California based Aptera Motors is proud of its very first product which is a three-wheeled vehicle called the Typ – 1. With two front wheels used to steer and the rear wheel connected to an electric motor, this avant-garde green car classified as a motorcycle is currently under development and is only going to be sold in California. The car’s production is set to start late 2008 but pre-orders from California residents are currently being accepted.
Aptera’s Typ – 1 is not a typical passenger car. Its roof design exceeds rollover strength requirements made plain in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS). The doors, just like its roof, far exceed mandated strength requirements for passenger cars. Typ – 1’s 45" frontal impact deflection and crumple zone make the car extraordinarily safe as well as its composite safety cage which is similar to Formula-1 cars. The car also has a display panel in the driver’s field of view which enhances situational awareness, allowing the person driving it to keep his eyes on the road. For added day and night visibility of the vehicle, over-sized LED turn indicators are placed on the rear and side of the vehicle and these are very easy for other drivers to see.
This car, unlike many 3-wheel vehicle designs abandoned in the 80’s due to their instability, has a very low tendency to roll-over mainly because it has two wheels in the front and a single rear wheel .One very interesting feature of this car is its low center of gravity and a wide track width which makes for a very stable platform. As for the car’s body design, the vehicle is considered similar to he human-powered ‘Pegasus’ and ‘Fusion’ vehicles and the MIT Aztec but its direct inspiration was the Volkswagen 1-litre car.
According to Aptera Motors, the Typ – 1 accelerates from 0–60 mph (0-97 km/h) in less than 10 seconds with a top speed over 85 mph (137 km/h) and as a low energy vehicle, it only consumes 60-80 Watt·hours/km at 55 mph (90 km/h).
The car will be accepted in the HOV lanes of California and it uses a very clean, efficient, and small gasoline engine that makes the Aptera emissions friendly.
