It’s a vehicle that looks like it has come straight from the set of the next futuristic Hollywood blockbuster – but the California designed Aptera Typ-1 is now taking reserve orders.
The three wheeled vehicle is not an electric car, however, but is registered as a motorcycle due to its wheel layout and weight, but this unlike other motorbikes, it has been designed to exceed many of the safety requirements needed for passenger vehicles, has two front seats and a center infant seat behind the driver and passenger and has enough storage space for 15 bags of groceries.
Aside from its unconventional looks, the Typ-1 has also been grabbing the headlines due to the impressive mileage figures attained by the prototype. The Mk-0, which was a parallel hybrid Diesel, achieved an average of 230 MPG at a steady state of 55 MPH. Due to California’s emission laws, however, diesel hybrid’s will not be available in the production cars. Instead, buyers have the choice between a full electric plug in with a range of 120 miles, or an electric-gasoline hybrid, which they expect will achieve over 300mpg – both vehicles are priced at less than US$30,000.
The vehicle also comes with a few other futuristic features and gadgets – The side doors open to the front and upward completely inside the front wheel track so you never have to worry about hitting the vehicle parked next to you. The onboard computer features GPS navigation, CD/MP3/DVD player, XM satellite radio, and a rear view camera – which when driving, displays a 180 degree rear sight picture in the driver’s field of view, which means the driver will have no blindspots.
With these features it’s no surprise that the company has reported it has already taken more than 400, $500 deposits, as the vehicle is currently still in development and undergoing virtual crash tests, however, the first Typ-1’s aren’t expected to hit the roads until October 2008.
