I have doubts that the good Cx can compensate for the weight which seems heavy (how much with dashboard, big doors, big wheels, etc ?) with approximately 600 Wp of solar panels, to reach the indicated performances, autonomy and speed. I drive a solar Waw velomobile (60 kg with 480Wp)
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The Aptera is 1800 to 2200 lbs. The wheels are 12lbs each IIRC. The vehicle isn't driven solely by solar, it's just supplemental. It has a 25kWh-100kWh internal battery depending on how you spec it.
Other than record low drag (0.13 coefficient of aerodynamic friction + low frontal area) and quite low weight (about half that of other EVs), other factors that contribute to its low use of energy (10 miles/kilowatt-hour) are its efficient regenerative braking.
Thks Harry,
Regarding autonomy, according to my average energy production on my solar velomobile (480 Wp, latest generation Sun Power, with perfectly horizontal panels), I charge a factor of 4 per day, when there is sunlight!
With 600 Wp, Aptera will charge around 2 kWh / day because the panels are not horizontal. And as soon as there is no sun, electricity production drops very quickly.
You say a consumption of 10 miles / kWh for a weight of 2000 lbs ...
Even with your Cx, I am skeptical about the energy consumption that you give with such a weight (my solar velomobile weighs 160 lbs and consumes 60 miles / kWh at 18 miles / h of average speed). At what average speed is this energy consumption?
With this consumption and 2 kWh / day of production per day that gives 20 miles of range / day rather than 40 and if there are many climbs, consumption explodes...
I also have recharging under braking. A descent regenerates about 50% of what you used for the climb. And in a normal journey, it will regenerate 15% of your consumption. It's interesting but it does not create miracles ...
@Jean-marc Dubouloz Elaphe - the manufacturer of the motors used in the Aptera - says that their wheel-motors are capable of 70% regeneration, unlike the 30% found in many other EVs with body-mounted motors. There are considerable losses in many vehicles between generating the power and storing/using it: Those losses seem to lessen with wheel-motors.
Interesting discussion. First, allow me to point out that while I'm a big fan of Aptera Motors, I don't work for them and don't have any "inside info". I'm just using the numbers and info they have made public.
So your velomobile goes 6 times further on the same amount of energy. Very good!
A few corrections on your assumptions...
(1) Aptera solar panels actually output 700 watts peak. That is real life, in the actual curved configuration of the panels on the vehicle. Of course, that is on beautiful, sunny SanDiego, CA day, and your weather may vary. But they actually can do that. (Sometimes.)
(2) The 10 miles/KWH mileage is based on 3D drag simulations and known information about the electronics and motors.
(3) That mileage is also based on the combined EPA test cycle of acceleration and deceleration and times at various speeds, designed to simulate both city and highway driving, at speeds up to 70 mph. So if you drive an Aptera slower and more gently than the EPA test cycle, you should use even less energy per mile. (The EPA test cycle is done on level ground and in still air.)
(4) One of the simulated assumptions is how efficient the regenerative braking is at capturing the vehicle's kinetic energy and converting it back into stored energy. I remember reading that the Aptera electronics and motor are particularly good at that, though I don't have that number now. I remember it is well above the 50% that my Chevy Volt claims with its much worse aerodynamics and weight, so that makes a big difference.
(1) 180 Cells means more 600 Watts peaks than 700, but...
(2) (3) (4) If I undertsand, datas given come from simulations... Let's wait until real tests.
Aside from the ruined aesthetics, what happens to the claimed CX when you have to stick a license plate on the front ? Required in all but 19 states. Noticed the rear plate is CA, definitely required here.
@Rick Brown Is that true for "motorcycles" as well? Remember, the Aptera is not a car.
How many watts come from solar cells of course varies with the size and quality of the cells, including their coating and orientation.
While the 10 miles/KWH number is partially based on simulations, the 700 watts and 4 KWH per day figures are from actual measurements of the identical solar panels configuration and orientation as on an Aptera, hand built and mounted on Co-CEO Chris Anthony's roof in San Diego, California. It has been there under test for over a year gathering data in multiple orientations.
I have 480 Watts peak, with last generation Sun Power Cells.
During a sunny summer day, I charge almost 2,3 kWh, a little more than 4 times the peak power. I'd like to reach almost 6 times as Chris Anthony does.
May be the South California pure air effect ?
Where are you located and what solar zone do you fall into on the map in https://www.aptera.us/never-charge ?
That is really interesting. Solar panels doesn't really make any sense on a "normal" vehicle. If you take a very efficient Model 3, it goes roughly 5miles/kWh. If you can produce 4kWh in an optimistic sunny day, it's 20 miles. This is not bad, but is it really cost/effective?
With Aptera this concept change. 40 miles for free are absolutely worth.
Even in non optimal conditions, 20 miles are good enough (compared to 10 miles for the Model 3 in the same conditions).
I consider solar panels as icing on the cake. I live in San Diego, and my daily commute is 48-miles. So if I get 20-40 free miles a day, its just like finding few extra $$ everyday in my pocket. Free energy just feels good. Plus it drops my $150+ dollar gas bill closer to zero :)
I'm sorry, I don't believe at all in the daily load level indicated by Aptera with around 700 Wp of solar panels placed on a surface that does not facilitate ventilation to cool them properly, with cells placed on a curved surface not offering the 700Wp efficiently in direct sunlight.
I have had experienced of 10,000 km driven in summer in France with my 480 Wp of latest generation Sun Power cells, placed vertically and can be ventilated to be cooled from below. I charge a maximum of 4.5 times the power for a whole day. The difference in sunshine between Southern California and the South of France in summer cannot explain the charging differential indicated by Aptera of 4000 Wh charged per day!
Another point, I do not believe at all either in the low energy consumption indicated by Aptera, for a vehicle that weighs between 1200 and 2000 lbs, even with a Cx of 0.13. Impossible.
I have a return of 10,000 km with my solar velomobile which also has an excellent Cx and which weighs loaded ... only 180 lbs.
I don't believe in those two aspects at all, but I'm ready to be wrong as soon as real life Aptera user testing says otherwise.
Welcome to the real world and not just to the world of 3D simulations.
Why am I so skeptical and critical?
This is because I firmly believe in this concept of solar autonomy in travel, and that over-exaggerating performance is detrimental to the communication of this mode of travel.
As attractive as the Aptera vehicle is.
Have you studied the Solar Zone map and table on Aptera's web site under their TECH tab? I think you should. Their solar map goes beyond the marketing hype and shows that the south of France is in a lower solar zone (Zone 4) than Southern California (Zone 8). (Most of France is in Zone 3.) According to the table there, Zone 8 locations can expect to gain between 16.5 and 40.3 miles per day, depending on the season, and ~10479 mile per year. Zone 4 locations can expect to gain between 12.6 and 36.4 miles per day, depending on the season, and ~8870 mile per year, so only 84% of San Diego, averaged over the year. Latitude makes a difference.
Here in New Jersey, I'm in Zone 1 or 2, so solar power won't help so much. Still, I ordered the solar hood option but decided to keep my Aptera's tail clear of solar panels. Here, latitude and cloudy weather make a difference.
Ya, I didn't realize the latitude difference until I saw Sono Sion specs for its native Germany & looked up their highest summer sun angle, only to discover it's still lower than the lowest winter sun in Aptera's native Southern California!
I saw a claim somewhere that Aptera's solar power specs are based on actual output from the cells of a test car body parked multiple days on a flat roof at various compass headings.
I expect that Aptera bases their drive power consumption on their existing driving prototypes.
@kiteboarder Founder Chris has had a mockup of a full-solar Aptera top surface on the roof of his house for about a year, measuring the output.
The range/consumption figures are based on computer simulations - there is, at present, only one prototype on the road - the one you see in the Launch video. Two more prototypes will be on the road within the next two months. I've heard that those simulations were made using the heaviest Aptera - the 1000-mile variant - so the lighter models will probably see better-than-predicted real-world ranges.
Great, & those computer simulations are likely at least partially based on real-world power-consumption data from the previous model's more numerous driving prototypes.