I ordered an Aptera because:

[Aptera#965]

Why did you order your Aptera?

There's the obvious of course, just wondering what motivated you all to place an order? Any interesting stories to tell?

Me: Primarily to escape the CHOKEHOLD of the Oil Companies. The thought of driving from San Diego to San Francisco for about six bucks makes me absolutely giddy with delight, and sticks a middle finger up at the 'machine' responsible for gas prices being where they are.

I wonder how long it will be before "they" try to kill the Aptera ala the Saturn EV1. Well if I do get one, they can have it soon as they can pry it from cold.......dead.......hands!!

[Aptera#965]

Comon now, 14 views and only 1 vote (mine!!)

[Matthijs]

Well I can't order one yet. :p

[Holander]

I can't order one yet either, but if I could, I would because of it's uniqueness and fuel efficiency. :)

[3-4-me]

I picked other because it was all of the above + I've been a 3wheeler fanatic since the '70's.

[RoxChkPlusOny]

I ordered it because I've been getting more and more green conscious since late last year (no particular reason I can think of but that it had been brewing in me). I've actually reserved a Phoenix Motorcars SUT and SUV and a VentureOne on top of the Aptera, all four being the all-electric models. My weekly commute, aside from small trips < 2mi (hey, try taking the 2-mile challenge @ 2milechallenge.com), include a leg of 60mi in the morning, 18mi in the evening, and the same in reverse another day. I therefore need something that can give me more than 60 with the killer hill I have to attack, but not more than 100 for 99% of my commuting needs. I was tempted to hold out for a PHEV or wait for those 200+ vehicles in 2010+, but I realized that if I'm just waiting so I can support SF-LA, I might as well rent a car for those trips and start saving the world now ^.^

[IanO]

I can't order one yet. I will be the first in line for the hybrid version when they start selling them in Oregon. My dad even promised to go halves with me! We are both physics geeks, and appreciate the sexy aerodynamic shape. Cd = 0.11, yeah baby!

[KarenRei]

Heh, if I was really into "sticking it to the oil companies", I'd simply tell off my father, as he's a pres. of Shell ;) Really, though, given that he's an engineering geek at heart, I think he'll get a real kick out of mine when I can get ahold of one.

[Brian]

Well, I am pumping gas into a Mustang GT right now and it is killing me. That and this has got to be the geeky-est thing I could possibly buy..

[Matthijs]

Well, I am pumping gas into a Mustang GT right now and it is killing me. That and this has got to be the geeky-est thing I could possibly buy..

Well I could say the same. I pay $8.80 a gallon. If I would have a Mustang GT all my money would go to gas. :rolleyes:

[KarenRei]

$8.80, whaa? Where are you, Europe?

[Matthijs]

$8.80, whaa? Where are you, Europe?
Yeah, Holland near Amsterdam. Everything is expensive here! :mad: But I drive a 1.8 4 cylinder car that get's around 35 miles per gallon. But that isn't even efficient enough. Here it's considert a large 4 cylinder engine, that uses allot of fuel.

Look what GM is selling in our country:

Opel=Saturn (http://www.opel.nl/frameset.asp?path=http%3A//www.opel.nl/showroom/showroom_brand_home.asp%3Fcarline%3D0A%26my%3D2008 0%26site%3Dpublic%26lnbcode%3Dcars_0A20080)
http://www.chevrolet.nl/
http://www.chevrolet.nl/matiz/matiz-index.html

[Aptera#842]

Well, I am pumping gas into a Mustang GT right now and it is killing me. That and this has got to be the geeky-est thing I could possibly buy..
I ordered mine because Brian and I were discussing it one day at work, and I'll be damn if he has the coolest ECO friendly car out in the parking lot! And because the hybrid gets 300 MPG! I look foreword to the day when I don't have to listen to Brian complain about all the gas money he wastes in his Mustang GT.

[RoxChkPlusOny]

Yuck, that "All the above" option in this poll is killing it. Someone wanna redo this poll without it so we can get some parity? I mean, really, we of course know all those things are huge wins and reason enough by itself that one should buy something like the Typ-1x, but does it tell us anything when the vast majority choose it? I wanna know top reasons for buying this car!

[Matthijs]

Hi All,

I redit the Poll so I would wanna ask everyone to put his vote in again. If none of the above opions would be your primary reason to order an Aptera you could always choose "other". ;)

[3-4-me]

I tried to revote, but the program won't let me.

What's this "Digg"?
A guy misses one day, and everything changes:rolleyes:

[Aptera#965]

Wow tough crowd!

Ok you brainiacs, I'll vote again.....wait a minute, it won't let me :mad:

Well I choose "Other", because I ordered my Aptera because of "all of the above" :p

:D :D

[Matthijs]

How is voting going right now? I saw some new results. 2 votes so far. :D

[IanO]

I won't vote because I can't order one (that should be a legitimate voting option, or a good secondary poll).

If I could buy one, it would be because of the design (aerodynamic, light, composite, EV/PHEV). Same reasons I bought the Prius, after reading about its versatile power-splitting drive train in IEEE Spectrum. *Not* gas economy; the Prius was a step down from my previous car.

[LQUAN]

Hi Iano,

If I buy an Aptera, it's because of the same reason, (aerodynamic, light, composite, EV/PHEV).

I am sorry you bought a Prius. A Prius or a Civic Hybrid would be a step down from i.e. a regular Corolla or a Civic. Because the Prius weights more than those 2 cars, the gas engine has to work harder the pull the load on the freeways. In local streets, you may save some gas, but on the freeways you would waste all of those gas and maybe more. Most of us do more freeway driving to commute to work.

Don't forget that on the Prius or Civic Hybrid, you need the change the tires around 20k to 25k miles because of the high pressure you're required to put in those tires. Bumpy ride on those tires...

[IanO]

Hi Iano,

If I buy an Aptera, it's because of the same reason, (aerodynamic, light, composite, EV/PHEV).

I am sorry you bought a Prius. A Prius or a Civic Hybrid would be a step down from i.e. a regular Corolla or a Civic. Because the Prius weights more than those 2 cars, the gas engine has to work harder the pull the load on the freeways. In local streets, you may save some gas, but on the freeways you would waste all of those gas and maybe more. Most of us do more freeway driving to commute to work.

Actually that's backwards. Momentum helps on the freeways, but not stop and go traffic. (On freeways, it's all about air resistance. The Prius saves in stop and go traffic because it can turn the motor off. That 2005 video by ? with the graph of drive-train energy loss was most enlightening in this regard.)

Don't forget that on the Prius or Civic Hybrid, you need the change the tires around 20k to 25k miles because of the high pressure you're required to put in those tires. Bumpy ride on those tires...

Yep, already replaced the tires. :(

Of course, the easiest way to save gas is to not drive. I bike most places I need to go.

[Thirdeye]

I placed a deposit on a Typ1h for these reasons:

1. It's made in America and displays some home-grown ingenuity :)
2. It's made in my home state of 'Ka-li-for-ni-a' :) :)
3. It's a step in the right direction to reduce our dependence on foreign oil (and all the problems that that dependence has brought this nation).
4. Ever since I can remember I've been intrigued by efficient transportation in one form or another. This concept is efficient, interesting and affordable.
5. Who wouldn't want to spend less of their hard-earned cash for the energy they use?
6. Less pollution = good thing

I registered for the hybrid version for daily commuting and also the ability to travel to far-flung recreational locations. It appears that affordable battery technology will improve greatly in the next few years, so when I can purchase batteries that can go 500+ miles between charges I'd consider removing the ICE system and converting to EV only.