High MPG Hybrid Vehicle
Made in USA
I just reserved my APTERA (http://www.aptera.com/) vehicle which is to be introduced at the end of 2008. The model I reserved is an electric/gasoline hybrid with a projected gas mileage of 300 MPG!!!!
APTERA which will be manufactured in Carlsbad, California is by far the highest gas mileage commercially available vehicle on the planet. It makes use of a revolutionary aerodynamic body design, new high technology materials and parts to acheive a super high gas mileage while offering some of the safety technologies used only in the Formula-1 racing cars. The car will initially be available to California residents only. Can you imagine driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco with less than TWO GALLONS of gas???
The following is an informative review by Popular Mechanics: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1351302783/bctid1351300070
The car is to be priced at under $30,000 and has a long list of safety, comfort and navigation features.
We can substantially reduce our gasoline expenses, make a major contribution toward a healthier environment, promote more safety on the roads, help reduce our dependance on imported oil and do our share to fight global warming by switching from the gas guzzling (and often unsafe) SUV's to this super efficient new American marvel.
I congratulate the people at APTERA for their bold vision, design and engineering talent and their hard efforts towrads introducing this incredible vehicle soon. I can hardly wait to take delivery on my APTERA.
Comments
This car is so cool. it looks like something from The Jetsons. If you look at the cost of it, such as the fact that it actually costs less than the Mitsubishi IMIEV, then there really is a place for these in the consumer world of tomorrow.
Of course it looks as though there may be logistical issues in reference to the shape of the vehicle - could this thing actually be parked in the supermarket. If the answer is yes then maybe just my sense of scale is out.
- AUTHOR
Not yet, but still interested :-)
Well, here it is Oct. 2009 - did you ever get the car promised by the end of 2008?
Great hub! Congratulations for your choice you´ll have an amazing car! I have an Honda Civic IMA and I´m going to exchange it for the brand new Civic Hybrid. For me right now Hondas hybrid cars are still the choice but maybe in future I´ll have a Aptera as well ;)
I've never heard of a Cd that low. Wow! I didn't realize that the 300 mpg figure was without the plug-in.
It has a really cool-looking interior, too. I have a Mini Cooper and got lots of looks/stares when I first got my car. Be prepared to have people look at you like you're from another planet!
- AUTHOR
The coefficient of drag is an incredibly low 0.11. Considering that an average car on the freeway spend over 65% of its power to overcome the wind drag. This is a very important factor for acheiving the high gas mileage
The gasoline engine is a high efficiency single cylinder operating at optimum settings. As a hybrid, the gasoline engine will produce enough to run the electric motor which in-turn propels the car. To further save gas, one can plug the APTERA and charge the batteries whenever parked to allow the car to run on the electric motor only for the short commutes.
I saw a comment that with a full tank of gas it should go coast-to-coast (that will really be amazing!!!). I think that initially, they will be in white only with some color accents.
This is really a cool looking car! How much electricity does it use? (Does it use more electricity than it makes up for in gas efficiency?) With an under-$30k price tag, it's going to give Tesla Motors a run for its money.
And, most importantly, what colors does it come in? :-)
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