Several new auto manufacturers are cropping up to do just that. The Aptera and NmG cars both cost about $30,000, and each can be entirely powered by electricity at pennies per mile.

The Aptera, pictured above, seats two and holds a charge that will last up to 120 miles. The NmG, at right, holds a single person and can drive about half that distance. Both have three wheels rather than four, and surprisingly they both have plenty of storage space.

Both companies are accepting reservations to purchase these cars. Sadly, it's likely to be many years before we have a dealership here in St. Louis, which could create maintenance challenges. For me, fixing computers is one thing, cars are quite another.

But I'll keep my fingers crossed...as an eco-friendly company, I would love to have a bright orange NmG company car decked out in a branded vinyl wrap!

For openers, despite the additional displacement, it will deliver better fuel economy numbers in a steady-state operating mode and offer greater output. Beyond that, this new super-clean and efficient four-cylinder is inherently quieter, smoother, better balanced and will provide more seamless transitions when the Volt does changeover from pure electric to extender-enhanced modes. If that's not enough, the engine is also lighter and less expensive to build than the turbo three-cylinder.

I am tempted to think that the cost reduction might be even more important then the weight reduction.  I really have my doubts that the can sell this car for less than $40,000 and make money.

The top10 green cars listed at KBB Green show that no 2008 non-hybrid is rated by the EPA as having better mileage than my 95 Honda Civic.  This is simply astounding.  Of course, there are real world reports of drivers getting closer to 39-40 mpg for both the Yaris and the smart.  I hope so.

Another post states that over 3,000 people have put down $500 deposits for the Aptera Typ-1 (why not Type-1?).  That amounts to around two years of production at the current target.  Perhaps it is a good thing that they are only going to sell in California to begin with!

The one good thing which seems to be coming out of the astronomic prices of gasoline and diesel, is the introduction of electric and solar cars. Companies like Tesla, Aptera, and Toyota are dead serious in making excellent electric cars which will give gasoline cars a good run for their money. If you have been following my recent postings here, you know what I'm talking about.

Tesla Motors, Inc. is a Silicon Valley automobile startup company focused on the production of high performance, consumer-oriented battery electric vehicles. The first Tesla store opened in Los Angeles, CA on April 2008. Before I forget, let me add that two of Tesla backers are Sergey Brin and Larry Page cofounders of Google Inc.

Despite Tesla Motors’ well deserved reputation as a high-end car manufacturer, it's still very much a startup---the company’s $150 million in funding pales in comparison to coffers held by large automobile companies like Ferrari. As a result, Tesla has strived to create a atmosphere of style and sophistication at its showrooms without breaking the bank.

Tesla Motors' first production vehicle, the Tesla Roadster, is an all-electric sports car. The company and reviewers state that the Tesla Roadster accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. It has a top speed of 125 mph (limited for safety) and can go 220 miles on a 3.5 hour charge. If you have a heavy wallet, you can add sweet extras like a painted carbon fiber top for $3,200 or a premium leather interior for $1,800. The cost of powering the vehicle is estimated at $0.02 per mile.

Prototypes were introduced to the public in July 2006 and featured on the cover of Time Magazine in December 2006 as the recipient of the magazine's "Best Inventions 2006---Transportation Invention" award.

Demand has been high for the first "Signature One Hundred" set of fully equipped Roadsters, which sold out in less than three weeks, and the second hundred sold out by October, 2007. As of May 2 2008, more than 600 Tesla Roadsters have been reserved and 400 more are on the waiting list. The first production model was delivered to Elon Musk, Chairman of the Board, on February 2008 and were in general production by March 17, 2008.

A solar car is on the design table. Tesla plans to offer home roof mounted solar-photovoltaic systems that will offset power used by the home charger, allowing 50 miles (80 km) of travel per day without burdening the power grid.

Tesla is also currently working on a sedan, known as the Model S, which will be introduced as a 2010 model. It's being designed as an alternative to cars such as the BMW Series and the Audi A6, with an estimated price of $60,000.

Future plans include a more affordable third model. The development and production of this future model, code-named "BlueStar", will be funded by profits from the Model S sedan. According to Tesla, if everything goes according to plans, the BlueStar will be released in 2012 with a price tag of around $30,000.

Purchasing a Tesla Roadster is an involved and lengthy process. To reserve a car, first you’ll need to make a $5,000 deposit, which is mostly just to show you’re serious. To actually get a place on the 1,100 person long waiting list, you’ll need to cough up another $55,000---making a grand total of $60,000.

Of the 1,100 people on the waiting list, 600 are for the 2008 model, which has a base cost of $98,000. The remainder of the list is for the 2009 model, which has been upped to a $109,000 base value, mostly to account for the weakened dollar.

Tesla is currently telling customers that the waiting list is one year long, but production is only just ramping up so that time frame may change. By the end of July there will be around 12 cars on the road, most of which are owned by company board members and investors.

For the time being, cars are being assembled at a rate of about 4 a week, with expectations that the company will be able to finish 40 a week early next year.

Paying more than 100 "grands" for a car is a lot of money for mainstream customers; which means that for the time being, the Tesla Roadster will be a niche vehicle for opulent customers. However, there's a light at the end of the tunnel with the introduction of the "BlueStar" which is expected be released in 2012 at around $30,000. If you're interested in this baby, start fattening the piggy bank on your bed table.

For more information on the 2008 electric Tesla Roadster, kindly click here. The photo gallery will knock your socks off. Good Day!

An engineer with Google.org's RechargeIT green car program, Rolf Schreiber, told us Google is interested in Aptera because its vehicles go "to the extreme of high-efficiency," and are overall "cool," and "modern." Schreiber headed up Google.org's recent plug-in vehicle driving test that found the company's plug-in Prius' achieved over 93 MPG.

The Carlsbad, Calif.-based startup will use the funds to start manufacturing the Typ-1s in nearby Vista, Calif. In March Aptera indicated it was close to production, and sent out a to-do list to supporters, saying the company planned to hire new employees, move to a bigger facility, crash test more test vehicles and fine-tune the production process. Though, "secure funding" must have been the biggest production milestone not named back then.

Aptera says it expects the first round of electric vehicles to start rolling off the line by the end of the year, with production ramping up through 2009. At the end of 2009, the company plans to start production of its hybrid model; down the road will work on more mainstream vehicles, Aptera CEO Steve Fambro told us in an interview in December.

Aptera already has a sizable following -- the startups says it already has over 3,300 orders from California customers for what it claims will be the world's most efficient passenger vehicle. The all-electric version will get 120 miles to the charge while the hybrid is estimated to get 300 mpg.

Aptera share Google's $2.75 million investment with lithium-ion battery startup ActaCell. ActaCell announced Google's investment as part of a $5.8 million involving DFJ, Applied Ventures and Good Energies as well.

From Ecotality Life:

Green automaker Aptera Motors is benefitting from Google’s green investment division with the recent gift of $2.75 million. The move comes from the search engine giant’s RechargeIT, a philanthropic investment and research program aimed to expedite the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles.

Aptera is planning on launching their all-electric $30,000 vehicle this coming October. Initial tests show the Jetsons-style aerodynamics giving drivers an amazing 230MPG. You can check out a guided tour of the vehicle in a video here.

In addition to the automaker, Google also gave $2.75 million to ActaCell, a battery company that hopes to help make electric cars both cheap and safe. Their main focus right now is on lithium-ion technology — as well as improving the life cycle of the batteries and the cost. The company hopes to commercialize their tech sometime in 2010.

While Google.org has had its plug-in vehicle research program for over a year now, moving to investing in startups is significant. Like Google has done for Internet and wireless, and has started to do for renewable energy, the step positions the search company’s RechargeIT program as an EV incubator and venture capital arm for the next-generation of cleaner transportation. As Craig put it after attending Google's plug-in conference in June, the search giant has now added transportation to the list of industries it will attempt to revolutionize.

Aptera is a Carlsbad, Calif.-based startup that has been building a three-wheeled electric vehicle called the Typ-1, which will have an electric and range-extended versions. In March Aptera said after two years of research and development, it was ready to move into production of the electric three-wheeler that it says has recorded 231 miles per gallon. The company is hoping to bring its first vehicle to market by the fourth quarter of this year.

In December Aptera CEO Steve Fambro told us he started working on the car’s teardrop streamlined design some five years ago in his garage. And he said he sees the problem with the world's transportation as the fact that “cars are not designed to be aerodynamic, they are designed largely as furniture.”

The company previously raised funds from Bill Gross’ Idealab and Esenjay Investments, and Fambro told us in December that it was in the process of raising its Series C round. Fambro predicts that the company's capital costs can be pretty low to build three-wheelers and told us “To do something like this you need under $20 million dollars."

But don't count it out as a niche three-wheeler just yet. The company is planning to sell the cars for under $30,000 and Aptera is also working on its next generation of more mainstream electric vehicles that the company hopes to offer down the road. Fambro says the company expects to be profitable once it has sold 2,000 vehicles, forecast to take place in the second years of sales.

Google.org also invested in lithium ion startup ActaCell through its RechargeIT program (which we wrote about here.) Google.org contributed to ActaCell's Series A round, which also included DFJ Mercury, Applied Ventures and Good Energies, and totaled $5.8 million.

How much does it actually cost to put gas in the guzzler and drive it? I figure at 17mpg with today's price of gas it costs $0.23 per mile in fuel. In my world that's about $2,530 per year (11,000 miles). Lets figure the cost of putting gas in the hybrid at $0.07 per mile x 11,000 miles = $836. Now lets figure the cost of borrowing $21,000 to buy it with a 5 year loan at 5.25%. That makes the total cost of the hybrid purchase $23,922. That's $4,784 per year just in payments on the new car. So the first five years it costs you $5,620 per year!!!! So after 5 years of driving the hybrid you are $15,450 poorer! At that rate it would take 14 years to break even on the new hybrid. (This does not take into account if the gas guzzler could be sold or traded to recoup some of that money.)

What's the moral(s) of the story?

• It almost always a better deal to keep your paid off car rather than buy a new one. Drive your car until it absolutely will go no further all the while paying yourself in a savings account. Saving money minimizes the amount of interest you will have to pay on your next car loan. (Or it will help repair the old car.)
• Consider buying an inexpensive used car that is fuel efficient. This will payoff much faster than a new hybrid even though the fuel efficiency isn't as good.
• When asking for advice about major purchases, ask people who have a proven track record of smart financial decisions.
• Don't rush into any kind of new payment. Ever. Under any circumstances. Think about it overnight at the very least.

There are situations where it is beneficial to swap a car. Here's a little spreadsheet I put together to help you calculate if it's a good financial decision for you. Download the Fuel-Financial_Efficiency_Calculator.xls Just for fun, check out this hybrid in the works from a California based company, Aptera.

YAY CALIFORNIA! WHOHHOOO!

and most definetly YAY for Carlos-->

http://www.aptera.com/
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=3d8el1QMceI

The Aptera Typ-1 has met an overwhelming response in the press.
Check out some of the latest here:

* Aptera Makes a Cameo
Aptera featured in Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Commercial
"Change Rolls into Town"

* Wired
1 Gallon of Gas, 100 Miles - $10 Million
The Race to Build the Supergreen Car

* USA Today
3-wheeled Aptera aspires to car-pool lane

* Popular Mechanics (video)
Aptera's Super-MPG Electric Typ-1 e: Exclusive Video Test Drive

* Treehugger
Unveiled: Aptera Typ-1 100% Electric and Series Hybrid Vehicles

Also it looks super futuristic, which I would have thought was a bad marketing idea, but I guess they disagree

aptera...

i've been on a mean streak lately if you haven't noticed.

first, i laid pretty hard into the webcomic "ctrl-alt-del" for getting all serious when it's been being played for laughs for years prior. in fact, i was pretty tough on webcomics in general because, let's face it, most of them suck & there's a reason why they can't graduate to the funny pages.

then, i laid equally hard into ghost hunters because, let's face it, ghosts aren't real. they ain't. wow, you've got an electrical do-dad thingy that detects... something electric. good for you. how do you chase ghosts when you can't even prove that they're real? i dunno. why these people can't do something even marginally productive is beyond me. maybe it's a cry for help. i dunno.

so, after pissing off more people in a week (people, who, by the way, couldn't follow a simple instruction to vent their lame responses in the comment section) then i have since this blog started, i've taken the hint.

you guys want fluff.

lots & lots of happy fcuking fluff.

here comes the fluff.

see, i'm a small-car type of guy. i'm no johnny-come-lately - i've liked small cars from day one. the smaller, the better because, let's face it - most of us just drive ourselves to work & back. do i really need those 3 extra seats in the car? most often, no.

unfortunately, america sucks & up until recently, "small car" usually meant "car the size of rhode island with a v32." yeah, detroit tried to make a small car but that was like bull riders trying to launch the space shuttle... blindfolded. didn't work out too well.

so, i'm actually comforted that we have $4 dollar gas because that finally means that small cars are sexy.

one small car i'm really looking forward to is called the "aptera," which looks like it came out of a cheesy early 1970's sci-fi tv show trying to depict what we'd be driving in the spanking futuristic year of 2000. that's not a bad thing - i love that kind of crass futurism if only because the only "hip" futurism today is the bleak & desolate future which everyone thinks we'll be living in a world occupied only by shades of brown & black. bleh.

i need to be happy, dammit! bringing back the shiny, happy new future always brings a smile to my face! i'm tired of the "the future will be dark, crowded, violent, smelly & horrible" that's oh-so-chic with the kiddies these days. you want to be fcuking depressed your entire life... fine! i want the happy, silly, clean, fun, bright future where everything looks like the inside of a spaceship.

whoever designed the aptera deserved a gold star on their forehead. the thing looks neat, it sounds like it will be priced reasonably so that even i can afford it & it gets the kind of gas mileage we should've gotten from detroit but never did because they were too busy building the "hummer 9000 - it can get up to 4 mpg if it rolls down the side of a cliff!"

so, as soon as they start selling the aptera in someplace that is not california, i will be interested in purchasing one. yes, it will be ultra dorky to drive around in something that looks like it should be landing in the middle of a cornfield but i don't care!

thank you, aptera-building people, for building the aptera.

the whizzball report...

start = 290. end = 289. net gain = +1.

Steve Fambro, a former engineer working at a biotech company, has created the Aptera, a futuristic looking car powered that runs on electricity and has just three wheels. There are no mirrors, but instead rear and side cameras to reduce wind drag and there's a solar panel on the roof to provide a bit of extra power.

The car is being developed in San Diego and will be available only in California for the price of $30k. They currently have one prototype and are working on a Aptera has one working prototype of its electric car. A hybrid gas-electric version is being built.

Hopefully it will be done soon because gas prices keep soaring.  This car could help a lot, though it does look like its going to be kind of a bitch for fat people to fit in.

Aptera

One look at the Aptera, and you’d swear that it could fly. Coming off as a cross between a single engine Cessna and something George Jetson could be seen flying around in, this spectacular new breed of plug-in electronic hybrid vehicle sets our design obsessed, eco-friendly hearts aflutter. While this sweet ride may not be able to take to the friendly skies, it will save you a boatload of valuable gas money, getting over 230 miles per gallon. Not only does this awesome automobile set entirely new standards for environmental safety, but it does the same for passenger safety, employing a safety cage similar to that of a formula one racecar. It also contains an “eyes forward” vision system that gives the driver 180 degrees of rear sight. It may not be exactly ready to hit the road just yet, but for those living in California, you can reserve yours today. So if you inhabit the Golden State, want to be ahead of the environmental curve, and at the same time convince your neighbor that he or she overslept by about a hundred years, perhaps you should invest in an Aptera.

via joshspear

The production model of the Aptera is said to have a top speed of 85 mph.  The vehicle has a very aerodynamic shape and looks to have a low drag coefficient.  There is an all electric model and a plugin hybrid gas-electric model.  The hybrid is said to get 130 mpg in long-range highway travel.

The Aptera is supposed to have a reasonable price.  The numbers on the website are between $26,000 and $30,000.  The vehicle will only be for sale in California when production starts in late 2008.

Aptera is working on crash-testing this vehicle.  It is supposed to be more safe than cars, in that it has improved strength and rollover ratings.  The vehicle is totally enclosed and can carry two people, a child seat between them, and several articles of cargo in the hatch.

Looking at this vehicle, it seems to be of an efficient design.  The range on electric power is limited to a little over 100 miles.  I'm not entirely convinced that three-wheeled designs are optimum for a motor vehicle.  It seems to be a common dodge for alternative vehicles to get around the stricter laws and standards for automobiles.  Technically, a three-wheeled vehicle is considered to be a motorcycle, so the rules affecting it are different from the rules for cars.

It would be nice to see a car manufacturer pay this much attention to aerodynamics and efficiency.  It seems the auto manufacturers have been in league with the oil companies to sell more gasoline.  Perhaps if more emphasis were placed on efficiency and conservation of resources, as well as on alternative power sources for vehicles, energy would not be as expensive as it is these days.

This small, lightweight (just 2.6oz) cap fits on any ‘standard’ water bottle (2” wide mouth) such as Nalgene®, Camelbak®, GSI® and most others, turning your bottle into a solar-powered lantern. With clean, green solar energy powering your lantern there are no more burned out batteries to worry about or replace (adding to our already toxic landfills).

I love it! You can put colored water in them as well....super fresh!

Next we have Wola Nani Papier Mache Bowls, which are made by women living with HIV/AIDS. In Xhosa, Wola Nani means " we embrace and develop each other." These eye-catching bowls are made of papier mache using over-prints from canning factories in Cape Town. You can use them to put your keys in, mail, etc and it supports a great cause. You will also have a story to tell people when they comment to you how beautiful and interesting it is. It is not meant for food storage or eating purposes, so don't eat out of it.

Last but not least is the Aptera a high-efficiency vehicle currently in development by Aptera Motors, Inc. They claim fuel efficiency of 230 mpg at 55 mph, which would make it one of the most fuel-efficient cars in the world.  Because the Type-1 has only three wheels two in front and a single drive wheel in the rear, most states in the United States would classify the vehicle as a motorcycle.  Design elements such as recessed windshield wipers and rear-view cameras instead of mirrors contribute to the low aerodynamic drag. According to the pre-order page, Aptera Motors has set the price at $26,900 for a an electric version with a 120-mile range, and $29,900 for the diesel-electrical series hybrid. If you want to learn more check out their site.

Charge it!

-Cara

Volkswagen has announced a new two-seater vehicle that may be available as early as 2010 called the Aptera.

The Aptera will get around 235MPG from its 1-Liter engine. Sure, it's not going to be fast (max speed will be about 75MPH) but it will get you from place to place efficiently.

The seats won't be arranged like your typical two-seater--one will be in font of the other, like a tandem garage in San Francisco.

The car will be produced in "limited numbers" but you can pre-order it now if you're interested--the price should be less than $30k.

[Via Engadget]

Aptera, which is Greek for "wingless" is a three-wheel two-seater that boasts to be one of the most fuel efficient cars on the road. Although technically not classified as a car (they're calling it a motorcycle) the Aptera is in development and the company is taking pre-orders from California residents. It goes from 0-60 in less than 10 seconds and the price tag is as light as the model, they only want $26,900 for the all-electric and $29, 900 for the plug-in hydrid bad boy. This is truly a spaceship on wheels!

"We plan to win. We welcome the competition, but I expect in ten years were going to be leading the parade."

As if General Motors didn't have enough to worry about with its $3.3 billion first-quarter loss and a two-month strike at a parts maker that has cost it $800 million. It's also got a variety of young electric-vehicle startups that have announced plans to start selling vehicles before GM even gets its electric car the Volt to market.

GM plans to start producing the Volt by 2010, but Think recently said it will sell an electric vehicle in North America by 2009 for under $25,000 or "cheaper than the Prius." Silicon Valley's Tesla has already started selling its $100,000 sports car, the Roadster. And Aptera has already started producing its three-wheeled vehicle.

But Wagoner contends that the investment and scale involved in getting an electric car to mass production -- and meeting both consumer expectations and regulatory requirements -- will prove too challenging for many startups attempting to enter the EV arena. He pointed out that many of these startups are aiming to produce hundreds or, at best, a few thousands of cars -- hardly the volumes Detroit is used to producing. He does make a good point.

And even though Wagoner says GM will come out on top, he still says the company is "wide open" to working with startups. A partnership with a young EV maker that has started to build momentum could actually help GM with some of its bigger competitors in the traditional car industry that are working to go green, too.

-Presidential Candidates Environmental Programs

• Grist Compares Candidates
• Obama Site
• McCain Site

• Solar Chimney
• SolarMission
• EnviroMission

• Aptera Vehicle Company

• Calculate your LILO score

• Chris Townsend

Oftast kommer frågan om hur man värmer och kyler kupén i en elbil och det har man läst med en värmeväxlare i Apterans fall, som alltså både är AC och kupévärmare.

Instrumentbrädan är häftig pch består tre tv-skärmar som är från kameror runt bilen så att man skall få bra uppsikt runt fordonet. i den mittersta tv-rutan så ser man hastighet, laddning och annan viktigt driftsinformation.

Något som är läckert är solcellen på taket. Den är inte till för som flera tror att ladda batterierna, utan för att skapa en luftkonditionering medans bilen står på plats i solen, samt blåsa ut luften bakom bilen vilket förbättrar luftmotståndet och minskar turbulensen ytterligare.

Bilen skall kunna gå fortare än 130 km/h och 0-100 på under tio sekunder. Plygin-hybriden skall klara 300 miles/gallon, vilket är lika med 0,08 l/mil. Och det är när man börjar använda bensinmotorn vilket sker efter kanske 8-10 mil. Den elektriska varianten skall klara ca 19 mil på en laddning.

Bilen kommer inte att vara Tesla-dyr men det är bara ett problem. P.g.a. vikt och dess trehjulighet så klassas den idag som en motorcykel... så det får nog bli dags att ta det där kortet någon gång.

Se följande video från Popular mechanics om en provkörning med kärran.