Tag Archives: Pininfarina

Aptera: Is It Getting Closer to Production?

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It is showing at CES in Las Vegas a production-intent model with aero validation performed in Italy. Huh?

By Gary S. Vasilash

Aptera is a vehicle company that seems to have been around a lot longer than it actually has, probably because the vehicle that it has been promoting is pretty much unlike anything else out there: a three-wheeled, two-person vehicle that has a shape more akin to a teardrop than what is ordinarily thought of during this age of Large Rectangular Vehicles That Can Accommodate More People Than They Typically Ever Do.

It was founded in 2019.

The Aptera model is an electric vehicle that gets supplemental power via built-in solar charging. It is said to be able to provide 40 miles of range on a daily basis through the solar panels alone.

(Image: Pininfarina)

In association with the vehicle being at CES 2025, Pininfarina has announced that the vehicle underwent aerodynamic validation at the design house’s wind tunnel in Turin, Italy.

(According to Aptera the vehicle has a low coefficient of drag of 0.13, compared with the 0.23 figure for a Tesla Model 3.)

Said Chris Anthony, Co-CEO of Aptera Motors of the model at CES: “Our production-intent vehicle is not only a testament to years of innovation and engineering but also a tangible solution to reducing carbon emissions and redefining how we think about energy-efficient mobility. We’re excited to show the world that Aptera is ready to hit the road and deliver a cleaner, more sustainable future.” 

The company says it has $1.7-billion in pre-orders.

It had previously announced that it would go into production in 2024, which obviously hasn’t happened.

One curious thing: Why did the company, based in Carlsbad, California, determine it was necessary to go some 6,000 miles to do wind tunnel testing?

After all, there are some that are closer, like the A2 Wind Tunnel in Mooresville, North Carolina, which is used by motorsports teams and offers general pricing of $595 per hour.

Yes, I understand that there is a difference between Turin and Mooresville, but were I one of the claimed nearly 50,000 people waiting for my car, closer would be quicker and consequently better.

Maybe the Scooter Version of the 500e Will Do Better

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Another stylish moped rolls out in Europe. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

One of the things that European companies are superlative at is developing mopeds. Presumably this is because whether it is London, Paris or Rome, there tends to be considerable congestion so zipping through the gridlock on a scooter is ideal.

A new scooter was announced this week, the E-Moped 500, which is built by Platum, a company that focuses on micromobility solutions, and was designed by Pininfarina with the cooperation of Centro Stile FIAT.

The Fiat 500e is cute, but the E-Moped 500 is cool. (Image: Pininfarina)

The scooter has a range of 115 km (71 miles) and a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph).

One of the features of the E-Moped 500 is a large front wheel that is described as being “a good ally against potholes and cobblestones.”

Certainly the former is familiar in U.S. cities, but cobblestones not so much.

The E-Moped 500 is influenced by the styling of the Fiat 500e electric vehicle.

Presumably Platum is hoping that the scooter does better than the car is doing: the Mirafiori plant in Turin where the car is built has been idled for several weeks given lack of demand for the 500e.

Pininfarina’s Digital Approach to Documentation

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By Gary S. Vasilash

OEMs today are hoping like they’ve never hoped before that with all of the money that they’re not making on electric vehicles (yes, yes, there are the exceptions like Tesla and BYD) that they’ll be able to more than make up it for by selling services, digital services, not mechanical ones.

The plan is that people will forego Google Pay or Apple Pay and use the interface in the vehicle.

While this may not be as great a leap as thinking that people will forego Waze or iTunes, it is still a bit of a stretch.

Legendary design consultancy Pininfarina has decided to increase its potential revenues through the creation of “Pininfarina Classiche.”

This is something for those who have a classic car and are interested in obtaining as much provenance as they can.

The Pininfarina archive has been digitized and the company has been working with the Historical Studies department at the University of Turin.

The archive includes production and serial numbers for >700,000 cars that is supplemented by >20,000 related documents, sketches, photos, and related items.

Most of the information is related to vehicles produced between the 1950s and 1990s.

For now, those who own a:

  • Alfa Romeo Spider (Duetto) from 1966 to 1993
  • Fiat 124 Spider from 1966 to 1982
  • Pininfarina Spider Europa and Volumex from 1982 to 1985

can get in touch with Pininfarina Classiche about their specific vehicle.

As for what Pininfarina will get, the fees are:

  • €400.00 VAT included for cars produced before 1980
  • €300.00 VAT included for those from 1980 onwards

Although this will not be a continuing stream of revenue as the OEMs with the digital dreams expect, odds are that collectors are going to be far more willing and interesting to get the documentation from the company.