Yes on side air bags. I can't imagine watching the bumper of a semi coming at me from the side and thinking "Gee, wish I had something that might prevent me from dying right now."
@James Paul Not blocking intersections helps in that regard. Especially not blocking intersections when the cross traffic is about to get the red light.
I think side air bags that protect the head are pretty important, and seem doable on this car. I would prefer to have them. Just because the structure won't crush very easily doesn't mean you will survive inside.
I would accept a schedule and/or cost penalty in order to get side airbags included. Impact safety is critically important to the reputation of this, or any, vehicle.
One reason I bought a Tesla was due to the consistently great safety scores. A disappointing score can ruin the adoption rate of a vehicle platform and sully the name of a company. Maybe Aptera will be forever known as an enthusiasts car, but I’d rather see it as proof that super-efficiency can fine a wider market.
Side airbags would presumably have to be built into the side bolsters of the seats as I don't see a place for curtain side airbags to be placed above the doors.
Because I live in a coastal community, my main safety concern is egress when landing in water as the side windows are too small to escape through. I'm hoping to see some testing on this with gamma.
@@rp9674 it has a divided side window, I'm not certain a child could fit through it much less an adult. As far as I'm aware, the divider can't be removed. The front windshield might be an option, but I feel like breaking that one to get out might be more difficult.
I can't imagine passing the side impact test without curtain (side) airbags. Tesla now has air bags between front passenger and the driver to prevent interaction in side impact. The old static strength demonstrations were pretty gimmicky and I am glad Aptera has committed to real kinetic testing, including passenger survival.
Price and time to market are the most important factors here. How much more cost and time do you want to add? How about adding more stuff to it in a few years in other models and getting this company off the ground and making a much needed product now!
Definitely would want to see results of crash tests before considering one. Safer than a motorcycle but that isn't saying anything as what's an accident in a car is a death on a motorcycle.
I have over 400,000 safe miles on motorcycles. Many of them came commuting in I80 and I880 traffic while lane splitting. It is possible to become very predictive regarding other vehicles. Once I felt my reactive speed was no longer as sharp, I gave up riding on a regular basis. Safety should not be considered to primarily surviving crashes - that is the secondary consideration.
Or worse than death, the biggest problem is other drivers. As in other driver, I can say it's hard to spot them sometimes, especially when they're splitting lanes much faster than traffic, and if you don't split lanes, what's the point of having a bike. There are so many motorcycle accident stories, like somebody who test wrote a motorcycle and immediately crashed to their death.
@@rp9674 I started driving motorcycles again after a break of more than a decade, and carefully looked at the accident statistics. At the time the vast majority were involving drivers who had been driving less than a year. If you can survive that period and really put safety first the odds improve greatly Not driving while impaired is another major one. You have to understand where your limits are, and in my case, although difficult to admit, I aged beyond my honest assessment of reaction time. I will be getting my Aptera with the Safety Pilot add on.
I would personally prefer if they removed the airbags and used the airbag seatbelt that Sandy said would be used in all the 3-wheel vehicles they work with. Though it looks pretty big, so most people won't like it.
I've been told by an automotive engineer who specializes in interiors, that the seatbelt airbag volume is much smaller than what is offered in front airbags.
@@CharlesAnsman Look up the CFRs-Title 49: Chapter V, Part 571, Subpart B-Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, No. 101 through No. 500 for the details.
At this point Aptera needs to just get this vehicle out on the roads. I’ve driven vehicles without side curtain airbags for years. Accidents where they would save your life are pretty rare IMHO. I’m okay without them. Save the side curtain airbags for their 4 wheel design. And besides, just like Aptera says,, think about it,, most side impacts come from a glancing blow, not a direct hit from side. We’ve become such a namby pamby society. They have extreme safety where it matters.
Considering the other EV I have is a 1966 VW bug, side air bags are optional for me. Would it be nice to have them? Yeah, but my current EV has no airbags at all.
There are 2 impacts in any crash. The outside object hitting the vehicle. Then the occupant reacting to the change of the vehicle. Look at the Smart car vs Mercedes crash test.
I say yes...to Level 2 autonomy as standard for all vehicles; semis, cars & trucks. Everybody who has commented here focused upon accident survival, or some rare event like a water landing or earthquakes. I put my trust in accident avoidance. The braking feature in my Tesla works great in rush hour stop-n-go traffic. If we have to put in sensors to avoid drunk driving, so be it.
If every vehicle had drunk driving prevention police wouldn't have to hassle people as much and it would save a lot of lives, but what about other drugs & impairments. Even better would be full autonomous, doesn't matter if you're drunk or high, and sensors could tell if your heart's failing and drive you to a hospital.
You can crush your skull or break your neck during a side impact. Sounds like a good idea to have airbags for side impact and a 3rd party verification of the safety systems.
Safety is hypothetical until there's crash testing. Motorcycles have no crash testing requirements, so it will be interesting to see if the vehicle is tested using passenger vehicle methodology.
not having side airbags is honestly a deal breaker for me, i want to be as absolutely sure as i can possibly be that i can expect to walk away from a crash alive and not permanently damaged. this is a car and i dont want to put myself anymore at risk for it than the benefit i get out of it
I agree with your point of view, but if the Aptera with side airbags can get the best safety score ever achieved by any road vehicle, then this would be a mind blowing marketing advantage. I don't think that top notch scores can be achieved without side airbags, no matter what vehicle it is.
I trust the process at Aptera as to the choice of side airbags. I have driven, and still do, drive cars without airbags, and am worried little about the idea of driving an Aptera without a side airbag. Due to the nature of the structure of the car. The composite's strength, and the egg shaped, makes me feel that it will be a very safe car. Those crash tests, early in 2023 will be "beyond reproach," and I am happy to drive it. It is possible, that the strength of the body means if T-boned, you might just bounce out of the way, rather than get crushed. Does not mean no injuries, but it means to me, that you get to walk away, instead of going to the morgue. But those crash tests will be done and then we can speculate about this important feature. The design has safety as a primary consideration, despite what it looks like at 6/7 times stronger than steel, I am completely convinced that if an accident happens, I will be fine.
@@InstantTorqueYT Frankly, I do trust the ethos involved with the founders of the Aptera company. They stated that this was to be a very safe ride, I take that at face value. The fact that it will need no oil changes, or gasoline, and that it will be like a sports car, close to hyper car, and that it has been engineered to be the most efficient vehicle on the road. Being light, has advantages too as to agility to avoid an accident. Rarely spoken of but steering away from an impact can be done if your car has agility as part of its being. I think Aptera will shine here. In the 90's I had a Geo Metro, and I had several close calls, but avoided all of them by attentive driving, using its small size to evade impact.
@@chrisbarrett2512The same with both my 2017 and 2020 Bolt EV so far maneuvering capability at high torque speeds as a ride share driver saved my bacon and my passengers more than once.
The way it's designed, I believe that it ending upside down is a rather remote possibility. I am not worried about it, as I have driven tons of miles, and never gotten close to flipping a car. The traction control, or torque vectoring, with an 88-inch front stance, makes it pretty hard to flip. they actually tried to flip the beta at the track, and only blew out a tire. Flipping this will happen but very low chance of it happening, more likely to get bitten by a shark in Iowa.
I'm all for extra protection, if said protection still falls within Aptera's montra of owners having the greatest ability to fix their car. If the side airbag deploys, but the car is mostly fine after an accident. This might create unique situations where insurance wants to total the car, for airbag deployments. Or owners don't replace enhanced safety equipment after it's been used, because it's too difficult to access / install replacement parts.
I won't the Aptera available to me now! I drive old VW diesel sedans, We have three parked outside. I want to replace them with four Apteras. Then convoy when the family travels together.
I had done some research to find exactly how much it costs to source side airbags to automotive manufactures. HowStuffWorks said $50 to $100 per side airbag and another source said about $500 for all airbags per vehicle. Then there's the cost of assembly. I have family that works in that industry and they said it seemed about right. $2000 is quite a lot when the base price is $25,900.
My thoughts on the Side Airbag options are this. Depends on the need. In the event of a side impact I don't know if the egg shape of the chassis would require it & only if needed would I want it. In the end it would really depend on what happens to the upper & lower halves of the side window glass & where that goes in the side impact testing.
I would like my Aptera sooner rather than later. If that means side impact airbags would be owner retrofitted after production that's fine with me. Living in California and having a bridge or roadway collapse on your roof is a possibility. Are we going to put airbags in every possible nook and cranny to maybe prevent injury? I suppose if I were that concerned about a semi's bumper I would wrap myself in an air bag suit that would resemble the Michelin Man.
Comparing a bridge collapsing on top of you to a side impact is utter nonsense. The latter is way more likely and no technology could save you from the former
So thank you for this informative video, and yes I would be willing to wait for side impact airbags, but only if it is proven to be effective on this particular style vehicle, otherwise I don't think that it would necessarily be an issue one way or the other, but having said that, adding value in the form of side impact safety is always a preference. Cheers 🥂
Are side airbags a must? Not really, this is an autocycle. I would get them if offered. Should they be an option? Perhaps. You may need to have an exclusion waiver signed if that option was not selected.
YES! IF SIDE AIRBAGS ARE APART OF SAFETY PRECAUTION. YES! ADD SIDE AIRBAGS. IDC IF IT TAKES 2-3 YEARS TO IMPLEMENT SIDE AIRBAGS. MOST DRIVERS WAITED 15-16 YEARS TO DRIVE
Order numbers do not reflect the total reservations, At the show 32K+ reservations were quoted by Aptera, with order numbers at that time well over 10K higher. Aptera is aware of this, and advises that the numbers issued do not represent your place in the queue, or the total number of reservations
@@adimchionyenadum2962 Order numbers (Which is what we have) are basically Apteras transaction tracking numbers (When used with the date at this point, since the numbering system was reset and there appear to have been some duplicate numbers issued, so the date is needed for full identification.) You can pretty much just think of them as receipt ID numbers. Also order numbers for reservations are mixed in with change orders, and merchandise orders and probably some other stuff as well, so the receipt ID number total exceeds the total reservation number. (By quite a few thousand at this point.) Total reservations , of course, pretty much what it sounds like, the total amount of planned vehicles that people have placed their deposit towards, minus any who have been refunded. It gets a little odd with what individual reservation numbers actually are. Early order numbers (Like yours and mine.) are probably pretty close to where we stand in the original reservation queue. Still, Aptera has the right to distribute vehicles in whatever order it sees fit, they will likely try to stay as close to the order they came in, but there will be some differences. (Certain variants not ready for production, foreign orders, orders from outside initial distribution areas.)
Yes to safety, BUT, need to get on the road as scheduled. There are bazillions of vehicles on the road without any airbags, they can work on that later. Maybe a 5-point harness, or a new enhanced seat belt design could help.
I think Aptera is great for warm climates. However, I’d like an affordable electric car in Montana that can handle ice and snow with not a significant downgrade to range in the winter. However, I can’t afford Tesla, Rivian, F-150 Lightning with 4WD, etc. Prove its viability where I live. I’ll buy one - simple.
The Aptera offers AWD with torque vectoring, an off-road kit with greater clearance, the ability to swap in snow tires, lighter weight for better control in a skid and a composite structure which insulates better than any metal car. The 600 mile range version should offer 400 miles in zero degree weather.
I'm just happy that they are showing crash data. this is a huge step forward. Although from someone that was hit from the side, a smaller car is usually really damaged if not destroyed. Side airbags should at least be an optional add on.
@@CharlesAnsman That's because the data doesn't exist yet, except as proprietary computer modeling simulation results. The real crash data won't exist until next year after they build some production units to crash. "They are showing" could be better phrased as "they are going to show".
@@fotoguru222I cringe at the thought of crash testing this beautiful work of art that should be in the Lovre. I would be satisfied with computer generated and certified crash simulations.
I have been driving for over 50 years and have never deployed an airbag and for many years s never wore a seatbelt. Yep… truely lucky. Rolled a car in a freeway no airbags. Motorcycle for 20 years- no accidents and no safet features. Mostly not the vehicle but the defensive driver that make the difference. In the Aptera I would like to have dual shoulder straps to a belt similar to my 20 years of helicopter flying. Securely strapped in seems like the better safety feature. No airbags in aircraft…front nor back seats. Ok - less traffic in the airspace too I suppose to crash into 8-)
Very informative. I learned a lot about Aptera's structural design. Looks like a lot of thought & design has gone into increasing safety of the design.
I am definitely a yes on side air bags. Would I be willing to pay for it? Absolutely! I would much rather pay for side air bags, than pay for medical deductible, hospital visit, or. . .with my life. A bad or non-existent crash rating could very easily destroy a companies reputation and moreover the company itself, especially in the up and coming competitive EV marketplace. After all of the research, time, development and money put into Aptera, side air bags should not be the thing that breaks them. The addition of the side airbag would only further bolster Apteras proposed safety prowess and become an asset instead of a liability.
I’ve got an order in for one, and love the company’s philosophy on a number of things. However, I’ll drive it with the same consciousness of risk as when I’m riding a motorcycle or driving my wife’s Miata. Auto safety has been allowed to become a tonnage-based arms race in the USA. Crashworthiness comes down to mass (who sees the most acceleration in a collision), energy dissipation, maintaining survivable occupant space, and restraint from violent flailing. Not much for crumple zones here, and we can’t win the tonnage war. Composites can be good at providing a survivable space while not dissipating much energy. Airbags can achieve a lot in terms of energy dissipation and anti-flailing.
Side airbags would not be a deal breaker but it’s close. Even if the side doesn’t crush-in your head is going to bounce off the side and an airbag may be what keeps you from dying.
I'm sure it'll be safe....for its size. F=ma, and a 1 ton vehicle in a collision with a 3 ton vehicle will undergo 3x the deceleration of the larger vehicle.
Legally, in the US it's a type of motorcycle. But in almost all US states Aptera is an "autocycle", a vehicle requiring only a automobile driver's license and no helmut. It's more auto than cycle, having a fully enclosing body, airbags, crumple zones and auto like steering and pedals. 😁 In some countries automobiles don't need 4 wheels.
My concern is clipping or getting clipped on the outboard wheels. See.s like they would get overlooked. In passing on highway or by a car passing it while parked.
You are hit on the side , hard impact, other driver runs a red light, at an intersection with a broadside impact, the aptera is knocked over on its side. You cant open the door because of the impact to it and you cant open the other door because the car is laying on it... with the short window opening how do you get out of the vehicle?? My only safety concern is that small low window opening on both doors. I am very worried about the lack of opening on the door windows.
Yes! Please mount side-airbags. It is a very light vehicle, and the momentum to your neck in a side-collision is considerable. I think this is a "no brainer" to modern vehicles.....
I’m fine without the side air bags. Honestly, I haven’t even heard of a vehicle having them. I didn’t know such a thing existed lol. I think I heard on Aptera Owners Club from an Aptera employee that it won’t have side air bags, but I could be wrong. Feel free to check behind me on that. Also didn’t know the front was filled with foam. That’s nice. Why is Aptera saying they will deliver the first vehicles around end of this year/Q1 of next year if they won’t have the safety tests done by then?
Early this year they were saying production to start by the end of this year, but everything took longer to do than they expected. (Thanks, COVID supply shortages!) Now they are saying next year. Production will probably start early next year. But those first ones produced won't be sold. They will be shown to the public far and wide, then tested under extreme conditions; to destruction, some of them. If any tests fail, then changes will be made causing further delays. Only after meeting all important specificatioins will they start being sold. So Q2 at the earliest, but perhaps not until Q3.
Notice how the dummy's head swings over during the side impact crash. I want side airbags for this reason and am willing to pay more for them. But I wouldn't add aftermarket ones.
3:30 This test is not relevant for the current version of the vehicle because several hundred kilograms of batteries are missing at the bottom of the vehicle. The weight distribution and centre of gravity will be completely different. Personally, I hope Aptera devotes at least the same amount of energy to development as it does to marketing, because this is another channel that does that. Without personal experience or independent tests from others, you just contentedly and uncritically share their point of view.
I'd like people to stop telling folks about these cars by these unrealistic range estimates. These aren't LFP cars, so no one should, day-to-day, expect 600 miles out of their 600 mile range car. You should hope, unrealistically, for 480 miles (80% charge) unless you want to be replacing your battery in 7 or 8 years because you burned it out by charging it too much. You should also take that 480 & cut it in half, just to be safe, if you live someplace where it gets very cold in the winter. So the 600 mile range Aptera is, at best (if you're responsible with your batter), 480 miles & realistically you won't get that. Also in the winter, don't count on more than 240. Anything above 240 is gravy.
I'm no safety/mechanical engineer, but it seems like plastic deformation (as metal bodies generally do) might be better than elastic deformation. The latter just turns kinetic energy into potential energy, then immediately back into kinetic. Accelerations kill, and multiple accelerations are NOT better than one, for the humans inside.
That's a good consideration. The body has since been changed to carbon fiber. Jason Hill, Chief of Design, said the body is even stronger than before (and much easier to manufacture). The company said passengers will be very safe in collisions, so its going to be super fascinating to see the real world crash tests.
Safety is the one doubt I have about buying this car. I have a reservation but if I don’t feel it’s safe enough, I will end up getting a new Prius instead. Time will. Tell. I think if it has side airbags, I’ll feel pretty confident in this car.
I'd be willing to wait and pay extra to get side air bags. It might even be a good marketing move by Aptera, since many people will probably be concerned about the difference in mass between the Aptera and other vehicles on the road.
Based on the simulation data, passengers are quite safe in side impacts without side airbags. Chris Anthony said this recently. I'm particularly looking forward to the crash videos that should come out relatively soon.
Either include side airbags, or recommend occupants wear helmets. In a side collision, there are two impacts; 1. The other vehicle hits the outside of your vehicle. and 2. Your head hits the inside of your vehicle.
Side airbags: I have been t-boned twice, with and without side airbags. In my case, the side airbag resulted in a in making my whiplash worse. In a light vehicle such as the Aptrr99 oit79
Side air bags for sure! It's a gamble (with maybe your life) if you don't have them. Air bags are a necessity for me. I would think the safety rating would be a lot better, to help with adaptation and sales. Who wants bad publicity from fatal accidents.
If Aptera ever looks at this video and it’s comments, please understand we all want more safety, and will gladly pay more for it. The price is already low, bump it up for side airbags and this could be the next car I buy.
Would have liked to have seen the video on the crash test itself! I would be in a better position to determine the answer to side air bags armed with that info.
Based on the simulation data, it's not needed. Aptera seems to do really well on side impacts metrics. This is according to Chris Anthony. The crash test videos are going to be very helpful!
Yes, a right hand drive version is in the plans. Originally they said they'd be available internationally starting about a year after they are in the US. But that was before they were swamped with an unexpectedly large number of reservations.
First i dont think its cheap car. Its a half car, so coming in half price. So no big difference. As per side air bags, yes, i strongly suggest they do put it. I personally saw, people die, because they don't have them.
I'd buy included side airbags if they were available. I wouldn't wait for the Aptera to be re-engineered for them, if that's what it takes. Hard pass on after-market airbags.
Same besides I’m not planning to get into any side-impact accidents 😀 But seriously, agree unless the added weight was minimal with significantly more protection over what appears to be better than most protection (due to shape & materials).
I definitely want side airbags as well as seat airbags to prevent my head smashing against my passengers head should we get hit from the side. An superstiff 800 kg vehicle getting T-boned by a 2 ton vehicle is going to become a washing machine with me playing the part of forgotten change - GIVE ME AIRBAGS!
Hopefully the collision energy that would be absorbed by traditional crumple zones won't get transmitted onto the passengers. Only test crash dummies with inertial sensors can verify. Not to mention the high speed cameras recording what bodies end up doing upon impacts from a variety of angles. If the seats are closer together than other cars, collisions between passengers increase. Knocking noggins 😵💥😵
I get that, and I support that but people are buying the can am spider. Just saying, it’s on the market. People like the Aptera and I think that many of there supporters are like me an would buy a product that was a solution to the energy crisis we are facing without being perfect. The next generation can always make improvements
Is this a joke by showing it being dropped from a forklift as if that is something worthy in an actual car crash? Why not show a small car broadside this thing at 35mph? This thing would fly over an entire city block from an impact with a car. I predict MULITPLE post impacts after an Aptera gets hit by another car. This thing will also launch like a jet fighter from an aircraft carrier catipult if it gets rear ended.
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Yes on side air bags. I can't imagine watching the bumper of a semi coming at me from the side and thinking "Gee, wish I had something that might prevent me from dying right now."
I'm sure the insta-torque will help you get out of the way of most issues.
@@wesman9274 'most' issues. Winters coming.
@@wesman9274 it won't help if there's another vehicle in front of you and nowhere to go
@James Paul Not blocking intersections helps in that regard. Especially not blocking intersections when the cross traffic is about to get the red light.
@@h8GW As the Purple Sage said to the High Chaparral, "kaka occurs."
I think side air bags that protect the head are pretty important, and seem doable on this car. I would prefer to have them. Just because the structure won't crush very easily doesn't mean you will survive inside.
I would accept a schedule and/or cost penalty in order to get side airbags included. Impact safety is critically important to the reputation of this, or any, vehicle.
If you are that concerned, wear a good crash helmet and full leathers. After all, it is licensed as an autocycle.
I do hope they are able to include the side impact airbags.
Side bags won't be available because of the gullwing doors
That's nonsense. Door type is not a reason to not have side airbags.
Yes, I would feel much safer and would prefer side airbags! Thanks for a great informative video!
Thanks Joel!
One reason I bought a Tesla was due to the consistently great safety scores. A disappointing score can ruin the adoption rate of a vehicle platform and sully the name of a company. Maybe Aptera will be forever known as an enthusiasts car, but I’d rather see it as proof that super-efficiency can fine a wider market.
Any ev with that battery layout can score top safety ratings
techcrunch.com/2023/02/16/tesla-recalls-362758-vehicles-over-fsd-beta-software-safety-concerns/#:~:text=The%20issue%20was%20discovered%20during,adherence%20to%20traffic%20safety%20laws.
Side airbags would presumably have to be built into the side bolsters of the seats as I don't see a place for curtain side airbags to be placed above the doors.
Because I live in a coastal community, my main safety concern is egress when landing in water as the side windows are too small to escape through. I'm hoping to see some testing on this with gamma.
It will float. And if it does not float it is because a lot of water is leaking inside in which case you can open the door.
If it has a glass window, that might be the easiest way out
@@rp9674 it has a divided side window, I'm not certain a child could fit through it much less an adult. As far as I'm aware, the divider can't be removed. The front windshield might be an option, but I feel like breaking that one to get out might be more difficult.
@@LeaoraRanica use one of those pointed windshield hammers or the spring loaded Spike type
Just carry a scuba tank in the back with you. There ya' go.
I would prefer side bags for safety. I also suspect insurance would be penalizing if the car did not have them
I wouldnt buy one or invest without side airbags. As a paramedic I have seen way to many horrific injuries and deaths.😢
I can't imagine passing the side impact test without curtain (side) airbags. Tesla now has air bags between front passenger and the driver to prevent interaction in side impact. The old static strength demonstrations were pretty gimmicky and I am glad Aptera has committed to real kinetic testing, including passenger survival.
Most of the test requirements are built around keeping passengers in and vehicles out. Airbags help with that.
Price and time to market are the most important factors here. How much more cost and time do you want to add? How about adding more stuff to it in a few years in other models and getting this company off the ground and making a much needed product now!
Definitely would want to see results of crash tests before considering one. Safer than a motorcycle but that isn't saying anything as what's an accident in a car is a death on a motorcycle.
I have over 400,000 safe miles on motorcycles. Many of them came commuting in I80 and I880 traffic while lane splitting. It is possible to become very predictive regarding other vehicles. Once I felt my reactive speed was no longer as sharp, I gave up riding on a regular basis. Safety should not be considered to primarily surviving crashes - that is the secondary consideration.
Or worse than death, the biggest problem is other drivers. As in other driver, I can say it's hard to spot them sometimes, especially when they're splitting lanes much faster than traffic, and if you don't split lanes, what's the point of having a bike. There are so many motorcycle accident stories, like somebody who test wrote a motorcycle and immediately crashed to their death.
@@rp9674 I started driving motorcycles again after a break of more than a decade, and carefully looked at the accident statistics. At the time the vast majority were involving drivers who had been driving less than a year. If you can survive that period and really put safety first the odds improve greatly Not driving while impaired is another major one. You have to understand where your limits are, and in my case, although difficult to admit, I aged beyond my honest assessment of reaction time. I will be getting my Aptera with the Safety Pilot add on.
@@n.brucenelson5920 smart!
side airbags are a must in 2022 and onwards, specially with the trend of bigger trucks and suvs coming into the market.
Only for 4 wheeled vehicles. No 2 or 3 wheeler has any.
I mostly agree, but who's safe from a 9,000 lb Hummer EV that does 0 to 60 in 4 seconds? Another reason we need autonomous driving.
I would personally prefer if they removed the airbags and used the airbag seatbelt that Sandy said would be used in all the 3-wheel vehicles they work with. Though it looks pretty big, so most people won't like it.
I've been told by an automotive engineer who specializes in interiors, that the seatbelt airbag volume is much smaller than what is offered in front airbags.
Hope it does well but, it needs to be independently evaluated for safety before I would risk mine or my familys lives.
You mean evaulated by NHTSA like every car sold in the US ?
Aptera will be third party tested to FMVSS Part 200 crash standards as soon as production intent vehicles are available for testing.
@@n.brucenelson5920 Can you be more specific about those tests ?
@@CharlesAnsman Look up the CFRs-Title 49: Chapter V, Part 571, Subpart B-Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards,
No. 101 through No. 500 for the details.
At this point Aptera needs to just get this vehicle out on the roads. I’ve driven vehicles without side curtain airbags for years. Accidents where they would save your life are pretty rare IMHO. I’m okay without them. Save the side curtain airbags for their 4 wheel design. And besides, just like Aptera says,, think about it,, most side impacts come from a glancing blow, not a direct hit from side.
We’ve become such a namby pamby society. They have extreme safety where it matters.
Considering the other EV I have is a 1966 VW bug, side air bags are optional for me. Would it be nice to have them? Yeah, but my current EV has no airbags at all.
There are 2 impacts in any crash. The outside object hitting the vehicle. Then the occupant reacting to the change of the vehicle. Look at the Smart car vs Mercedes crash test.
Side airbags perform two main things - keeping unbelted(Welcome to usa) occupants inside the vehicle, and keeping other items outside.
I say yes...to Level 2 autonomy as standard for all vehicles; semis, cars & trucks. Everybody who has commented here focused upon accident survival, or some rare event like a water landing or earthquakes. I put my trust in accident avoidance. The braking feature in my Tesla works great in rush hour stop-n-go traffic. If we have to put in sensors to avoid drunk driving, so be it.
If every vehicle had drunk driving prevention police wouldn't have to hassle people as much and it would save a lot of lives, but what about other drugs & impairments. Even better would be full autonomous, doesn't matter if you're drunk or high, and sensors could tell if your heart's failing and drive you to a hospital.
You can crush your skull or break your neck during a side impact. Sounds like a good idea to have airbags for side impact and a 3rd party verification of the safety systems.
No side bags will be available because of the doors
Safety is hypothetical until there's crash testing. Motorcycles have no crash testing requirements, so it will be interesting to see if the vehicle is tested using passenger vehicle methodology.
not having side airbags is honestly a deal breaker for me, i want to be as absolutely sure as i can possibly be that i can expect to walk away from a crash alive and not permanently damaged. this is a car and i dont want to put myself anymore at risk for it than the benefit i get out of it
There are zero side-impact airbags on my Victory motorcycle, 2012 Scion, or my 2006 Silverado....I don't see the need here.
I agree with your point of view, but if the Aptera with side airbags can get the best safety score ever achieved by any road vehicle, then this would be a mind blowing marketing advantage. I don't think that top notch scores can be achieved without side airbags, no matter what vehicle it is.
This car is awesome. I love this company! Can't wait!
I trust the process at Aptera as to the choice of side airbags. I have driven, and still do, drive cars without airbags, and am worried little about the idea of driving an Aptera without a side airbag. Due to the nature of the structure of the car. The composite's strength, and the egg shaped, makes me feel that it will be a very safe car. Those crash tests, early in 2023 will be "beyond reproach," and I am happy to drive it. It is possible, that the strength of the body means if T-boned, you might just bounce out of the way, rather than get crushed. Does not mean no injuries, but it means to me, that you get to walk away, instead of going to the morgue. But those crash tests will be done and then we can speculate about this important feature. The design has safety as a primary consideration, despite what it looks like at 6/7 times stronger than steel, I am completely convinced that if an accident happens, I will be fine.
Well said!
@@InstantTorqueYT Frankly, I do trust the ethos involved with the founders of the Aptera company. They stated that this was to be a very safe ride, I take that at face value. The fact that it will need no oil changes, or gasoline, and that it will be like a sports car, close to hyper car, and that it has been engineered to be the most efficient vehicle on the road. Being light, has advantages too as to agility to avoid an accident. Rarely spoken of but steering away from an impact can be done if your car has agility as part of its being. I think Aptera will shine here. In the 90's I had a Geo Metro, and I had several close calls, but avoided all of them by attentive driving, using its small size to evade impact.
Could be like that old egg shaped helicopter the military used. Claim was they rolled on impact instead of crushing.
@@chrisbarrett2512The same with both my 2017 and 2020 Bolt EV so far maneuvering capability at high torque speeds as a ride share driver saved my bacon and my passengers more than once.
I noticed that the doors open Upwards. In the event of a roll over, how do you get out?
@@SteveBueche1027 So could we use a string to keep the doors closed?🤣
It's a butterfly door, so it opens outward as much as it does upward. You probably could get it open halfway while on its roof.
The way it's designed, I believe that it ending upside down is a rather remote possibility. I am not worried about it, as I have driven tons of miles, and never gotten close to flipping a car. The traction control, or torque vectoring, with an 88-inch front stance, makes it pretty hard to flip. they actually tried to flip the beta at the track, and only blew out a tire. Flipping this will happen but very low chance of it happening, more likely to get bitten by a shark in Iowa.
If the windshield is glass, that would be an easy exit
I wouldn't wait for side airbags... It's so roomy and it's shock absorbing structure is amazing.
My Honda Fit has airbags in the front seats on the outside edges. I don't see why Aptera couldn't include something like that.
Excellent side airbag question! I'm ok without it. We rode motorcycles for years and felt safe most of the time. Thank you for the video!
Thank you! Great perspective. Nothing beats staying alert.
I'm all for extra protection, if said protection still falls within Aptera's montra of owners having the greatest ability to fix their car.
If the side airbag deploys, but the car is mostly fine after an accident. This might create unique situations where insurance wants to total the car, for airbag deployments. Or owners don't replace enhanced safety equipment after it's been used, because it's too difficult to access / install replacement parts.
I won't the Aptera available to me now! I drive old VW diesel sedans, We have three parked outside. I want to replace them with four Apteras. Then convoy when the family travels together.
Side airbags should only add under $2k to final price as a standard. Consumers are paying for it, so there isn't a reason to forgo them.
I had done some research to find exactly how much it costs to source side airbags to automotive manufactures. HowStuffWorks said $50 to $100 per side airbag and another source said about $500 for all airbags per vehicle. Then there's the cost of assembly. I have family that works in that industry and they said it seemed about right. $2000 is quite a lot when the base price is $25,900.
I will believe only after the first REAL crash.
Either on a public road or in a test hangar…
Aptera will have a third party test production intent vehicles to FMVSS Part 200 standards and the results will be published.
My thoughts on the Side Airbag options are this. Depends on the need. In the event of a side impact I don't know if the egg shape of the chassis would require it & only if needed would I want it. In the end it would really depend on what happens to the upper & lower halves of the side window glass & where that goes in the side impact testing.
I would like my Aptera sooner rather than later. If that means side impact airbags would be owner retrofitted after production that's fine with me.
Living in California and having a bridge or roadway collapse on your roof is a possibility. Are we going to put airbags in every possible nook and cranny to maybe prevent injury?
I suppose if I were that concerned about a semi's bumper I would wrap myself in an air bag suit that would resemble the Michelin Man.
Comparing a bridge collapsing on top of you to a side impact is utter nonsense. The latter is way more likely and no technology could save you from the former
So thank you for this informative video, and yes I would be willing to wait for side impact airbags, but only if it is proven to be effective on this particular style vehicle, otherwise I don't think that it would necessarily be an issue one way or the other, but having said that, adding value in the form of side impact safety is always a preference. Cheers 🥂
Are side airbags a must? Not really, this is an autocycle. I would get them if offered. Should they be an option? Perhaps. You may need to have an exclusion waiver signed if that option was not selected.
YES! IF SIDE AIRBAGS ARE APART OF SAFETY PRECAUTION. YES! ADD SIDE AIRBAGS. IDC IF IT TAKES 2-3 YEARS TO IMPLEMENT SIDE AIRBAGS. MOST DRIVERS WAITED 15-16 YEARS TO DRIVE
Order numbers do not reflect the total reservations, At the show 32K+ reservations were quoted by Aptera, with order numbers at that time well over 10K higher. Aptera is aware of this, and advises that the numbers issued do not represent your place in the queue, or the total number of reservations
Good point
@@adimchionyenadum2962 Order numbers (Which is what we have) are basically Apteras transaction tracking numbers (When used with the date at this point, since the numbering system was reset and there appear to have been some duplicate numbers issued, so the date is needed for full identification.) You can pretty much just think of them as receipt ID numbers. Also order numbers for reservations are mixed in with change orders, and merchandise orders and probably some other stuff as well, so the receipt ID number total exceeds the total reservation number. (By quite a few thousand at this point.) Total reservations , of course, pretty much what it sounds like, the total amount of planned vehicles that people have placed their deposit towards, minus any who have been refunded. It gets a little odd with what individual reservation numbers actually are. Early order numbers (Like yours and mine.) are probably pretty close to where we stand in the original reservation queue. Still, Aptera has the right to distribute vehicles in whatever order it sees fit, they will likely try to stay as close to the order they came in, but there will be some differences. (Certain variants not ready for production, foreign orders, orders from outside initial distribution areas.)
I believe the order numbers started at 10,000.
@@stevekenyonmusic Yes they did, and then reset to zero in August 2021 with the refreshed website.
Yes to safety, BUT, need to get on the road as scheduled. There are bazillions of vehicles on the road without any airbags, they can work on that later. Maybe a 5-point harness, or a new enhanced seat belt design could help.
I think Aptera is great for warm climates. However, I’d like an affordable electric car in Montana that can handle ice and snow with not a significant downgrade to range in the winter. However, I can’t afford Tesla, Rivian, F-150 Lightning with 4WD, etc. Prove its viability where I live. I’ll buy one - simple.
I will be posting video of my Aptera in snow in Iowa. Check out my youtube channel once the Paradigm edition models are shipping.
@@n.brucenelson5920 Looking forward to it!
The Aptera offers AWD with torque vectoring, an off-road kit with greater clearance, the ability to swap in snow tires, lighter weight for better control in a skid and a composite structure which insulates better than any metal car. The 600 mile range version should offer 400 miles in zero degree weather.
@@jonsek Well, since that is the case, I’ll take a look at it. Thanks
It might be OK for that application, but I wouldn't be the one to try it first
I'm just happy that they are showing crash data. this is a huge step forward. Although from someone that was hit from the side, a smaller car is usually really damaged if not destroyed. Side airbags should at least be an optional add on.
The usual small car is contructed nothing like an Aptera.
I saw no Aptera cash data in the video.
@@CharlesAnsman That's because the data doesn't exist yet, except as proprietary computer modeling simulation results. The real crash data won't exist until next year after they build some production units to crash. "They are showing" could be better phrased as "they are going to show".
@@fotoguru222I cringe at the thought of crash testing this beautiful work of art that should be in the Lovre. I would be satisfied with computer generated and certified crash simulations.
@@daviddrake6875 Yeah, I hear you. However we need real crash results to convinve my wife and I'm sure a lot of other people.
I feel like side airbags are a must and would not purchase unless it was included
Good to know!
I have been driving for over 50 years and have never deployed an airbag and for many years s never wore a seatbelt. Yep… truely lucky. Rolled a car in a freeway no airbags. Motorcycle for 20 years- no accidents and no safet features. Mostly not the vehicle but the defensive driver that make the difference. In the Aptera I would like to have dual shoulder straps to a belt similar to my 20 years of helicopter flying. Securely strapped in seems like the better safety feature. No airbags in aircraft…front nor back seats. Ok - less traffic in the airspace too I suppose to crash into 8-)
Very informative. I learned a lot about Aptera's structural design. Looks like a lot of thought & design has gone into increasing safety of the design.
I am definitely a yes on side air bags. Would I be willing to pay for it? Absolutely! I would much rather pay for side air bags, than pay for medical deductible, hospital visit, or. . .with my life. A bad or non-existent crash rating could very easily destroy a companies reputation and moreover the company itself, especially in the up and coming competitive EV marketplace. After all of the research, time, development and money put into Aptera, side air bags should not be the thing that breaks them. The addition of the side airbag would only further bolster Apteras proposed safety prowess and become an asset instead of a liability.
yes on side air bage.
I want side airbags
Have one on order, but will cancel if torso and side air bags are not included... They should consider knee air bags as well...
I’ve got an order in for one, and love the company’s philosophy on a number of things. However, I’ll drive it with the same consciousness of risk as when I’m riding a motorcycle or driving my wife’s Miata. Auto safety has been allowed to become a tonnage-based arms race in the USA. Crashworthiness comes down to mass (who sees the most acceleration in a collision), energy dissipation, maintaining survivable occupant space, and restraint from violent flailing. Not much for crumple zones here, and we can’t win the tonnage war. Composites can be good at providing a survivable space while not dissipating much energy. Airbags can achieve a lot in terms of energy dissipation and anti-flailing.
Side airbags would not be a deal breaker but it’s close. Even if the side doesn’t crush-in your head is going to bounce off the side and an airbag may be what keeps you from dying.
I'm sure it'll be safe....for its size. F=ma, and a 1 ton vehicle in a collision with a 3 ton vehicle will undergo 3x the deceleration of the larger vehicle.
I would be willing to pay more for no air bags at all. It is, after all, a motorcycle.
Legally, in the US it's a type of motorcycle. But in almost all US states Aptera is an "autocycle", a vehicle requiring only a automobile driver's license and no helmut. It's more auto than cycle, having a fully enclosing body, airbags, crumple zones and auto like steering and pedals. 😁 In some countries automobiles don't need 4 wheels.
My concern is clipping or getting clipped on the outboard wheels. See.s like they would get overlooked. In passing on highway or by a car passing it while parked.
Side airbags would mitigate secondary impact from a side impact. I have them in my current automobile and would pay extra for them in my Aptera.
The bottom part is alluminium
You are hit on the side , hard impact, other driver runs a red light, at an intersection with a broadside impact, the aptera is knocked over on its side. You cant open the door because of the impact to it and you cant open the other door because the car is laying on it... with the short window opening how do you get out of the vehicle?? My only safety concern is that small low window opening on both doors. I am very worried about the lack of opening on the door windows.
Side Airbags a must for sure the more the better with safety and crash ratings
Yes! Please mount side-airbags. It is a very light vehicle, and the momentum to your neck in a side-collision is considerable. I think this is a "no brainer" to modern vehicles.....
I’m fine without the side air bags. Honestly, I haven’t even heard of a vehicle having them. I didn’t know such a thing existed lol. I think I heard on Aptera Owners Club from an Aptera employee that it won’t have side air bags, but I could be wrong. Feel free to check behind me on that. Also didn’t know the front was filled with foam. That’s nice. Why is Aptera saying they will deliver the first vehicles around end of this year/Q1 of next year if they won’t have the safety tests done by then?
Aptera is not a car so savety is not obligatory .. but her shape is perfect for strengt and impact absorbtion
There are virtually no cars sold today without side airbags.
Early this year they were saying production to start by the end of this year, but everything took longer to do than they expected. (Thanks, COVID supply shortages!) Now they are saying next year. Production will probably start early next year. But those first ones produced won't be sold. They will be shown to the public far and wide, then tested under extreme conditions; to destruction, some of them. If any tests fail, then changes will be made causing further delays. Only after meeting all important specificatioins will they start being sold. So Q2 at the earliest, but perhaps not until Q3.
@@fotoguru222 this is really normal in production .. only normaly you will not be confronted with this
The vehicle light enough I don't consider side airbags important so it would be nice to have it cushy on the side in case you get hit
Notice how the dummy's head swings over during the side impact crash. I want side airbags for this reason and am willing to pay more for them. But I wouldn't add aftermarket ones.
3:30 This test is not relevant for the current version of the vehicle because several hundred kilograms of batteries are missing at the bottom of the vehicle. The weight distribution and centre of gravity will be completely different.
Personally, I hope Aptera devotes at least the same amount of energy to development as it does to marketing, because this is another channel that does that. Without personal experience or independent tests from others, you just contentedly and uncritically share their point of view.
Absolutely! I believe the CTO had said the roof can hold several times the vehicle's weight fully built out.
I've been driving my 1991 Jeep since 1997 and it has no airbags anywhere. Buying an Aptera without side air bags is not an issue for me.
I'd like people to stop telling folks about these cars by these unrealistic range estimates. These aren't LFP cars, so no one should, day-to-day, expect 600 miles out of their 600 mile range car. You should hope, unrealistically, for 480 miles (80% charge) unless you want to be replacing your battery in 7 or 8 years because you burned it out by charging it too much.
You should also take that 480 & cut it in half, just to be safe, if you live someplace where it gets very cold in the winter.
So the 600 mile range Aptera is, at best (if you're responsible with your batter), 480 miles & realistically you won't get that. Also in the winter, don't count on more than 240. Anything above 240 is gravy.
I have searched and it seems like it is not possible to see the actual crash tests, is this true.
Yes, Aptera reiterated today that the crash tests will be done in 2023 with the production intent vehicle.
I'm no safety/mechanical engineer, but it seems like plastic deformation (as metal bodies generally do) might be better than elastic deformation. The latter just turns kinetic energy into potential energy, then immediately back into kinetic. Accelerations kill, and multiple accelerations are NOT better than one, for the humans inside.
That's a good consideration. The body has since been changed to carbon fiber. Jason Hill, Chief of Design, said the body is even stronger than before (and much easier to manufacture). The company said passengers will be very safe in collisions, so its going to be super fascinating to see the real world crash tests.
Safety is the one doubt I have about buying this car. I have a reservation but if I don’t feel it’s safe enough, I will end up getting a new Prius instead. Time will. Tell. I think if it has side airbags, I’ll feel pretty confident in this car.
I'd be willing to wait and pay extra to get side air bags. It might even be a good marketing move by Aptera, since many people will probably be concerned about the difference in mass between the Aptera and other vehicles on the road.
Based on the simulation data, passengers are quite safe in side impacts without side airbags. Chris Anthony said this recently. I'm particularly looking forward to the crash videos that should come out relatively soon.
Either include side airbags, or recommend occupants wear helmets. In a side collision, there are two impacts; 1. The other vehicle hits the outside of your vehicle. and 2. Your head hits the inside of your vehicle.
Side airbags: I have been t-boned twice, with and without side airbags. In my case, the side airbag resulted in a in making my whiplash worse. In a light vehicle such as the Aptrr99 oit79
Side air bags for sure! It's a gamble (with maybe your life) if you don't have them. Air bags are a necessity for me. I would think the safety rating would be a lot better, to help with adaptation and sales. Who wants bad publicity from fatal accidents.
If Aptera ever looks at this video and it’s comments, please understand we all want more safety, and will gladly pay more for it. The price is already low, bump it up for side airbags and this could be the next car I buy.
Would have liked to have seen the video on the crash test itself! I would be in a better position to determine the answer to side air bags armed with that info.
Based on the simulation data, it's not needed. Aptera seems to do really well on side impacts metrics. This is according to Chris Anthony. The crash test videos are going to be very helpful!
Yes on the side airbags.
Any one know if they will Australia approved. ?
Hope not. Seems the demographic of this vehicle is for people that wear lycra
Yes, a right hand drive version is in the plans. Originally they said they'd be available internationally starting about a year after they are in the US. But that was before they were swamped with an unexpectedly large number of reservations.
Aptera will get great PR after some accidents show passengers and drivers injury free result
Yes. Tesla has taken advantage of that.
Safety is a widely expressed concern about Aptera. Side airbags would help overcome that reservation.
RETIRED 77. USAF VFW. EDIT: NEED EJECTION SEATS.
They almost have this! Did you notice the front crash behavior in the animation?
yep i would as a investor
Side airbags will take the morale for this company a long way
First i dont think its cheap car. Its a half car, so coming in half price. So no big difference. As per side air bags, yes, i strongly suggest they do put it. I personally saw, people die, because they don't have them.
Aptera astroturfing hard these days. Non-technical people (most potential customers) will be excited.
I'd buy included side airbags if they were available. I wouldn't wait for the Aptera to be re-engineered for them, if that's what it takes. Hard pass on after-market airbags.
My main concern is how much a magnet those front wheels and motors are for accidents!
Why? It has got one less wheel to hit! 😃
@@fotoguru222 the 2 front wheels are “Out There” exposed … I will reserve an Aptera but just wait to see real world experiences before
Not a magnet. When hit, they'll shear off rather than transfer forces to the passengers.
Extra cost for side airbags versus possibly getting wacked on the side by an 18 wheeler. No brainer for side airbags or GET BRAINED without them..
You can't beat physics. A small light vehicle will still loose in a crash against a big heavy vehicle.
Wow!!!! 46,500 Reservations already. That is great..
As for side bags, if the "egg shape" protects the occupants, Ican do without if not included
Last official report was 32,000 a few weeks ago. This is just order numbers.
Same besides I’m not planning to get into any side-impact accidents 😀 But seriously, agree unless the added weight was minimal with significantly more protection over what appears to be better than most protection (due to shape & materials).
@@InstantTorqueYT sorry, misunderstood.
I definitely want side airbags as well as seat airbags to prevent my head smashing against my passengers head should we get hit from the side.
An superstiff 800 kg vehicle getting T-boned by a 2 ton vehicle is going to become a washing machine with me playing the part of forgotten change - GIVE ME AIRBAGS!
Would you-
YES. 1000% yes, the vehicle must have side airbags.
Hopefully the collision energy that would be absorbed by traditional crumple zones won't get transmitted onto the passengers. Only test crash dummies with inertial sensors can verify. Not to mention the high speed cameras recording what bodies end up doing upon impacts from a variety of angles. If the seats are closer together than other cars, collisions between passengers increase. Knocking noggins 😵💥😵
Another car that pops back into shape after being crushed is Christine.
This needs more than side airbags, hope you don't need a body bag.
- Great Video - Thx - "Instant" subscriber
Thanks Brad!
Are there any sensors on those wheels? If not, stupid people are going to be bumping into any and everything with those front wheels
For god sakes forget the airbags ! Let’s just call it’s motorcycle and let’s start making these things 😂
Aptera has considered safety a primary design goal since the beginning.
I get that, and I support that but people are buying the can am spider. Just saying, it’s on the market. People like the Aptera and I think that many of there supporters are like me an would buy a product that was a solution to the energy crisis we are facing without being perfect. The next generation can always make improvements
so just show the proper certified crash tests !!
Is this a joke by showing it being dropped from a forklift as if that is something worthy in an actual car crash? Why not show a small car broadside this thing at 35mph? This thing would fly over an entire city block from an impact with a car. I predict MULITPLE post impacts after an Aptera gets hit by another car. This thing will also launch like a jet fighter from an aircraft carrier catipult if it gets rear ended.