4/22/09 - Aptera at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto

[Matthijs]

EuELBwS9Iss
Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuELBwS9Iss)

[javan]

Thanks for posting this, Matthijs.

[Holz]

Yes. Thanks for putting it up Matthjis.

I wonder if the controls on the dash are in final form? It's a matter of taste, but to me the dial controls and the large oval vents look a little clunky and cartoonish. They controls are probably sized large for good visibility, but they don't seem to match stylistically with the sleek exterior.

[Holz]

Ah, I just saw your other post of the PP6 model here
http://apteraforum.com/showthread.php?p=31847#post31847

The PP6 interior is a lot classier (to my eye anyway).

[OC-LA driver]

At 1:51 in this video you can see the single wiper blade fully extended towards the driver's side A-pillar. Leaves a large triangular section of the windshield un-wiped, because the pivot point for the wiper appears to be in front of the driver. Seems to leave 1/3 of the driver's forward vision obscured by untouched rain.

Single-blade solutions don't work so well on wide areas like this, especially with significant glass curvature.

Recommendation: either (1) a trapezoidal linkage so the wiper blade can push nearly all the way out parallel to the A pillar, and still retract parallel to the wiper arm, or (2) two wiper blades, so the driver's side pivot point can be as close as possible to the A-pillar.

Caveat: Steve told me in Palm Springs that future versions would have a flatter windshield...perhaps to address this sort of thing, as well as decrease rejection rates during manufacturing.

[n_dawg]

DEV.0409.0006

So it sounds like they've built 6-7 dev vehicles this month. Interrresting.

[Matthijs]

At 1:51 in this video you can see the single wiper blade fully extended towards the driver's side A-pillar. Leaves a large triangular section of the windshield un-wiped, because the pivot point for the wiper appears to be in front of the driver. Seems to leave 1/3 of the driver's forward vision obscured by untouched rain.

Single-blade solutions don't work so well on wide areas like this, especially with significant glass curvature.

Recommendation: either (1) a trapezoidal linkage so the wiper blade can push nearly all the way out parallel to the A pillar, and still retract parallel to the wiper arm, or (2) two wiper blades, so the driver's side pivot point can be as close as possible to the A-pillar.

Caveat: Steve told me in Palm Springs that future versions would have a flatter windshield...perhaps to address this sort of thing, as well as decrease rejection rates during manufacturing.

Or they could implement a wiper system like on the Audi A2 or Renault Twingo. I have driven both cars in pouring rain and the single wiper system holds up very well.

http://irishcar.com/ICOimages/audia2wiper.jpg

I now drive on old Mercedes with the single blade design and I love that one. But it's a comlicated and heavy design but I wipes more than 90% of the windshield.