Aptera heading to the PRC with electric sedan

Now the electric car market seems to be really hotting up with contenders both internally and externally putting China ahead as one of the more important markets for the electric car:

SHANGHAI — U.S. electric vehicle maker Aptera Motors is now in China looking for production partners, in order to significantly reduce costs and speed up volume production for markets in North America and China.

In 2011, Aptera Motors of San Diego, California, will launch the Aptera 2e; a two-door, three-wheel vehicle. “We would build vehicles here and send them back to the U.S.,” says Paul Wilbur, president and CEO of Aptera Motors.

For China, however, the company plans to sell different version of the same version. “For China we’re really interested four doors as this would be a more mainstream vehicle,” said Aptera President & CEO Paul Wilbur, in an interview with Automotive News China in Shanghai.

“Our plan is to bring a four-door model out two years after we launch the two-door model,” said Wilbur. “If we can find production partners we will have a much more rapid growth strategy for China and the rest of the world,” he said.

“I think it would be pretty easy to start production in China as most of our suppliers are here,” Wilbur added.

Wilbur revealed his company is in talks with three local automakers interested in partnering with Aptera, although he declined to name them.

The 2e is powered by BorgWarner’s new eGear Drive 31.03 transmission system. It uses a lithium iron phosphate battery made by A123 Systems.

Unusually, the model weighs 818 kilograms and has no metal in the body. Built by a new American supplier, Energetx, the body is made using a foam filled with resin which when hardens is stronger than steel.

“Making the body lighter makes the battery smaller as well as the brakes and wheels, so the total weight is about half the weight of the Nissan Leaf,” said Wilbur.

Aptera’s battery charger is made by Delphi Automotive together with Delta-Q Technologies Corp. The German supplier Continental Automotive makes the brakes, while seats are made by Lear and the model’s safety system by TRW Automotive. The vehicle’s electric motor is made by Remi and its diagnostics by German supplier TT Tec.

The vehicle has four air bags — a driver airbag, passenger airbag and two side airbags made by TRW Automotive. It has a top speed of around 145 km per hour.

The vehicle takes 8 to 10 hours to recharge on a 110 volt outlet or 2-3 hours on 220 volt outlet. It has built in regenerative braking ability to recharge 30 percent of the battery.

“All crash tests have been passed and this vehicle can drive on freeways today,” said Wilbur, adding; “In the U.S. market this vehicle is considered a motorcycle due to its three wheels.”

In the U.S., the two-door 2e will be priced between $25,000 and $45,000. In China, Aptera expects to sell the four-door version for around $20,000 or 136,500 yuan.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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