Late Night Hosts Love EVs, Part II: Jay Leno And The Aptera 2e

By Richard Read

Jay Leno and the Aptera 2e

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Not to be outdone by David Letterman's EV love-fest, Jay Leno has posted his review of the Aptera 2e to JayLenosGarage.com. Clearly, now is the time for all late night hosts to come to the aid of electric cars. Next up: Jon Stewart invites Sarah Vowell to help him take on the RORMaxx Formula AE. (We hope.)

In the clip, Leno and Aptera's low-key front man, Greg Wilbur, discuss the finer points of the 2e--notably, its look. Leno seems pretty well smitten on that front, saying that it's "an exciting looking automobile". Also exciting (at least for the folks at Aptera): someone with the star status and car cred of Jay Leno endorsing such an outside-the-box vehicle.

Of course, as funky looking as the 2e is, no review would be complete without putting it through its paces, and Leno does just that. Hurtling down the freeway, he praises its "George Jetson feel" and insists that it's fun to drive. The three-wheeled Aptera's only shortcoming? Dodging road hazards: "If you see a pothole in the road, you're gonna hit it with something."

There are two other great moments in the clip--the first being Leno's market analysis. He bemoans the high cost of EVs like the Tesla Roadster and says that "if they can bring [the Aptera 2e] in for under forty [thousand], I think it'll be, uh,...very, very exciting." It's the "uh" that kills us--as in, "it'll be, uh...very exciting...for the people who buy one, but I will not be in that number."

The second moment: when Leno half-jokingly encourages Aptera owners to save all the money they would've spent on gas and buy a private jet. Which would be possible, perhaps, but isn't part of the point of the 2e to cut down on air pollution--you know, like the air pollution caused by jet planes? Fifteen minutes in the air, and hell, you might as well buy a Hummer. (Assuming Hummer's still around, of course.)

[source: JayLenosGarage via Edmunds]