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Comment by dscottboggs | Hacker News Reader

Yeah, 545 watts on an Arizona afternoon in that ugly spaceship-ass lookin thing is exactly what I picture when someone says "solar car". It'll extend your range by a tiny bit and look like shit in the process. I bet 545W doesn't even sustain it at highway speeds, let alone acceleration and deceleration that would be needed on a busy road etc (gee I wonder why they took "the road not travelled").

It's just not a good idea. Sure, put a panel on the roof of a car to power the accessories system and get a little bit back in your range, but if you go into it thinking you can drive a *real* car on the solar power that strikes the surface of the vehicle you're just gonna make yourself look silly.

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I think the car looks excellent for what it is. It’s not like there’s a lot of choice in stunning micro EVs. My friend drove a Buddy for a few years. Really neat car, but that’s definitely one that nobody would call beautiful. I’ve seen many people who thinks the Aptera looks great. It has some very good design qualities (sleek and elegant IMO), even if I can see why others wouldn’t like it.

Like others have said, you’re objectively wrong about the solar panels. If you live in a sunny area, if you don’t have off-street parking, and you just need something to commute to work and do errands, the Aptera is technically an excellent choice. You would rarely have to visit a charging station. There’s no denying that the Aptera js efficient enough that the roof solar actually has a meaningful impact for people with median daily use.

The solar panels aren’t meant to make a huge impact on long road trips. So your criticism just doesn’t make any sense. I can kinda understand the confusion considering we’re commenting on this story in particular. But this test is more about demonstrating what the excellent aerodynamics brings to the table. So maybe read a bit more into the intention of the design choices before critiquing it?

These guys are based here in San Diego county. I've been watching them for years.

It's good to see some new news, and I think the road trip and report are an interesting update.

But I do think they could have avoided criticism like what we're replying to above, if they had stated clearly how much of the 300 mile day was powered by the photovoltaic, and how much relied on plug-in charging.

I'm not critical at all, and I still want to know those details 8-/

Solar powered daily errands and even a modest commute are totally viable here in the southwest. I work from home, and plug my Nissan Leaf in about twice a week. So that's about 300 miles per week. I could almost certainly do my driving in the aptera without plugging in at all.

The look is strictly "form follows function", it's not intended to be a fashion statement, it's intended to be maximally efficient.

Clearly trying to attract Kunk Daddy and the thug crowd away from giant blacked-out escalades with gold wheels, isn't the demographic addressed by this vehicle.

You and I start from the same base information: the power from the solar in real-time isn't enough to drive a "real car", immediately. But we come to totally different conclusions.

The solar hitting the roof of this thing over the course of a day is enough to make my average commute in that thing. That's what batteries are for. I'm not driving from sun-up to sun-down. (And you can plug it in anytime you want.)

Yes there are some huge trade-offs to make it work: It's not a 3-row minivan, it's not a 4-door sedan, it's a bizzare-looking car-like thing that moves only two people, but does so in the comfort that I desire for my daily use. And the solar part is only going to work out in a sunny place, if you park it in the sun. That happens to be exactly what I'm looking for.

Even if it didn't have solar, it's a ridiculously efficient EV, which I'd prefer over a ridiculously fast car or very large SUV.

I would understand "That seems like a small market" or "that's too many trade-offs for me", but "It's just not a good idea" seems like harsh judgement for a vehicle because it doesn't appeal to your visual preferences or usage.

Agreed, I'd make the same argument as parent for a Harley. It's not my cup of tea, loud, impractical, and a gas guzzler, but it clearly appeals to a bunch of people. Give things a chance for goodness sake. Aptera never claimed you don't need to charge.

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