It's A Bird! It's A Plane! It's The Aptera 2e!
The 2e is a three-wheeled electric vehicle from California-based car manufacturer Aptera, and just by looking at it, you can see why some might think of the vehicle as a plane. The design influence seems to be every science fiction movie that has flying cars. The Aptera 2e, however, is very real.
Three-wheel cars have had a bit of a troubled past. One of the main concerns is that having only three wheels on the ground will destabilize the car and cause it to flip over easily. This is a valid concern in delta-formation three-wheelers, where there is a single wheel in front and two in the back. The Aptera 2e, however, is a tadpole-formation three-wheeler, with two up front and one in the back. This, along with the car’s low center of gravity, makes for a very sturdy car that can whip around sharp turns better than the majority of four-wheel cars on the market today.
The 2e only fits two people, but those two will fit in without much trouble. While the car make look tiny and cramped, cabin room is ample for all but the tallest people. Also, because of its diminutive size and three-wheel design, most states classify the 2e as a motorcycle. This makes for lower insurance premiums and gives access to the carpool lanes, even though you can only fit two in the car. Don’t be fooled though, classification aside, the 2e is a car though and through.
The electric motor is impressive, and gives drivers an exhilarating ride. 0-to-60 can be reached in a little under ten seconds. This isn’t very impressive when compared to a sports car, but compare it to the times for other electric vehicles or hybrids, and it is impressive indeed. The expected range is about 100 miles per charge.
Aptera is getting ready to go into full production, aiming to manufacture 20,000 vehicles per year. For those outside California, however, you’re going to have to wait even longer. The 2e is currently only going to be sold in that state and only for registration in that state, so you cant jsut travel to the West Coast, buy one, and then head elsewhere. About 4,000 people have already put down an initial deposit, so it looks like when the Aptera 2e goes into production either later this year or early next year, it’s going to have a real chance to succeed in the market.
