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1、TEXTONEApteraiscertainlynotthesortofnameanold-schoolcarmakerwouldgivetoitsnewestcreation.Biologistswillrecogniseitasthetermforscuttlingwinglessinsects—silverfishandsuchlike.ButSteveFambro,thebossoftheeponymousCaliforniancompanythatplanstomakeandsellelectric
2、vehiclesunderthisname,hopestheywillsoonbeswarmingoverthestate'shighways.UnlikeTesla,anotherboutiqueelectric-vehiclemakerfromtheGoldenState,Apteraisaimingforthebottomendofthemarket.ATeslasportscarwillsetyouback$98,000(oritwouldifyoucouldgetyourhandsonone:Tes
3、lahasdelayedshipmentofitsfirst50carsuntilnextyear).AnAptera,bycontrast,startsat$26,900,andshouldbeavailablethistimenextyear.AndinsteadofaFerrariknock-off,yougetaspace-agetricycle.ButApteraandTeslahavethingsincommon.Theyarebothsmall.Theywerebothstartedbypeop
4、lewithnoexperienceinthemotorindustry.Andtheyarebothaimingtostartbyropingintheeco-fashionistasofCalifornia,andthenworkoutwardstothemainstream.ThenameApterawaschosenbecausethevehicleresemblesasmall,winglessaircraft.Itsthree-wheeldesignexemptsitfromonerousfede
5、raltestingregulations.Theoutershellismadeofacarbon-fibrecomposite,ratherthanmetal.Thelinesarewind-tunnelaerodynamic.Andprotuberancesarekepttoaminimum.Wingmirrors,forexample,arereplacedbyarear-facingcamerawitha180°fieldofviewandtheexhaustvalvesarerecessedtom
6、inimiseturbulence.Inthepureplug-inversion,thosevalvesareforwasteheatfromtheelectronics.Thereisalsoapetrol-electrichybrid,withasingle-cylindergeneratorthatextendstherangefrom200kmto1,130km.Topspeedis150kph.OnereasonfortheemergenceoffirmssuchasApteraisthatdes
7、igninganewvehiclehasbecomeasmuchanexerciseinsoftwaresimulationasinmetal(orevencarbon-fibre)bashing.Thatenablesthefirm'sengineerstodoextensivedevelopmentwork—eventhingslikecrash-testing—onacomputer.Thisismuchcheaperthanbuildingendlessprototypesanddrivinglots
8、ofthemintowalls.Anotherreasonisthewidespreadavailabilityofpreviouslyspecialisedcomponentssuchaslithium-ionbatteries.ThatmeansthatanupstartsuchasApteracanfocusontheelectronicbrainsofthevehicleanditsfina
