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Have you seen the Aptera… a potential practical EV? But then again a three wheel two seater that’s classified as a motorcycle is probably going to be a hard sell. And the solar charging gimmick would be best left out to save wieght.
And the 300 mile version still MSRPs for $35K.
Billed as the biggest crowdfunded project in history. Is Chris Anthony a modern day Preston Tucker? Or Charles Ponzi? It looks cool and addresses the engineering problems of EVs but will probably be useless in the winter and really hot in the summer. And where do you put the kids?
Another “second vehicle” EV, unfortunately. Wish them luck but pass on investing.
A flying motorcycle, it isn’t. Wish it was. Interesting, anyway. Thanks for the vid.
[I’ve been reading your posts, but refrained from commenting, else the whole place has my nic on it.]
If it were ICE-powered would I buy it? No.
So why would I buy it because it is electric?
The danger of a motorcicle but without the fun.“If it were ICE-powered would I buy it? No.
So why would I buy it because it is electric?
The danger of a motorcicle but without the fun.”I own 11 motorcycles, five are electric. I enjoy the electrics most of all.
My current motorcycles (I have owned them all since new):
1971 Black BMW R75/5/
1984 Red Yamaha Venture
2002 Yel Suzuki DR200SE
2013 Blue Triumph Trophy SE
2016 Org/Blk Kawasaki Versys 650 LT
2017 Blk/Gold HD Road Glide Ultra
2017 Org Zero DS ZF 6.5
2017 Red Zero SR ZF13 w/ Pwr Tank
2020 Blue Energica SS9
2023 Bormio Ice Energica Experia LE
2023 Green Zero DSR/XHave you ever ridden an electric–in the sport mode? I don’t even use the sport mode, it’s way, way too fast for me, especially on my Energicas. But it’s the torque I like. Nothing else like it.
-Don- Reno, NV
Aptera claims you can get about 40 miles/day from the onboard solar input.
That isn’t a gimmick, but the whole day’s commute for many people. I had what I considered a long commute when I lived in Phoenix, and that would’ve covered it. Now, the total input will, of course, vary, but that’s a good start.
A solution to one of the biggest problems with electric vehicles is charging, as we’re well aware. Solar electricity is a decent solution in many areas, especially in a place like Phoenix. The problem with that is, most people go to work during the day, and then come home when the Sun is setting. This means they charge at night, when solar energy isn’t being produced. The obvious solution is, people must charge at work, but that entails a lot of expensive infrastructure. Unless, of course, it comes integrated into the car.
So, I certainly approve of that.
It’s the price that is still prohibitive. Make a shorter range (100 miles?) vehicle for about $10k, and I might be interested.
I bought my home solar batteries for about $4k, and if I’m correct in my math and they’re being truthful on the video in that link, that would give me ~123 miles at 80% depth of discharge. And if I never had to buy gas and just had to leave it in the sunlight, it should pay for itself.
Theoretically, I could get 4,000 cycles out of these these LiFePO4 batteries at 80% depth of discharge.
Let’s just day I get 100 miles/cycle and even half of those cycles. That would be 200,000 miles. For comparison, at $4/gallon in a 50 MPG car, that would 200,000 miles/ 50 Miles per Gallon = 4,000 gallons; 4,000 gallons x $4/ gallon = $16,000 in gas.
If you could get that car for $10k (I think it’s possible, but I could be wrong), that would give you $6,000 toward the cost of a new battery after 200,000 miles, compared to the efficient ICE vehicle.
That’s the kind of electric car I could support. I’ve always thought that if someone produced a good off-grid EV, not making it one of these cell-phones-on-wheels monstrosities, they’d finally have something.
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