What if you could drive across the entire United States – from East coast to West coast – on just one tank ofgas ? Sounds like a demented idea , right ? Ever since Nicholas August Otto rise thegasoline enginein the 1870s and Rudolph Diesel make up thediesel enginein the nineties , hoi polloi have better upon vehicle efficiency in fits and starts .
As business go on to grow over the possible consequences ofglobal warming , country and governments are beginning to react . The European Union continues to revise its strict expelling standards , and ultracompact cars like theSmart Car , theMINI Cooperand theiQ Carcatch stack of attention for their space- and DOE - salve qualities . In the U.S. , meanwhile , President George W. Bush bless an vim bill on Dec. 19 , 2007 , that encourages automakers to produce more fuel - efficient vehicles and increase the industry average to at least 35 miles per gallon by 2020 .
While these are small footfall toward a respectable goal , Aptera Motors , Inc. , a secret company base in San Diego , Calif. , may be taking a adult spring with theAptera , a three - roulette wheel , two - passenger prototype that aims for an astounding 300 Swedish mile per gallon . The company was set up in 2006 by Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony , two sovereign entrepreneurs with experience in everything from composites and biotechnology to aerodynamics and finance .
This combination of expertise led to the Aptera , a truly singular vehicle that looks like a crown of thorns between a dolphin and ahelicopter . Technically classified as amotorcycle , the vehicle will only be available to residents of California when it ’s initially produce . If the Aptera sells well , AC hopes to offer its fomite to internal and international markets .
The initial prototype of the Aptera achieved 230 mpg , a number that is 195 mpg over the projected standard outlined in President Bush ’s recent energy bill . As of now , the developers still have moretimeto work out the kinks and ameliorate its efficiency – AC expects the Aptera to be ready for Californians in previous 2008 .
How tight will the Aptera go ? Since it ’s technically a bike , what are its safety features ? Read on to learn more about the Aptera .
Aptera Specs
So how can the Aptera get such greatgasmileage ? Several panorama of the fomite ’s design give it high fuel - efficiency , but Aptera Motors ' area of expertise lie incomposites . You may hear the word sometimes when people babble out about construction , but what precisely is a composite , and how does it facilitate the Aptera ?
A composite plant is a cloth that is made up of two or more different property . Although these properties are easy to tell asunder when commingle and do n’t blend together completely , they do work together to form a substance that is strong , light and loose to work . Composites can come about naturally in nature , or they can be military man - made . A lifelike composite , for example , is something as bare as Grant Wood , which is made of strong fibers of cellulose bind together by a light , rickety content called lignin . Concrete , on the other hand , is made by meld aggregate – small stones and crushed rock – and cement .
Sports railroad car manufacturers employ carbon fiber composites to build twinkle , rapid yet hefty cars like theAston Martin Rapideand the Lamborghini Reventon . Airplanes , machine , sauceboat and insulation for buildings are made with fibreglass because of its great strength . The Aptera uses its own patent process call " Panelized Automated Composite Construction ( PAC2 ) " for its consistence design , which cave in the vehicle its singular , flowing shape .
The Aptera was stand for to mesh on adiesel engine , but it became too unmanageable to build a small enough engine that would take place California ’s emissions testing . rather , it will be usable as either a pureelectric vehicleor aplug - in hybrid . Top speed for the Aptera will outdo 85 miles per hour and will most likely be trammel electronically at 95 miles per hour – low , lightweight cars ca n’t go too fast , especially on highways , because air resistance makes them unstable . If you throw a wakeful paper airplane through the tune with a bit too much force , you might get an idea of how easily air can alter its grade . The same go for a lightweight car locomote too fast down the route .
But the speed limitation is n’t the only guard guard AC has taken with the Aptera .
Aptera Safety
The folks at Aptera Motors take safety earnestly – a unspoiled conclusion , since the Aptera sort as a three - wheelmotorcycle . Many people have mental reservation about these types of motorcycles because of their dangerous tendency to turn over over .
When automakers experimented with this design in the yesteryear , they usually solve with adelta formation– one cycle in the front and two wheels in the back . The problem with the delta formation has to do with what ’s forebode avelocity transmitter . Every moving objective has its own velocity transmitter . The velocity transmitter of a car driving Frederick North on a main road can simply be line as northward – think of an imaginary air pointing direct from the front of the vehicle . If you turn to the left hand , however , the transmitter speed shifts , and shifting too far outside of the wheelbase when rick can flip a delta configuration . A tadpole organisation like the Aptera ’s – two wheels in front and one wheel in back – will keep a vehicle ’s velocity vector between those two front wheel and importantly decrease fortune of roll over .
In gain to the bike position , the Aptera ’s been devote a low centre of gravity and grip control to greatly reduce the peril of rolling over . Race cars , for instance , also have low meat of gravity , because the weightiness of the railroad car needs to overpower the military force it go through from turning corners at high speed . SUVs , on the other handwriting , typically have high centers of gravity and run to wheel over more easy .
wreck tests have also proven successful , as the Aptera exceeded strength requirements for rollover and frontal wallop requirements . The safety cage in the front of the vehicle gets its inspiration fromFormula Onerace cars , which can easily reach speeds of up to 200 mph .
Aptera’s Eyes Forward System
The outdoor social system is n’t the only part of the Aptera that provides safety gadget . As part of what Aptera Motors calls the " Eyes Forward " vision system , a video video display is situate in front of the driver , bid a 180 - grade view behind the vehicle . As you could see from the pictures above , rear view vision is limited because of the Aptera ’s eubstance design . The video display is necessary for dependable driving conditions . AGPS systemlocated on the heart console provides further pledge , letting you know that you ’re at least guide in the correct direction .
The Aptera is a " two plus one " concept – two adults can fit comfortably in the driver and rider buns , and a removable third seat is located in the back for baby . Removing that back seat give up enough elbow room for 15 bags of groceries . If " two plus one " want to cruise around the California coast , though , do they have to wear helmets ? Even though the Aptera is classified as a motorcycle , you do n’t need to wear a motorcycle helmet – or obtain a bike permission , for that matter – because the fomite is enclosed . The Aptera ’s classification only piss matter easy for California residents , actually , as drivers are permitted to use HOV lanes , even if there ’s only one somebody within .
To discover more about the Aptera and other alternative auto , look over the link on the next page .
