Aptera Towing and Transport

[dan-stevens]

I’m pretty sure they could just ‘turn the motors off’ in a freewheel mode and you could flat tow the car. Unlike most other cars, I don’t think there is anything else that ‘spins’ and has lubrication issues, so this would make it easier than most with the in wheel motors.

Unfortunately, I doubt doing this, testing it, having someone come up with the required baseplate for flat towing is not on the radar until after production is well under way.

I also would like to have a simple method to transport the car behind my RV. It would make a great toad!

[Carl_in_AZ]

I’m interested in a toad as well but to transport by a contract auto truck carrier it cost a lot more to ship using a flatbed because they can only ship three at a time versus an auto carrier which is up to nine.

[cosme-tome-melendez]

Guys, I am figuring what is going on if my Aptera if for any reason it is out of service on the road, highway due low battery charge, a failure, or a simple break down that allows moving on its own wheels, etc. but need been pulled with a leach or rope from another helping driver?

Does the Aptera ‘s nose has a pulley eye, or a threated base where install a hook or something similar? I had not seen anything in forum, discussions or either videos.

Thank you for reading!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by  Gabriel Kemeny.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by  Gabriel Kemeny.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Gabriel Kemeny.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  Gabriel Kemeny.

[jason-rowberg]

Read an interesting article on Jalopnik this morning about a Tesla that broke down on the freeway and could not be moved. https://jalopnik.com/a-tesla-bricking-itself-on-the-highway-is-a-reminder-th-1847734019 — apparently this is a problem common to EV’s.

I’m curious if the design for Aptera has included some safety features for allowing a disabled vehicle to be mechanically disengaged from the drive train, brakes, etc. so it can be easily moved out of traffic or towed with something other than a flatbed truck?

[paul-evans]

That’s definitely one that should be filed under “YIKES“! One of Aptera’s many differentiators is the in-wheel-motors. So maybe it’s a “feature” of BEV transmissions.

I’m curious about how the parking/emergency break will work. Will it be manually engaged? If not, will total power loss automatically engage it?

Maybe we’ll have to wait until the Beta model rolls out to learn more. It’s likely a question for the body controls team…..

[kerbe2705]

e-parking brakes – on Tesla and many other EVs – are motor-driven devices that screw a clamp onto one or more of the vehicle’s brake discs.

[peter-jorgensen]

There is no drivetrain. The motor is directly in the wheel hub. So to turn the wheel, you must turn the motor. You can disengage the brakes and manually turn the motor if it has no power applied to it and/or it’s set up to reduce resistance to movement. But it’s always connected.

We’ll have to see what options there are with beta vehicles. My Niro EV has a “P Release” button to release park if the car is dead.

I’ve also heard of newer manual transmission ICE cars getting stuck with the electronic parking brake on and the battery dead – and they couldn’t be moved until the battery was jumped and the brake released.

Always carry a little 12V jump box. They’re cheap and tiny and light and 12V EV batteries die fast and frequently.

[ray-holan]

I don’t own an RV and there may not be many prospective Aptera owners that do. However, I notice that many RV owners tow a spare ICE vehicle behind their diesel pusher motorhome. A sub 2,000 lb. Aptera would be a great spare vehicle. The light weight would not noticeably penalize the 8 mpg fuel consumption of a typical motorhome.

Here’s a trailer for a three-wheeler with a 1,771 lb load capacity:

https://stingertrailer.com/product/stinger-for-can-am-spyder/

Unfortunately, it’s too small to fit an Aptera. Regardless, I’m sure someone with welding and engineering skills could come up with a variation of this that would accommodate an Aptera. Then too, a properly designed towbar for the RV to tow the Aptera might be a more elegant solution.

[paul-schultz]

I’ve had the same thought and think the Aptera would be an excellent vehicle to tow behind an RV. I could see using a front-wheel tow dolly with a front-wheel-drive Aptera. The rear wheel would be on the road and rolling freely. A tow dolly is a much lighter trailer but still provides protection to the front-wheel-drive motors of the Aptera.

[peter-jorgensen]

Strap around front suspension or rear tow/hitch point.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11Of3g6RYqstbXecs7j2UHHd_b8s5MebxEs-ZwkyMiiQ/edit?usp=sharing

[cosme-tome-melendez]

@Peter Jorgensen, thank you very much very good, I will read it out so, maybe most of the questions I have in mind are ready responded, I appreciate!

[michael-jarvis]

I’ve seen only one reply about someone who thought a flat tow option for RVers would be nice to have. I also would like to have the option to flat tow with my RV and can see a great application for the RV community to have the power system tie into the RV bi-directionally. I don’t know the market share demand of this type of hookup option but I do know the RV community grew large during the pandemic!

[paul-schultz]

There was a previous post about this topic. The concern is that the hub motors in the front wheels would not do well with flat towing. I suggested a tow dolly to avoid rolling the Aptera’s front drive wheels. Then, if you only have a front-wheel drive Aptera the rear wheel could be rolling on the road. There are some nice light aluminum tow dollies that stand up on end for easier storage. Plus, attaching a tow bar to the front of the Aptera would require some connection points, probably on the suspension, that I am not sure would be ideal.

Paul

[george-hughes]

I’m not a RV’er but think that a better way to look at this might be a digital/physical hitch that actually allows the Aptera to follow, essentially a ‘tow’ vehicle using its own power. I imagine it like the follow me application on small photo drones where the Aptera would be connected with a chain and an approved ‘special’ hitch that gives it enough play between the tow vehicle and the towed to make the pull smooth. Otherwise, the Aptera uses ‘some of its battery power’ to follow the RV (or other lead vehicle) meaning there is no ‘pull penalty’ for the RV.

Personally, I’d like this functionality become a standard on the Aptera largely because doing so would make it the odds on solution for a standard for light trucks, vehicles and RV’s pulling light self-powered trailers. Heck, you could even have Aptera’s pulling other Aptera’s making an caravan of Apterea.

I suggest that because, with the Aptera’s amazing efficiency, you could take two on your vaca and you will still use fewer KWH of power making the trek than if you used the most efficient five seat EV on the market. Now if you could just stick the kids in the pulled car 🙂

[BUG]

Towing

Can it be Towed and Charge by regeneration? Unoccupied? Will BMS and Drive Soft/Hardware have that Feature/Mode available?

[BUG]

Hmmm – @my Discord… : I guess I was Too Terse in My Query.

What I was asking was: If an operational Aptera is Flat towed (all three wheels on the Road Surface), Can it Regenerate to charge its battery? Is the Software/Hardware capable of this “Enhancement”? I guess it would require a “Sense” signal from the Braking system of the Tow Vehicle, in order not to be Like a Mule that Refuses to be led away. Maybe Lightest level of Regeneration most of the time, but going to Full/Heavy Regeneration when the Brakes of the Tow Vehicle are Applied Until the Batteries are full.

Makes me wonder about Regenerative Braking when the Batteries are Full: Is there a Resistive “Dissipator” Bank that absorbs Regenerated Electricity when the Battery (Cue Scotty Doohan’s Voice): “She canna take any More, Jim”?

[Biker]

There will likely be a freewheel mode, for such towing situations.

[BUG]

Because the Front Fender attach points are so exposed, I would think it would be pretty easy for a vendor to come up with a Flat Tow Hitch attach that Might (for Example) require only replacement of the OEM Fender Fairing Attach Bolts with ones that have provisions for Quick-Release Hitch.

[Stuppie]

[jerry-gustafson]

I have a short Tiffin Allegro Breeze diesel pusher motorhome (30 feet) and currently tow (all four down) a non-electric manual transmission Chevy Spark that only weights 2165 lbs. I would love to tow an Aptera with all three wheels down. I definitely don’t want to mess with a trailer or dolly. Blue Ox tow system is what I currently use and it is fantastic! I’m sure that Blue Ox would be glad to work with Aptera.

[curtis-cibinel]

The Elaphe motors are permanent magnet which almost certainly means no way to turn them off and flat tow (like most EVs). A trailer is almost certainly the only option. Aptera with FWD could potentially have a wheel dolly.

[Fran]

Curtis, What do you mean, “You can’t generally roll drive wheels on an ev when towing.”? Are you saying that you can’t shut off the Aptera motors and coast with no regen braking? I hope that’s not the case because my favorite hypemiling technique is coasting with no power. I always assumed that like a generator with no power drawn (open circuit), an electric motor/alternator/generator would have no problem spinning freely without causing eddy currents and drag/wear. I coast power off with both my Honda Insight (clutch disengaged or out of gear) and my Toyota Prius (regen braking disengaged, neutral). I expect to do the same with the Aptera if there is a way to “put it in neutral” without damaging something. Does anyone know if the “gear select” has a neutral position? I suppose they might have made the mistake of designing the electronics such that your only choices are: forward, reverse, and park, but no neutral. That would really be disappointing and I might even say, stupid.

[Elzo]

God forbid, your Aptera broke down in a remote location. All you have is a towing cable and a friends car… Would you be able to attach it securely to the front of the vehicle in order to tow it away?

[curtis-cibinel]

My understanding is that flat towing any EV (especially with a permanent magnet motor) is bad for the battery and electrical systems. I suspect it should always be “towed” on a flatbed.

[kerbe2705]

“broke down” is an interesting concept: Could a suspension component snap or shatter? Perhaps, but that would render the vehicle unable to roll. Could a motor fail and lock-up? Perhaps, but that would render the vehicle unable to roll. Could the software fail and render the vehicle unresponsive to controls? Perhaps. I’m guessing that, if you’re able to reach-out to a friend with a towline, you’re probably equally able to contact a professional towing service.

[joshua-rosen]

This is true for almost all EVs, you need a flatbed to tow them. Where you do define as the middle of nowhere that doesn’t have flatbed tow trucks? The Aptera isn’t a Rivian, it’s not really meant to do any extreme off roading.

[Fran]

Darren Kirk, I hope you are not serious about not being able to fit sheet rock or lumber in the Aptera. I have carried 12 foot long rolls of Carpet in my two seater sports cars Honda Del Sol and Honda Insight (first generation). Certainly even 16 foot long lumber could be carried in the Aptera with some of it sticking out the back. I wouldn’t be surprised if 10 foot long lumber could fit inside with the hatch closed. For 4 x 8 foot sheet rock you would have to put a block (12 inches tall) in the far back and maybe a shorter one in the middle of the sheet, under the sheet rock to fit it in, of course tied down and hatch open. I am a landlord who does most of my own fixing and have driven two seater sports cars for the last ten year, and have rarely had to borrow a truck to deliver my materials. Even most kitchen cabinets will fit in the Aptera. Hatch backs are wonderful vehicles.

The yellow outline is the edges of a 4×8 foot sheet of plywood or drywall. The red outline is a block to prevent the sheet from resting on the edge of the hatch opening. A 12 foot roll of carpeting would fit between the front seats and reach all the way to the dash or screen. This is a nice vehicle for a handy man.

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  Francis Giroux.
• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  Francis Giroux.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by  Gabriel Kemeny.

[john-teran]

a neutral gear and a hidden towing loop in the front would be perfect.