January 29, 2009 Aptera has released news that the initial pre-production front wheel drive version of the all-electric model known as the series 2e has rolled out the door of its Californian production facility. For the next several months a small number of vehicles will be built for internal testing. Volume production for retail deliveries is now scheduled for October 1, 2009.
The pre-production vehicle is said to be equipped with a lithium-based battery although details such as kw/hr capacity, battery chemistry or supplier is still yet to be specified.
The series 2 also features front wheel drive but again again, details are not yet available on motor type, power output or the transmission being used.
A number of vehicle enhancements such as, aerodynamic side-mounted mirrors and wider door openings that make getting in and out of the vehicle much easier than with previous designs have been added. Aptera say the 2e will go from zero to 60 in under 10 seconds, with a top speed of 90 mph.
With just eight months from production starting on the 4000 cars already per-orders, we are eagerly waiting to see the version in the flesh and learn more about how Aptera manages to package this technology into such a small, aerodynamic chassis.
Here's a refresher on what we know so far: the Aptera 2e is that it’s legally classified as a 3 wheeled motorcycle is front wheel drive and weighs somewhere between 1500 and 2000 lbs, (680 – 900 kg). The batteries are “lithium-based” with a driving range of around 100 miles-per-charge. The biggest feature of the Aptera is it’s amazing tear drop body which has a has a drag coefficient (Cd) of only 0.15 (a 3rd Generation Prius Cd is 0.26 while most family cars are around 0.30). The projected price is between $25,000 and $45,000.
Paul Evans
Via: Autobloggreen, Aptera.
Of course the Keppean motor is still new and being developed, but I think it will be key for EV's to really take hold in the near future.
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