Aptera Typ-1

George Jetson would be proud.  Meet the Aptera Typ-1, a nextgen hybrid, about to go into the manufacturing phase after much research and development by the California company, Aptera.  This vehicle comes in two models: a totally plugin electric and a hybrid gas-electric for greater range.

The design of the Aptera makes engineering sense, but will people buy a car that looks like an airplane or a fish?  Apparently, they will.  The Aptera website has been crushed from a riot of people clamoring to pre-register for the first manufacturing run, dropping a cool $500 to get on that list. 

One tantalizing feature of the Aptera is that it gets about 300 mpg and has a greatly expanded range from other plugin electric vehicles.  The gas-electric hybrid is equally environmentally and pocketbook friendly.

Aptera is legally classified by the California Department of Transportation (CAL DOT) as a motorcycle!  This may seem weird to many people, but since I have been following the many issues surrounding new vehicles, I can say this is normal.  A car has 4 wheels. The law basically says that vehicles with less than 4 wheels are not cars, but motorcycles.  In July, I showed you photos of my friend's tricked-out trike, an increasingly popular model, because it's safer to drive. 

While Aptera's bureaucratic classification is an interesting thing, one look at the vehicle on the Aptera website might inspire you to look more seriously into a vehicle like this.  The interior is amazing and chock full-o-tech.  I've also heard that the Aptera is going to cost about half of what the Tesla Roadster is going to cost you.

Check out the Aptera website for more information.

Related Reference:

More Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV)

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