Aptera Motors has rolled out the first pre-production model of the 2e, an all-electric three-wheeled two-seater that gets the equivalent of 200 mpg and goes 100 miles on a charge. It’s a significant milestone for the Southern California startup.
A lithium-ion battery powers an electric motor that can propel the car from zero to 60 in less than 10 seconds on its way to a top speed of 90 mph.
With a coefficient of drag around 0.15, the 2e is even more aerodynamic than the General Motors EV1, the most aerodynamic production car ever built. The 2e’s ultralight weight of just 1,700 pounds also contributes to its efficiency.
Affordable is a relative term when you’re talkin’ EVs, and the 2e is expected to cost you something more than $25,000 but less than $45,000. That’s a pretty wide range, and it includes such mass-market cars as the next-gen Toyota Prius hybrid, the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt range-extended EV and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric city car that may or may not be coming to America.
The first models will be classed as motorcycles and available only in California, but Aptera hopes to sell it nationwide.
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/01/1st-pre-product/
http://www.aptera.com
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