As the Aptera team works on creating development vehicles.....if there readers with good EV guides, which can help “this EV newbie” understand and train to be an effective EV driver.... and can ultimately be referenced to enjoy an Aptera to the max.....I would be interested to start learning/reading EV training guides
Example generic guide:
https://www.fleetcarma.com/training-guide-new-electric-car-drivers/
This above guide tries to talk to on a variety of present EVs out there.
Of course ultimately only the Aptera Manual will guide us, given the final production vehicles’ offering.....so just looking for an early guide, given some of the Aptera features/attributes from interior cooling, solar charging to utilizing co-pilot feature perhaps to better manage acceleration and braking habits ,, EV maintenance, etc.. I fully understanding some Aptera planned offerings are unique and final production components and system are some time away...
But when all “the moving phases” come together....This knowledge could ultimately help with choosing the best Aptera kWh pack (model) too for lifestyle.
In this day and age, by the time something ends up in print it's already outdated! I'm not sure what information you hope such a manual will provide: I've driven several different 4-wheeled EVs and can say - without equivocation - that they are just cars. They drive like any other car, regardless of the power source: Step on one pedal, they move - step on the other, they stop. The electronic and mechanical aspects of HOW they go and stop is usually not a concern to the driver. If an EV has adaptive cruise control and/or lane keep assist it works exactly that same as those safety features do in all other vehicles that have them - the only thing that varies from make to make is the type and placement of the switches.
I've found that there are a good many well-informed EV channels on YouTube - some of them quite entertaining. Perhaps this article will be helpful to you: https://www.consumerreports.org/hybrids-evs/electric-cars-101-the-answers-to-all-your-ev-questions/
Thanks! I will take a look!
I live and will spend most of my time in the SW (desert zones) of the USA ( mainly Zone 8), so the effect of the sun (UV) /heat would be meaningful.
Batteries, which are new to me would be my biggest learning curve.
Care
-Assuring battery life. Care for on board cooling system for batteries.
-Acceleration and deceleration to work best for battery life. Does Cruise Control in an EV have the advantages as in an ICE vehicle?
-Battery heating ( even prevent damage / fire)
are cold weather (if I find myself traveling to colder states)
-It is extremely dusty here too. But I trust things are sealed well so maybe not a concern.
Can on board electric systems drain the batteries significantly if the vehicle is parked in a garage for an long period?
I suppose most EV use low roll resistant tires, and Aptera states there is no alignment needed on the three wheel (tadpole) design. But in general... do you see any shorter life, excessive wear or loss of traction ( even though this will be an AWD vehicle) on the several EVs you had/had driven? AWD sounds good when you have an non aggressive tire thread and you have to drive on a primitive road and after an occasional monsoon event (mud). I only have four miles of primitive roads every time I leave our nest, but these possibly lower ply/weight tires will be a change for me.
Of course there will be the solar cells, which will be new for all, so until Aptera launches and provides their digital vehicle manual... Only the we will read about care for assuring the stated ten year life expectation and option to replace, so I will not go there.( since the vehicle would be cleaned regularly. Those panels will be much cleaner than my home PV panels)
I did read, for the best Never Charge results... park the car with the rear of the vehicle parked south, because you can lose up to 20% charging efficiency.
Don't worry so much! We don't know, yet, how Aptera plans to heat and cool its batteries. There are currently three systems for doing that in EVs: Liquid, Ambient air and Conditioned air. We know that liquid cooled and heated batteries are less prone to capacity degradation than are those using ambient air and we don't yet know much about those using conditioned air because it's a new thing. Whatever the case you will NOT have access to battery management system: They are closed, sealed, and only trained service technicians should get anywhere near them.
Low rolling-resistance tires are usually just a different rubber compound than non LRR tires. The vehicle manufacturer will select tires appropriate to maintaining a balance of handling, comfort and efficiency. They are not in any way "less" than standard tires. My Honda Clarity PHEV - a large, heavy sedan - has big, wide LRR tires and I've driven it on hot pavement, wet pavement, light snow, slush, and dirt & gravel roads with no lack of traction. If I were going to spend significant time in snow I'd consider dedicated snow tires - but I'd do that on ANY vehicle. If you WANT to put off-road truck tires on your EV no one will stop you - but you will see a drop in range as it takes more power to roll them down the road.
When an EV is powered-down all of the big-drain systems shut off. If the batteries are hot you might hear a fan or pump continue to run a bit. After that, they only system using power will be the telematics - to allow the car to respond to commands from your phone app or the internet. That drain is MINIMAL. Plus EVs tend to be "rolling computers" - they are capable of maintaining themselves and of alerting you to any problems they might have.
One of the nicest perks of having an EV is cabin preconditioning: You can heat or cool the interior of the vehicle before you intend to drive it. And, if it's plugged in, the power do to that will come from the grid, not from the battery! So, yeah, you're gonna need to use the AC where you live (I live in SW MS - so we have heat AND humidity) - and getting into a cool car on a hot day is a pleasure!
If the solar cells are optional, I will probably not get them as I garage my vehicles. I live in a rural small town - my trips are either under 5 miles or over 100 miles with trips of over 500 miles at least monthly and trips in excess of 3000 miles several times each year. Aptera's "never charge" claim seems to be based on the idea that the average American driver communtes less than 40 miles each day: I suppose the idea is to start from home with a fully charged battery, deplete it by 20 miles worth on the drive to work then park it in the sun for 8 hours to recharge.
Keep in mind that, if Aptera has a "1000 mile range," that's twenty-five 40 mile commutes on a full charge. If you opted for a smaller capacity battery pack - say 600 miles - that's still three full weeks of 40-mile commutes. Now, if the solar cells can add significant power WHILE driving, that will be another variable in the equation. I fear, though, that we won't know any actual details of these systems and their capabilities until Aptera builds its three pre-production test vehicles and starts generating data.
No worries, just asking EV owners questions on their EV life experiences, some which may relate to Aptera¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I invested twice in Aptera . I believe they will try to deliver close to their “plan”, but as I have said too, until the three 2020 Development vehicles are built... we will not “see” what reality could be. And with the unforeseen COVID-19 dilemma at hand ... we all will have to be patient for many things in life in general. It shall pass.
Re Battery Cooling I have only read in Aptera’s reply to a similar question...“We will cool through heat exchanges with the surface of the belly and bottom of the nosecone. This helps us minimize coolant weight and it keeps our aero clean”
They are leaning towards cylindrical batteries
Back when I had a ride in the old 2e the solar cells on the roof basically ran the venting system to keep the interior temperature close to outside ambient temperatur, so don’t recall other systems that may have been running in the background. Surely ther have been many improvements since that ~ 2009 time period.
I am at ~ 4200’ elevation but most of my routine driving is between 4200’~3000’. We have five seasons here, because of the two summer seasons of Dry and Wet. Summer temperatures rarely get above the 100 F mark for very long. The short monsoon season brings on some spuratic humidity.
Surely hope to explore the US more and at different seasons with my free time. Hopefully with a 60kWh Aptera. But as you said... Lots to be confirmed.
Thanks for sharing and from “your neck of the US”!!!
Re. "Alignment" - I found this:
"The type of alignment you receive will depend on your car's suspension. A four-wheel alignment is reserved for all-wheel drive vehicles or front-wheel drive vehicles with independent or adjustable rear suspensions. In this case, both axles have to be properly aligned so that all four wheels align in a rectangle, parallel to one another and perpendicular to the ground.
If you don't have a four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle, your car will likely only require a front-end alignment, in which only the front-axle components are adjusted, or a thrust-angle alignment. Thrust angle refers to the angle that a car's rear wheels point relative to the car's center. In such an alignment, the rear wheels and axle are realigned so as to be parallel with the front axle and perpendicular to the center line of the car."
I'd be interested in learning more about this as it relates to the Aptera: If it doesn't require alignment, what sort of wheel adjustments might it require?