Aptera

[Frankenblob]

Seeing this thing, first thoughts were neat but it hit me, this thing is like paper mache!
If a CT or truck or SUV ever hit it - at what ever angle - at least it is coffin size!
This thing could work if a city ONLY allowed it, cyclists or motorcycles on the streets with a total ban on bigger vehicles.
Very weak looking and I do not think it will pass any crash tests.

 

[FutureBoy]

Seeing this thing, first thoughts were neat but it hit me, this thing is like paper mache!
If a CT or truck or SUV ever hit it - at what ever angle - at least it is coffin size!
This thing could work if a city ONLY allowed it, cyclists or motorcycles on the streets with a total ban on bigger vehicles.
Very weak looking and I do not think it will pass any crash tests.

As a 3-wheel vehicle it isn't required to do the same crash tests like a regular 4-wheel vehicle. So I doubt we will know how this thing will do in a crash till there are a bunch of them out on the roads and a few of them get hit. However, the body is not made of foil. It is very light but still very strong. As per their FAQ it is

" Carbon, kevlar, and hemp . Sandwich core composites provide great strength."

From everything I have seen of the Aptera team this vehicle is built well. Sure it is not wrapped in 3mm SS but it is also not just fiberglass.

 

[VI Tesla]

Seeing this thing, first thoughts were neat but it hit me, this thing is like paper mache!
If a CT or truck or SUV ever hit it - at what ever angle - at least it is coffin size!
This thing could work if a city ONLY allowed it, cyclists or motorcycles on the streets with a total ban on bigger vehicles.
Very weak looking and I do not think it will pass any crash tests.

Apparently from what I've heard cockpit is designed with similar tech to F1 racing. But yes that was my first concern as well, safety.
It is a very cool design though. Although if I were to get a 3 wheeler it would definitely by a NOBE.

 

[Frankenblob]

As a 3-wheel vehicle it isn't required to do the same crash tests like a regular 4-wheel vehicle. So I doubt we will know how this thing will do in a crash till there are a bunch of them out on the roads and a few of them get hit. However, the body is not made of foil. It is very light but still very strong. As per their FAQ it is

" Carbon, kevlar, and hemp . Sandwich core composites provide great strength."

From everything I have seen of the Aptera team this vehicle is built well. Sure it is not wrapped in 3mm SS but it is also not just fiberglass.

Ok, what i do like is that it can provide up to 45 miles of additional range simply with its solar panels, so that gives hope for the CT to be able to, hopefully, squeeze a goodly amount.

 

[Crissa]

The monocoque-inspired composite design is very strong, and like a sportsball, it'll deflect from most impacts. So that's two things keeping it from being crushed like a traditional quad-wheel box. Having the wheels on outriggers give the Aptera greater maneuverability and stopping power, but it also means a glancing blow has a crumple zone directed away from the cabin.

The video of them trying to smash the original prototypes were kinda funny (infuriating and sad, too) because they stood up to the sledgehammer test with a decent rebound. And bounced instead of cracked when they tried smashing them with a big offset forklift.

-Crissa

 

[GnarlyDudeLive]

My gut tells me I would be more afraid of the entire thing being launched like a ping pong ball into the air after a collision only to land in some even worse spot. The only way I can rationalize its safety is to think of it as a motorcycle and not have a false sense of security thinking of it as a car. It's cool though but not my cup of tea.

 

[Crissa]

My gut tells me I would be more afraid of the entire thing being launched into the air after a collision...

...That's a problem with any collision. You don't know where you'll end up. Being big just means more things hit you. And your vehicle (statistically) is more likely to cause death. For a couple decades there, SUVs were more likely to roll over and at freeway speed, kill their occupants. Safety devices have at least come back from that line, but they still kill pedestrians and others at a higher rate.

It's all tradeoffs. Smaller vehicles are more likely to kill unsafe drivers while larger vehicles are more likely to kill others.

-Crissa

PS: That driver-oriented statistic makes smaller vehicles seem more dangerous... But if you don't drink and drive the statistics become much more similar between vehicle types; a motorcycle is 30x more dangerous to the rider than that SUV is to its driver - but take out the ones who drank, didn't wear a helmet, didn't wear safety gear, rode recklessly and you've divided that difference by half four times, maybe more! Crazy, right? But a third to half of motorcycle deaths the rider was intoxicated or otherwise not sober. Another half of deaths they weren't wearing a helmet. Another half they weren't wearing other gear. Another half were speeding. Another half weren't licensed, etc. Makes you wonder why smaller cars get into more single-car accidents, right? Well...

 

[Luke42]

My gut tells me I would be more afraid of the entire thing being launched into the air after a collision only to land in some even worse spot. The only way I can rationalize its safety is to think of it as a motorcycle and not have a false sense of security thinking of it as a car. It's cool though but not my cup of tea.

It is a motorcycle, legally speaking, in all of the US states I've lived in.

One of those states is a helmet state, so you'd be legally required to wear a helmet while driving it in Virginia.

It looks like fun, but I don't disagree with the regulators about how it's classified.

P.S. Regular motorcycles are really fun, too, but not suitable for hauling a family of 5. [Shrug] Gotta pick the right tool for the right job.

 

[Bill906]

 

[Luke42]

I've worked with a lot of Indians over the years, and was trying to figure out how to work this in....!

Of course, the Indians I work with are mostly (but not exclusively) from rich families mostly just buy an SUV to get around India.

 

[Crissa]

One of those states is a helmet state, so you'd be legally required to wear a helmet while driving it in Virginia.

States are pretty random in how they define autocycles. But it seems only New Hampshire's new helmet law doesn't exclude them.
https://www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/transportation-review-autocycles.aspx

The Arcimoto FUV falls afoul some of these, but the Aptera does not.

-Crissa