Wind

[quiet30]

How safe is this vehicle in a stiff wind? It seems too high off the ground to be safe.

[palmer_md]

Thats the advantage of aerodynamic design. The wind has nowhere to grab the car. You will not likely feel the wind when driving because of the cars shape.

[aptera1213]

"seems to high"...is the correct term...when you see people standing next to it you realize it is actually quite low to the ground

g

http://www.carlsbadistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/300mpg.jpg

[Shooty]

Yeah, the "teardrop" shape allows wind from all angles to achieve more laminar flow than would be observed on a conventional car. Remember, also, that weight distribution is a big factor in how objects get tossed around in strong winds, and the Aptera has rather cleverly "centered" the weight distribution.

Completely off topic -- you'd think that for THIS forum, "Aptera" would not come up as a flag on the spell-checker! :)

-Shooty

[Prestadude]

The questions about wind is an interesting one. StreetDeck is providing the main screen electronics for the Aptera (at least as far as we know) and in a somewhat dated press release (http://www.streetdeck.com/node/56) they describe vehicle controls developed for the Aptera which include the "S.T.I.C. which is an acronym for suspension touch interface control. The software was designed to discretely monitor, position, and adjust the vehicle's ride height and angle of attack which is an integral aspect of attaining its fuel efficiency and ride quality". Whether or not this degree of sophistication will be present in the production model is unknown but it is possible that this control system may either directly or indirectly mitigate the negative effects of crosswinds.