heat on. If you are dressed for winter you can be pretty comfortable without heat into the low 20s especially if you have a heated steering wheel and a heated seat. However the windshield fogs up long before you need heat for human comfort. A heated windshield that uses energy just to defog or deice the windshield without wasting it on cabin heat would make a big difference in winter energy use.
The other thing is a heat pump which will be even more important in an Aptera than in other EVs. Aptera’s have small batteries, with the exception of the 1000 mile variant, resistive heating consumes about 100Wh/mile, that will halve the range of an Aptera.
-
The point is that they’re using a different technology to heat and cool the seats: Peltier modules. All other heated vehicle seats use resistance heating coils and/or forced heated or cooled ventilation via a blower. Sitting on a Peltier module in “cold” mode is rather like sitting on a piece of ice.
-
Any info on seat width and height?
Thank you!
-
They did mention a few details but not raw dimensions. The current alpha seats are basically for show and not very comfortable (no lumbar support). The interview with the woman from Transport Evolved discussed this. I think they also said the headrest wouldn’t be adjustable at one point.
-
theres always aftermarket cushions and lumbar support. i said aptera should do advertising deal with aftermarket product that enhances the car by advertising their stuff as options in order configurator. they test it for approval and forum can share their experience or find such product. that way, people dont choose another car b/c they werent aware of certain aftermarket fixes, for ex. if standard seats dont help them do they prefer a another car with built in seats better for their wants. tinted dislay HUD can help as less attention shifting, more intutive, spedometer. chargers and hoem batteries, solar roof etc could be a big deal
-
I’m 6’2″ and weigh 220 lbs. I get fidgety even in good seats. Hope that Aptera goes for good quality highly adjustable seats even if the added weight reduces range some. Won’t do any good to have an efficient vehicle that i can’t drive without pain in the @$$.
-
I currently drive a Subaru Forester and like the seat height. It makes it easy to get in and out of. After a weekend in a lower rental car, I suddenly realized how important entry height is in cars. Any idea of what the seat height is in the Aptera? The ground clearance looks decent, so I assume it’s up there, but does anyone have an actual measurement?
-
The designers are still experimenting with the seat design. I expect that to continue throughout beta testing. So no, the seat design, including height and height range is not yet fully defined.
-
The door opening will be very favorable for entry, but center-of-gravity height is very important for stability in a three-wheeler, and with the two occupants making up 20% of the weight of the car, I expect the seats to be as low as is practical. Figure on 4 inches of ground clearance, 4 inches of battery module height, and 2 inches of seat padding under the driver’s bottom, and no higher.
I would expect a height-adjustable seat to be optional.
-
The alpha prototypes have 7″ of ground clearance – we’ve heard that the beta design might have slightly less.
-
-
For what it’s worth, I’ve sat in an alpha and found ingress and egress easier than my Miata. I’m 5′ 11″ and 64 years old.
-
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned in this thread is the configuration of vehicle’s door opening when the door is raised.
In a typical crossover like a Subaru Forester (BTW my wife loves her 2017 Crosstrek), the roof opening starts approximately even with the side of the vehicle. The Aptera’s door opening in cut into the roof by a few inches. So, in effect, the seat “comes out to greet you” more so than the typical vehicle. That plus the seat height plus how tall or wide the driver is should be part of the ease of egress equation.
-
Yes the seat height is important. We want it low for the best handling and high for the easiest entry and exit. So adjustable suspension is my preferred solution. Raise it up when going under 5 mph and lower when over 5 mph. Then include the option for free ????
-
Wondering if this petroleum-free, plant sourced leather alternative made in the USA may be of interest for interiors and seats in the Aptera going forward. Not sure they can switch in the near term, but it would be attractive to many buyers, myself included.
PEORIA, ILL. (PRWEB) JULY 13, 2021 “…synthetic leather materials are estimated to be the largest segment of the automotive upholstery market. With its durability, quality, and tunability, Natural Fiber Welding, Inc. (NFW) and the company’s patented material MIRUM, are well-suited to displace both animal leather and synthetic leather alternatives with materials that are plastic-free and high-performance.”
“… Leveraging the strength and diversity of virgin and recycled plant matter, such as coconut husk, rice hulls, and cork, MIRUM requires no plastic binders or coating. The material is durable and luxurious, making it a well-suited leather alternative.
Through their partnerships, including BMW i Venture’s recent investment, NFW continues to disprove the assumption that in order to perform, textiles in industries like the automotive industry must include petroleum-based products. …”
-
I’d prefer to have real leather. It’s a durable natural material which would go to waste if it wasn’t widely used.
-
I’m sure that they won’t be able to change vendors for the immediate production, but thought it should be considered for future production primarily because it’s made in the USA and there are a lot of customers who would prefer it for ethical reasons. Leather seats are better than cloth IMO, but we keep seat covers on our 2002 F150 so they don’t get stained or ripped from use. I would definitely go for a plant-based substitute if it is durable and comfortable. Part of the reason I’m getting the Aptera is so I can honestly say I’m reducing my personal carbon footprint by (hopefully) never using gas or electricity that uses fossil fuels again, so that’s just another little step forward. Well, that plus it makes me smile to see think about tooling around in a zippy spaceship car that smiles instead of a clunky box that looks like a grumpy sneaker…
-
Also an investor and future owner, I am wondering if we can expect a seat height adjustment for us short people, at least for the driver?
-
I’ve often wondered if the seats will have any adjustability at all, other than the rake of the seatback: There doesn’t appear to be much room under the seats. Perhaps the pedals will have fore and aft adjustability?
-
I hear ya. I’m 5’7″ and the seat adjustment is critical for me as well. Maybe they’ll use some standard seat base or an off the shelf seat with those built in. It seems, according to latest videos, parts will be brought to HQ for final assembly so someones seat may just get the covering added before shipping to HQ. In which case adjustments are a given.
Now, will they avoid any blockage of the center bar? lol
-
This is from the Luna. Looks like the usual manual seat adjustments.
-
-
-
Just curious whether any folks of “retirement age” have test-driven the Aptera alpha test vehicle and have comments about the comfort of the vehicle for entry/exit, seats, visibility, etc.
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, the descriptions of the Aptera’s laser-focus on efficiency and the potential range of an Aptera, make this vehicle appealing as a retirement vehicle, with great range, low cost of operation, fast recharge times, 2 passenger (+ dog!) capacity, etc. I’d love to have one of these to pursue my photography hobby guilt-free!
My main concerns are how this car would feel to drive and to get in and out of, and the comfort of the seats for long-range drives. Anyone have experience with this that they’d like to share?
Also – does anyone know if it is yet possible to visit San Diego for a test-drive? I haven’t plunked down a deposit (yet!) but likely to do so within the next week or so, potentially along with an investment.
Comments appreciated.
-
In case you haven’t seen it already, here is a new helpful video by Steve at Aptera Owner’s Club out today that shows his observations about seat entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQD8ClJygVg. He does not address comfort, though. Aptera does not appear to allow any non-employees to directly drive the current prototypes (understandable for safety and liability reasons).
-
I wonder about the seat height off the floor. It looks like the alphas and betas require legs straight out in front of the occupants.
-
At 77 not that flexible. I use the method Steve illustrates in his video and have no difficulty getting in and our of my grandsons lists. I don’t anticipate any issue with the Aptera. In fact probably easier