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Jay Leno on the Aptera 2e: "Finally, a Cool-Looking Electric Car"

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  • 2010 Aptera 2e First Drive Video

    The Aptera 2e Feature Video shows a car that looks like a road-going airplane without wings, but it's really a light-weight electric car with three wheels. | October 13, 2009

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Jay Leno on the Aptera 2e: "Finally, a Cool-Looking Electric Car"

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    LOS ANGELES — Jay Leno isn't easily impressed, but in a recent episode of Jay Leno's Garage the comedian, talk-show host and car aficionado had nothing but great things to say about the Aptera 2e battery-electric vehicle.

    In an on-camera interview with Aptera President and CEO Greg Wilbur, Leno said the "problem with most electrics is that they look dorky. You know, they just have that kinda Volkswagen that's been gutted and put an electric motor in.

    "This is a car that from the ground up was designed to be an electric car and was designed to be as aerodynamic as a car can possibly be. This is an exciting-looking vehicle. It looks like it's going 200 miles an hour just sitting still."

    Leno invites Wilbur to discuss the vehicle's aerodynamics and light weight (a mere 1,700 pounds) and, as he often does when sizing up a modern battery-electric vehicle, he compares it to his century-old Baker Electric. Wilbur does a nice job of presenting the 2e's talking points.

    One of the first things Leno notes is that the front-wheel-drive Aptera has only three wheels and is viewed by Uncle Sam as a motorcycle, yet the government doesn't require its driver to wear a helmet (or obtain a motorcycle license).

    "What you're actually driving here is a helmet. You're actually sitting in a helmet. The whole thing is a helmet, in other words," Leno remarks, displaying some of the uncommon perspective that has served him well as a comedian.

    Inside Line says: Leno's 10-minute Aptera video segment offers the man's firsthand perspective on the electric car, along with a full complement of the usual wise-cracks. — Scott Doggett, Correspondent

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