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1、TEXTONEApteraiscertainlynotthesortofnameanold-schoolcarmakerwouldgivetoitsnewestcreation.Biologistswillrecogniseitasthetermforscuttlingwinglessinsects—silverfishandsuchlike.ButSteveFambro,thebossoftheeponymousCaliforniancompanythatplanstomakeandsellelectricvehicle
2、sunderthisname,hopestheywillsoonbeswarmingoverthestate'shighways.UnlikeTesla,anotherboutiqueelectric-vehiclemakerfromtheGoldenState,Apteraisaimingforthebottomendofthemarket.ATeslasportscarwillsetyouback$98,000(oritwouldifyoucouldgetyourhandsonone:Teslahasdelayedsh
3、ipmentofitsfirst50carsuntilnextyear).AnAptera,bycontrast,startsat$26,900,andshouldbeavailablethistimenextyear.AndinsteadofaFerrariknock-off,yougetaspace-agetricycle.ButApteraandTeslahavethingsincommon.Theyarebothsmall.Theywerebothstartedbypeoplewithnoexperienceint
4、hemotorindustry.Andtheyarebothaimingtostartbyropingintheeco-fashionistasofCalifornia,andthenworkoutwardstothemainstream.ThenameApterawaschosenbecausethevehicleresemblesasmall,winglessaircraft.Itsthree-wheeldesignexemptsitfromonerousfederaltestingregulations.Theout
5、ershellismadeofacarbon-fibrecomposite,ratherthanmetal.Thelinesarewind-tunnelaerodynamic.Andprotuberancesarekepttoaminimum.Wingmirrors,forexample,arereplacedbyarear-facingcamerawitha180°fieldofviewandtheexhaustvalvesarerecessedtominimiseturbulence.Inthepureplug-inv
6、ersion,thosevalvesareforwasteheatfromtheelectronics.Thereisalsoapetrol-electrichybrid,withasingle-cylindergeneratorthatextendstherangefrom200kmto1,130km.Topspeedis150kph.OnereasonfortheemergenceoffirmssuchasApteraisthatdesigninganewvehiclehasbecomeasmuchanexercise
7、insoftwaresimulationasinmetal(orevencarbon-fibre)bashing.Thatenablesthefirm'sengineerstodoextensivedevelopmentwork—eventhingslikecrash-testing—onacomputer.Thisismuchcheaperthanbuildingendlessprototypesanddrivinglotsofthemintowalls.Anotherreasonisthewidespreadavail
8、abilityofpreviouslyspecialisedcomponentssuchaslithium-ionbatteries.ThatmeansthatanupstartsuchasApteracanfocusontheelectronicbrainsofthevehicleanditsfina
