Actually my design is both upright and low slung. Let me elaborate, the pivot point at the rear will actually shift through the use of screw motors to make the wheel base shorten making the car more upright and nimble for city driving, and lower for highway. I didn't create the idea, I am adapting it from a dream car Renault built. Visibility is a major consideration. I am going for low CG by placing the battery pack at the lowest point in the frame. I am not going for recumbent low, like the Scorpion, I have no death wish.
The Aptera looks very like much the cars designed for the solar decathalons, very much like an airplane. Don't get me wrong it works. I am not tearing it down, just not my cup of tea, and definitely material-wise out of my budget. As I get closer to an exterior design I will share it with the group. It will be more style vs. aerodynamic. Cheers, Jeff On Dec 23, 2007 12:00 PM, John Fisher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Jeff in considering a vehicle very similar, but a notch lighter than the > BugE, a high powered three wheel bicycle essentially, the visibility > problem came up. Nobody in my informal poll would get in a recumbent > vehicle and ride in traffic, including some serious cyclists. So a > recumbent, low drag body raised above the ground is a pretty darn good > compromise. With the state of roads, super-low is problematic anyway. Or > I'd build a BugE style vehicle and damn the aero, or maybe make it > movable from low-slung to upright. Once you give up pedal-power, the > aero disadvantage at speeds below 50 mph seems less important than the > safety. ( of course I have already left behind all the cage drivers who > want airbags, guard rails and 500 lb bumpers) > > Good luck with yours. > > John > > Jeffrey Blamey wrote: > > The... My preference is to enclose the front tires in a > > roadster body work and a lower center of gravity. > > > > > I am working on a less aerodynamic two seater design utilizing torsion > > bar front suspension from a mini-pickup, and a mono-shock rear > > suspension, the motor weight near the pivot point but on the swing > > arm. Vehicle weight goal around 1200 lbs. 12 AGM batteries to keep the > > cost/weight low. 30 mile range and top speed of 65. Composite body > > over a tube frame. > > > > Jeff > >
