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Seeking ´the brightest minds from all industries," electric vehicle builder hires pair of execs with experience ranging from Ford and Formula One racing to Callaway Golf. (http://www.losangeleschronicle.com/articles/83565)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Aptera1.jpgThe Los Angeles Chronicle (http://www.losangeleschronicle.com) - Dec 1, 2008

Aptera continues to strengthen its expertise. This is a manufacturer to keep an eye on! -- Ed.

VISTA, Calif. - As the first all-electric vehicle from Aptera Motors nears final production, the Southern California start-up continues to broaden its management team. Following his edict to hire the brightest minds from all industries, Aptera President and CEO Paul Wilbur announced that Tom Reichenbach, with nearly three decades of engineering experience at Ford and in motorsports, and David Oakley, with manufacturing experience accrued at Callaway Golf, are the newest additions to the management team for the Vista, Calif.-based vehicle manufacturer.

Reichenbach, who becomes Aptera´s chief engineer, spent 26 years at Ford, where he developed on-board electronic systems for Ford Racing and the first fuel injection system on a Champ Car. He also served as vehicle dynamics supervisor for Ford Racing, providing tech support to Winston Cup, Trans Am and Formula One teams, and he was assistant chief engineer on projects that included the Ford GT and Ford Racing.

Oakley, an expert in the concepts of "Synchronous Flow" and the Toyota Production System, joins as Aptera´s Vice President of Manufacturing. Prior to coming to the company, he spent nearly eight years at Callaway Golf. As Callaway´s Senior Vice-President of Golf Club Operations, he was responsible for golf club manufacturing, supply-chain, engineering, quality, facilities, and distribution and warehousing. Before joining Calloway, Oakley spent five years as… http://www.losangeleschronicle.com/articles/83565

The over turning resistance of any three wheeled vehicle causes them all to go out of existence. The get fried in the US Courts. Too bad that this will not be a long term vehicle.

Frank

I think they should hire Ron Popeil, and forget all the high-priced car people.

Harry

The over turning resistance of any three wheeled vehicle causes them all to go out of existence. The get fried in the US Courts. Too bad that this will not be a long term vehicle.

From what I understand, this is the very reason that there are two wheels in the front, giving it much superior handling. I think you might have to be backing up at a crazy fast speed to turn this one over.

-Bryan

The Venture One aka Persu Hybrid is pretty nice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VentureOne

With EV's the placement of the batteries is very critical to maintaining a low center of balance. Since they are by far the heaviest item, if they are placed low in the vehicle they can make what appears to be a top heavy car very stable. Consider the one-person wide Tango, that looks so tall and narrow that you'd expect it to fall over on its side when pulling a sharp turn, but which handles curves like a sports car according to those who have driven it. Likewise the Aptera has its batteries in the lowest part of its body between the front wheels and is reported to be a nimble handler.

The over turning resistance of any three wheeled vehicle causes them all to go out of existence. The get fried in the US Courts. Too bad that this will not be a long term vehicle.

Frank

Proper weight distribution with a lower CoG provides substantial handling. Turning over the aptera will probably be as easy as turning over a sports car. Less likely than turning over any current SUV.

The Venture One aka Persu Hybrid is pretty nice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VentureOne

Yes, I've been keeping an eye on this one. You can find their site here:

FlyTheRoad (http://www.flytheroad.com)

They haven't been very forthcoming in updates over the last year...

Early Morgans were three wheeler's. Extremely low slung.

The first ATV's introduced into the US by the motorcycle companies were three wheeler's.

Try to find one in production today.

Frank

Yes, and those models had the single wheel configuration in the front. The Aptera configuration is much more stable, but having a single drive wheel will be problematic in slippery conditions. This is why I don't expect to ever see it in my neck of the woods.

Aptera does have plans for a more conventional, 4 wheeled vehicle at some future point. I look forward to seeing what they will offer!

Didn't the craze with three-wheeled road vehicles start over in Britain? I think it had something to do with car classification (vs motorcycle) or some similar money-saving loophole. One that I saw on the road a couple of times (when on holidays in England) was called the Bond car that started in 1949. The versions I saw were mostly probably late 70's

Earlier version was like an extended Citicar, with a motorcycle engine and single wheel under the front.

Yes, and those models had the single wheel configuration in the front. The Aptera configuration is much more stable, but having a single drive wheel will be problematic in slippery conditions. This is why I don't expect to ever see it in my neck of the woods.

Aptera does have plans for a more conventional, 4 wheeled vehicle at some future point. I look forward to seeing what they will offer!

An interesting point. After some thought, I supect that a single drive wheel isn't any worse than two - and might be better, in that you wouldn't have the situation of one wheel with traction and one without, sending the vehicle off at an odd angle. That is, assuming there's enough weight over the drive wheel for good traction.

HOWEVER, in this case most of the weight is over the front steering wheels and not over the single rear drive wheel. I do believe that would be, literally, a non-starter for snowy roads and might be hazardous for rainy ones.

More stable than a motorcycle, true, but my guess is that there would be traction issues in slippery conditions. Along with admittedly superb FE.

The car is suited perfectly for warm weather usage. I'm sure once they've got the traction issues figured out, they'll make the necessary upgrades for winter usage

The Morgan I mentioned had the same configuration as the Aptera and was extremely low slung. In addition, it had the motor sitting up between the front wheels. A more foward weight bias is an asset to a three wheeled vehicle in this configuration.

Regardless of any possible benefits from three vs four wheels, the four wheels will always have a higher overturning resistance with all other things being equal. This is why they always lose in court. The courts rule what you can produce and stay in business, not the laws of physics.

Frank

the four wheels will always have a higher overturning resistance

I think this could be disproved in special cases. The question is, could the aptera be a special case. As this vehicle is being marketed as a motorcycle which has only 2 wheels, not as an automobile, I don't think a court case could reasonably be made to quit production unless the aptera's vehicle classification changed. You should look into the Can-Am Spyder. I can't say that Aptera's design incorporates a vehicle stability system, but I'm banking it does, just as the spyder has.