Why side-by-side design vs the single aisle design like Elio? The single aisle could reduce cost and be even more efficient in theory and is better as a pure commuter car since 1 person is in it most of the time anyway. Would need an even smaller battery.
Side by side is more social and car-like. I would not have placed an order if it was single row seating. Also, it wipes out the storage in the trunk. I think Aptera is on the right track.
I like the car and would probably still get one but I was talking about efficiency which is what Aptera is all about I don't want social and car-like when I commute to work everyday.
I plan to replace my gas guzzling Cadillac CTS with the Aptera. And, while commuting to work is the primary use for the car, I still want to be able to go somewhere with my daughter or SO, both around town and on long trips, and have it be sociable. Not much of a date if you are yelling over your shoulder at them. The inline seating is limiting, although I get your point that the efficiency could be further increased by reducing the frontal area of the car, and possibly the weight. I guess my personal requirement is for the highest efficiency with seating for two, side by side. There is an untapped market out there that won't buy this car because it can't carry 4-5 people. Some of the future designs Aptera shows for larger sedans and SUVs, etc. make me sad. Those look like market or VC driven designs destined to lose the spirit of this car. I would rather see them go in the direction you are suggesting,and maybe even take it down to a 1-seater. But then that begs the question of how much utility do you trade for a little more efficiency. Hardcore engineering types might get all geeked up on it, but I think most people want a better balance of efficiency and a social interior.
I agree that you might get more people interested with the side-by-side setup which is very important to getting any support at all. For most people, they only drive 40 miles per day or less on average and, if they need to take someone with them for that short a distance, I again don't care about the social part since you'll only be in the car for about 30 minutes or so. For the longer trips, I'd just go back to a bigger EV or small efficient sedan which might only be 10-20% of the time. But, I agree, it's nice to be able to take 2 people on a longer trip in an Aptera and be socialable and get the super efficiency of that setup too, it's just not exactly the way I'd like to see it go for my preferences.
My guess (and this is a guess) is as follows: What you said might be true for a pure electric vehicle. Aisle seating might be more efficient.
Aptera is solar powered. A solar power car needs surface area for the solar panels.
A second answer might come from studying nature. A tear drop is the most aerodynamic shape. A tear drop is round at the front and tapers off. The passenger would have to be squished to fit behind the driver.
Imagine putting two people in a water drop. Two people shaped objects would fit better side by side than in a line. The tear drop tapers off dramatically and wouldn't give headroom for the rear passenger.
The tear drop shape has a optimal coefficient of drag of around 0.045 or something. The Aptera has a wonderful advertised 0.13. So, I am guessing you could do a single-aisle shape that would hold 2 people and be a little better than 0.13 AND even hold the solar cells as well. I am guessing the side-by-side design shape was chosen as it's probably a little more marketable. But, this is only a guess on my part.
@mark_c_moreno (the cross is to be minimized) the circle points out space for folding legs out, thigh area space is accommodated by not space to spread legs wide, and left/right leg of passengers can be folded behind the center seated driver. a 2 seater version of this probably makes more sense, but i dont know what the weight penalty to potential usefulness ratio is most optimal, but in long term i believe in even single seater cars and a different business model to accompany that https://www.aptera.us/forum/aptera-design-discussion/increasing-average-efficiencies-by-rental-of-usually-uneeded-things
another alternative is legs around the driver if legs are streched out, option to compress legs behind driver for smaller people
https://www.gordonmurraydesign.com/en/products/previous/t.25-and-t.27.html
mark_c_moreno
This design - fully electric - is what I'm looking for.
There is also the inefficiency of needing multiple vehicles in your garage to serve all of your needs to consider. Having two or three $20K - $60K vehicles sitting there, all requiring insurance, maintenance, charging, etc. that you can practically hear depreciating in value is an economic luxury most people cannot afford. Add to that the environmental consumption of resources to build all of those cars, and it gets pretty ugly very quick.
@mr.kilpinen
That's why everyone ends up back at Aptera. Twike5 and Sondors would be alternatives, but two-seater. Helix 300 MPGe solor-seater. When you find one, send me the link.
@ loswa
Inverted trike is the superior design out here in Finland. Having just one wheel to steer the vehicle at the center line would be difficult to control during winter time.
One wheel in front is a rollover waiting to happen.
@djkingsley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnwS56l3rDk
I will tell you....I put my money down on an Elio 7 years ago (3 wheeled tandem seating gas car) and my wife said she would not sit in the back. Depending on each individuals situation, could be a bad thing or a good thing. 😉
My wife and I would need only 1 and it could be the Aptera Paradigm.
Three wheels are inherently less stable than four. You want as wide a track in front as you can get to minimize roll in emergency maneuvers.
@djkingsley do you mean that 😁
@loswa Exactly that.
@djkingsley
https://www.aptera.us/forum/aptera-design-discussion/overall-structure-perportion-alternatives
Yes that would be even more efficient if the balance would work all the time.
Having driven hundreds of thousands of miles two up with my wife on motorcycles, I can tell you that the side by side seating is more social, and we are at the stage in life where we will appreciate the better communication the side by side will allow.
Agreed this is a more social but I was talking about efficiency and commuter car. If you want to take a trip with other people have a 2nd or 3rd vehicle
mark_c_moreno
Forget Aptera, these are the right EVs for you 😀
you might be right - what's the one on the upper left? Names?
@John Butterfield This is in proportion to how long you have been married 😁
Why isn't the design inline vs side by side? Fewer people are interested in inline? + less storage space for length. I know I don't want an inline design, it too antisocial.