I hadn’t heard of them, but looking it up it seems like tech startup garbage. You don’t need to re-invent the car. It looks like they made a silly design just to stand out. It also sacrafices a lot for that design. It’s a two seater with very little storage room and probably not great for taller people like me. It also seems to have very little space for crumple-zones, so I’m curious as to how safe it is in an accident.
You might want to take a look at Aptera. If we’re lucky they’ll sell their first cars in 1-5 years
Cethin@lemmy.zip 8 months ago
LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 8 months ago
Why do you think Aptera will be better on this issue? I was very disappointed by the decision not to paint their vehicles. It’s hard to see how that won’t lead to a substandard product.
magiccupcake@lemmy.world 8 months ago
It looks very modular, with company claiming a right to repair philosophy.
The painting seems to be aiming for a lower emissions vehicle, cheaper costs. Given that the body is not metal replacing panels should be easier if they get damaged.
Not to mention battery size doesn’t need to be as large, so replacing it should be viable.
I’m hopeful but still got see how everything shakes out.
LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 8 months ago
Cheaper costs for sure. Not sure about the rest. I understand the environmental costs associated with paint but it’s an important part of weather proofing in the current production model. Vinyl wraps just aren’t going to perform as well or last as long, are shifting a big cost onto the consumer, and raise questions about the longevity of the product. This will also have large environmental cost due to shortened lifespan.
I’m glad they’ve mentioned right to repair but I’d like to see where that rhetoric is backed by action. Otherwise it’s just more capitalist spin.
magiccupcake@lemmy.world 8 months ago
I think I heard mentioned that they expect the wrap to last 5-10 years, which isn’t great, but not terrible.
I don’t think they have a choice with right to repair, as changing their stance would be detrimental to their following.
maynarkh@feddit.nl 8 months ago
Even if they turn out to be what they are, they will just get acquired at the end of their cycle of enshittification. If this shit is not regulated, the market weeds out consumer friendly options.