Aptera engines is back this week with its second exciting news update, announcing that it has selected an open source driver assistance system called “openpilot” as its official system to be integrated into its production model solar EVs.

Aptera Motors continues Make big strides in 2023 on its journey to reaching the holy grail of scaled EV production, hopefully sometime next year. Those of the startup recently expanded accelerator program should help him raise some big funds to buy the necessary equipment for SEV production reimbursed by a recent scholarship in California for $21 million.

We got our first impression Aptera’s Launch Edition last January, and the hype train for the first commercialized solar EV chugs on. If and when these Launch Editions roll off Aptera’s assembly line, we now know that drivers will be able to take advantage of features like adaptive cruise control and lane centering thanks to the Openpilot driver assistance system.

Aptera chooses best-in-class driver assistance system

Accordingly the news Aptera Motors engineers will today create and maintain the necessary code specific to their solar EV to interface with open-source Driver assistance system openpilot originally developed by comma.ai, although the companies currently have no affiliation.

Previously voted the #1 Driver Assistance System consumer reportsopenpilot is the only consumer system available (Except for Tesla) that can stop at stop signs and red lights while using only 1/10 the energy. As a result, Aptera says future owners should see virtually no loss of efficiency when using the driver-assistance system. Chris McCammon, a veteran member of the openpilot community, is leading the Aptera integration and shared his thoughts on how the open source system has evolved since 2017:

Since then, the software has matured enormously and now supports over 200 vehicle models with an easy-to-install kit. Although Openpilot has far outperformed almost every driver assistance system on the market today, major automakers have not jumped on it. They continue to throw hundreds of millions of dollars into developing their own low-end systems, while Openpilot is open-source software that anyone can implement for free.

Free.

That’s another smart business move from Aptera Motors as it aims to finally minimize spending…hopefully by bringing its long-promised SEVs to the masses. Aptera co-founder and co-CEO Steve Fambro is already a fan:

I’ve been using openpilot in my existing vehicle for over 6 months and I’m thrilled. It has completely changed the way I drive, and I can’t think of a more efficient way for Aptera drivers to be part of the autonomous future.

Aptera says it is currently deciphering exactly how Openpilot driver assistance can best be integrated into its vehicles and that several validation steps will be required before the solar EV goes into production. The current plan is to deliver openpilot-enabled SEVs to customers, who will then receive a delivery of the compatible hardware, which can then be installed in less than 30 minutes.

You can learn more about openpilot and how it will be integrated into McCammon’s future Aptera vehicles in the video the startup posted this afternoon.

Archer Aviation and United Airlines plan to do so begin the premier air taxi route in Chicago between O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Vertiport Chicago. Vertiport Chicago, North America’s largest vertical takeoff and landing facility for aircraft, is located in the Illinois Medical District near the Chicago Loop.

This location was choCentre County Reportn as the take-off and landing site for this route from the airport to the city center for its convenience, accessibility and Centre County Reportrvice. From there, pasCentre County Reportngers can travel to and from ORD on Archer’s Midnight Airplane in approximately 10 minutes. A similar trip by car can take more than an hour or more during rush hour.

United and Archer’s goal for its UAM network is to provide residents and visitors in the Chicago metro area with a safe, sustainable, low-noiCentre County Report, and affordable alternative to ground transportation by 2025. The early take-off routes will be centered on airport inner-city transportation Centre County Reportrvices, known as “trunk routes.” Once the main routes are established, the next step will be to build “branch routes” to connect to surrounding communities.

ComEd, the Midwest’s largest utility, will work with United and Archer to build the power infrastructure needed to operate eVTOL aircraft in and around the Chicago metro area.

The addition of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) to the EV market adds an additional layer of complexity to the already diverse and ever-evolving global compliance requirements/standards for Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI). For example, in addition to complying with EV charging standards, OEMs now need to ensure compliance with connection requirements and compatibility with local grids.

The free webinar Presented by Keysight at our spring virtual conference (April 17-20, 2023), the design and testing challenges involved and ways to solve them will be explored.

Reserve your spot – it’s free!

Additional sessions at our Spring Virtual Conference include:

Fulfillment of new requirements for high-voltage charging couplers for electric vehicles

EV charging infrastructure continues to experience rapid growth, with a significant portion being faster and more powerful DC chargers. With faster charging comes the requirement for higher duty cycles for all components within the charger. Designers and manufacturers evaluate and improve the robustness of all components, including controllers, electronic assemblies, cables and couplings. The coupler connector in particular will benefit from materials that can withstand high wear cycles in exposed environments over the operational life of the charger.

The webinarpresented by Umicore Galvanotechnik GmbH, will introduce and describe a new low-friction, highly wear-resistant silver composite material for coupling connectors.

Reserve your spot – it’s free!

The full session schedule for the Spring Virtual Conference on EV Engineering can be found here.

Conference content will be streamed live April 17-20, 2023 and will cover the EV technology supply chain and ecosystem, including design and manufacturing of motor and power electronics, cell development, battery systems, testing, powertrains, thermal management, circuit protection, wires and cables , EMI/EMC and more.