this post was submitted on 29 Mar 2025
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That law is lawfare from the traditional car industry and has to be changed.
Trikes are only good for saving pennies at the cost of driveability and usability - they should not be incentivised by law. Four-wheelers are more stable and should be under the same law as trikes.
Aptera is stupidly shooting itself in the foot with an awkward three-wheeler instead of making a good, light, safe, illegal car and attacking the harmful law with it. A quad could have a cargo space or back seat between the two rear wheels.
Riversimple Rasa
Renault Twizy
HP Velotechnik Scorpion
Trikes are less stable than 4-wheelers, slow and teetery around curves, unless very low centre of gravity.
Trikes can't have a cargo space or back seat between the one rear wheel.
https://www.quora.com/When-a-3-wheeled-car-is-being-designed-how-will-it-be-calculated-if-the-car-will-topple-How-will-the-maximum-turning-speed-and-radius-for-safe-turning-be-found-out/answer/Harri-K-Hiltunen
Sabotage through lawfare is being done to velomobiles / pedal cars:
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-you-think-the-Sinclair-C5-one-person-battery-electric-velomobile-failed-to-take-off-during-the-1980s/answer/Harri-K-Hiltunen
https://xfwnofqagsnmdxuf.quora.com/Lawfare-against-tiny-cars-velomobiles
You're not wrong that the law should change, but there is one thing here. Generally, when we say that 3-wheelers are unstable, we're talking about one in front/two in back. The opposite configuration, which is what Aptera is using, is generally pretty stable. That one picture of a guy on a recumbent trike is unusual. You almost have to try to do that on purpose.
I've owned several recumbent trikes like that one, all of which lifted the inner wheel in sporty driving below my preferred speed.
At which sideways acceleration will Aptera roll over? A heavy battery between the front wheels will help somewhat.
Can-Am Spyders don't roll over easily. You have to put them into reverse while cranking the wheel and pulling the e-brake.
Sounds like a pretty good idea though to have airbags and crumblezones in something that supposedly can drive 162 km/h (101 mph), and accelerate from 0-60 mph in 6 seconds. You couldn't pay me to drive something as unsafe as this thing.
Stupid or just not into taking risks?
Is much heavier
Then register it to the next vehicle class, semi-light or whatever. Have the lawmakers fit the laws to the optimal vehicle designs with 2025 technology. How old is the law with the weight limits? Time to update and fit law to existing reality? Isn't it tradition to let the industry write the laws that apply to itself? Aptera is industry.
If the weight limit were to be adhered to, then the four-wheeler's structure would have to be redesigned around lighter engineering.