Take a look at the Aptera .... not exactly a direct competitor to Bolt, but at $25K with 250 mile range, fascinating

Inteliquest said:

it will probably be outlawed for the freeway, due to changing lanes without signaling.

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It has to meet all federal light requirements. Even motorcycles have signals. I had a motorbike back in the '70s that had turn signals. This will have them.

It might have the range to be a road tripper, but I'm uncertain I'd want to travel long distances in it. Snow wouldn't be an issue here around Seattle, but if I retire to the east side of the mountains, it might become one. I could be wrong, but it just doesn't look like a long haul comfortable place to be when traveling. And not much space for luggage.

Lightning McQ said:

Will the all-wheel drive have greater clearance?

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I don't think so. They are just adding an in-wheel motor to the rear tire.

RacerX00 said:

Didn't you have a Smart?

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No way. I'd never get one of those. I've never owned anything smaller than a 1980 Rabbit.

RacerX00 said:

Hah, I just assume all you mods and admins have owned either a TDI or a Smart and I'm usually right. PS, I want your 1980 Rabbit.

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The Rabbit was a diesel, but the engine was the IDI, not TDI. I did have a couple of TDIs as well later on. Smart, never had any interest in that car. Even as a commuter, it's just too small for me. Not that I need a larger car, but wants override needs almost every time.

RacerX00 said:

I don't know what part of 0-60 in 13.5 seconds, 2 seconds in between shifts and a suspension off the Flintstone's car you don't find appealing.

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I wish it could have accelerated that fast. Mine had factory A/C and 150,000 miles (although I bought it as a basket case disassembled and had to replace the short block). If it hit 60 in under 20 seconds, I would be surprised. But I enjoyed it none the less. I commuted from Edmonds to Auburn every day (46 miles each way through the heart of Seattle) until I was a fully certified controller, then I moved to Auburn.

I think the Aptera would be an outstanding commuter for me, but I'll likely be retired before they begin production, so I'll stick with the Bolt until the lease is up. Although if GM wants to make me a really good offer on a Cadillac EV I'd consider swapping up. And maybe a couple if years into the lease I can get a reasonable trade offer, like I did with my Niro PHEV. There's going to be lots to choose from in another year, assuming they can actually build enough to stock the dealers again.

Mike DZ said:

25 cubic feet of space - two people can lay side by side in the back (friendly people) The limitation to look at is weight capacity - 500 lbs max total or 300 in cargo with driver. But its enough for me.

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But it's not hidden from view. It's right there under that large rear window.

USA-RET said:

My only concern is the 88 inch width. Huge compared 72-75 inch widths I am accustom to.

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That is huge. 96" (8 feet) is the legal maximum width for most states. When I drove Metro transit buses, they are 8 1/2" wide, but they have some sort of exemption. Let me tell you, those are tough to keep within the lane lines, especially with line sizes shrinking (or so it seems).

redpoint5 said:

Just looking at a video of the Aptera slowly driving from the company's website it looks like it shakes to pieces, likely due to all that unsprung weight.

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Jay Leno did a segment on this car, and I noticed the same thing in that the fenders really had a lot of movement. I would be concerned about metal fatigue in those vibrating supports.

Mike DZ said:

Um, no. 8' 6" is max (102") - and standard lane width is 10 ft while interstate lanes are 12 ft

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Perhaps the law has changed since I drove bus, or perhaps it’s still the law in my state. I honestly don’t know.

redpoint5 said:

The ride quality is going to be so poor that nobody is going to travel 1000 miles except for a stunt to prove it can be done. There's absolutely no point in offering that kind of range.

Even with a 500 mile range, the car would be able to charge so quickly that stopping 2 more times for like 10 minutes to add 200 miles of range would be trivial.

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500 miles is likely the absolute limit anyone would drive in a day, expect for a few diehard road warriors. When I was looking at a cross country trip to take a job detail a number of years ago, 5-600 miles was the most I was planning for. Government rules only require around 350 miles a day to be considered a full day's travel. A 500 mile car would likely be 400 miles under worst case weather/road conditions. Everyone is going to have to stop every so often for a bathroom break, and likely a food stop as well. Even travelling alone I was figuring on stopping every 2-3 hours, even if only for a quick stop. The car I was planning to take at the time had about a 500 mile range at freeway speeds (Niro PHEV).

redpoint5 said:

I've done 1,000+ days maybe a dozen times in my life, with perhaps the longest around 1,200.

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And you're the road warrior exemption I referred to...

16 hours are driving is far more tiring than simply being awake for 16 hours. I wouldn't want to drive that long.

Back in the '70s (my early '20s) three of us drove non-stop to the SF bay area from Seattle. However, I ended up doing the majority of the driving. I could do that then, but no way now. When I was planning my potential drive to DC, I was planning between 10-12 hours a day. But that was 6 years ago, and even now I don't think I could do that much in a day. Old guy needs his rest.

My first car back in 1970 was a '63 Impala SS. Chrome wheels, and tuck and roll on the rear window deck. Other than that, I think it was stock. 327, 4 speed, no power windows, seat, steering or brakes. That car would be worth a bundle today.