Is it possible to use a color in the resin? Just thinking it would be more durable than paint so minor scratches could be simply buffed out.
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I’m curious how this will be registered in the US and how that will effect vehicle insurance.
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- DiscussionIn the UK Relient Robins and the Original Morgan three wheelers had a reputation for tipping over when cornering, often with fatal results. Many, many, years ago the original Top Gear team rolled a Robin several times, which was fun to watch. Think about the Moose avoidence test, and avoiding accidents at speed on freeways. 3 wheeled cars are less stable than 4 wheeled cars. Augmenting stabilty with electronics can go wrong - see 737 Max. Perhaps castors on rear corners, as on some RVs with long rear overhangs. An important segment of initial purchasers will include rich old men trying to re-live their youth and show off their greeness. Get some overweight geriatrics to test the getting in and out. The rest of the world is going to higher SUVs, which are easier to get into. Opening windows are required at toll booths, ATMs, entrances to gated comunities, talking to police after traffic stops, etc Federally mandated heights for bumpers/fenders? Low car may not be seen in some traffic situations. Think flags on recumbent cycles. Front and rear streamlined fenders should be (part) removable for driving in slush/snow/mud. Can slush / snow jam up inside fenders and stop the wheel rotating? The solar panels wil get dirty when parked. Consider a purpose made cleaning tool. Think brolly in door of RR. Overall the concept is logical, attractive, and excellent. An excellent start.
- DiscussionI own a velomobile, which is a three-wheels recumbent tricycle with a hard shell. It is a tadpole configuration with two wheels in front and one at the rear. I had it for over six years and always have a concern regarding rear tire blowout. It never happens to me but many people owning a velomobile have scary experience with rear tire blowout. It loses lateral stability once rear tire loses traction. The Aptera has a similar configuration. I wonder your design team looks into the rear tire blowout sceneraio or not.
I understand that it will not be painted .
They will use a high quality wrap for color. Wrap as used in high end sports car. As you can see the top of the vehicle in almost entirely black from the solar cells. But until the latest verified prototype is built we may not know for sure😞.
I suppose a wrap offers many options but have never owned a completely wrapped vehicle and cared for that overall finish.
I did had clear 3M protective film, on one vehicle for ten years, which was installed to protected a painted finish on a vehicle from road debris....and that held ok for me on the east coast. Snow and de-melting chemicals and ten years of primarily interstate driving. Mime was applied to the nose and vulnerable areas of the car. I hand washed and car washed that vehicle too with no issues. The vehicle was never damaged... to speak of repair. It was removable for replacement.
So “ I guess”... if the composite is dentproof and if the wrap ever got damaged it may just be a matter of replacing a section of wrap.
Thanks for the info Len, I'm in the same boat I have never had a wrapped vehicle either. I was a bit curious about a possible gel coat like my sailboat, It has a tendency to crack at stress points so maybe that's why they chose to do the wrap.
Chris was in the boat business so should bring those experiences forward on the unique composite sandwiched core shell they are using.
🤞 If high end sports cars use it and they need to look sharp. This could be a good choice.
🤔 I can’t remember if the 2009 Aptera 2e had a wrap on it. It looked good. If so they had, I believe, 100,000 miles on those old prototypes and hopefully “lessons learned”
It might be possible to have a gel coat (when the color is a layer in the composite panels), or it might not - because I think the new construction method is not conventional. A wrap is fairly likely, especially if the color is graphically following different lines than the chassis panels.
Oh yes the “proprietary Panelized Automated Composite Construction (PAC2),
The *composite is like a silica-based fabric that has been soaked with resin” per the 2009 CNET article on the old Aptera e...
A guess you can say “A horse of a different color”!... when it comes to colorizing / coating.
* we know it is dent-proof but not scratch-proof.
Whatever wrap or gel coat..... bring it on! As the raw composite needs a uniform finish
BTW what are Corvettes made of these days? fiberglass? Different composite but... is that gel coated?