Aptera

[doug]

Want an Aptera? You Can’t Reserve One (For Now)

Bueller??

 

[doug]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbXkCrpo8B8

 

[rabar10]

Aptera refunding all deposits for its ultra efficient three-wheeler

Futuristic electric car dream dead? Aptera to refund deposits

 

[mt2]

Aptera refunding all deposits for its ultra efficient three-wheeler

Futuristic electric car dream dead? Aptera to refund deposits

And then, immediately afterward, this - http://green.autoblog.com/2011/08/16/aptera-midwest-production/

 

[TEG]

"Narrowed it down to 4 states" doesn't inspire confidence that they are close to production...
Is that even a news worthy event?

 

[Ardie]

I gave up on Aptera some time back. The actual concept of the Aptera 2e is a great idea, even if it would satisfy only a niche demographic. Sadly, they have been unable to get beyond the first production-intent prototype. Did they dream too big? Did their dream lack any hint of harsh reality? Did the dream die with so many others back in 2008-2009? Frankly my dear, it doesn't matter. The Aptera 2e won't make it.

They had a plan to begin production in 2008, then early 2009, then late 2009, then 2010, then, well, you get the idea.
If Aptera announced that they have acquired a factory site *today*, it would still be a MINIMUM of 18 months before vehicles started rolling out of it.

Any competitive edge they enjoyed in being one of the first viable battery powered electric cars, er, vehicles available, is gone. Since the time that Aptera tossed their hat in the ring, BMW launched their pilot program of the Mini-E electric cars. GM announced the Volt, and delivered. Nissan announced the battery powered Leaf, and delivered. Ford is on track to indroduce the Focus Electric later this year ("late 2011"). Tesla is on track to introduce the Model S in Spring of 2012. Chrysler is claiming that there will be a Fiat 500 electric version in 2012. BMW has the electric i3 under development, and it will probably hit the streets in 2013.

Aptera has never had a competitive edge in their projected price, either. The price point for the Aptera 2e has always been a fuzzy $25,000.00 - 40000.00.
With the competition priced in that same region, its a hands-down, going away, sure thing that consumers will *run* to an established car maker {and at this point, I consider Tesla to be an established car maker} instead of buying a funky three-wheeler from somebody who has no dealer network, no product history, and no credibility.

I -might- be enticed to consider the Ford Focus Electric, but I really need a car with more range than "about 100 miles," so I'm still the perfect potential customer for the Tesla Model S.
(Oh, I'd probably already have a Roadster, 100 G's or not, if it wasn't for that pesky physical liability of being too tall to fit in it without a shoehorn.)

-- Ardie

 

[mt2]

"Narrowed it down to 4 states" doesn't inspire confidence that they are close to production...
Is that even a news worthy event?

Kind of my point. In one breath they signal that they are dying a slow death. In the next they announce big plans that don't make any sense when they are struggling to stay alive. A factory to employee 1500 people? It's like saying, "The doctor gave me six months to live, but he's wrong because I'm touring Europe next year". More power to them if they pull it off. But I'm not sending them my resume any time soon.

 

[doug]

Automotive X Prize favorite Aptera faces challenges racing to market -- Consumer Reports

Currently, Aptera’s production timetable has extended to about three years past its original launch target. Last month, the California startup was forced to return 2,500 $500 security deposits because under its contract with its credit-card processor, the company could no longer hold them as production of the car gets delayed further.

To find out what’s going on, we spoke with Chief Marketing Officer Marques McCammon, and he assures us that the car is on track for production. He told us that the company ceased taking new orders, and recently moved out of its large manufacturing complex in Oceanside and into more affordable office space in Carlsbad. McCammon says that given supply-chain logistics and the desire to sell cars nationwide, the company is looking for a new manufacturing facility in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, or Wisconsin.
...

 

[AnOutsider]

So at a minimum they're 2 years out

 

[vfx]

A friend who had one on order said he got his deposit back a few months ago.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/09/electric-car-maker-aptera-refunding-customer-deposits/1

Aptera decided to refund deposits so the company can enter its next stage completely unfettered. Many of the deposits had been held for a few years and had become an administrative burden, so company management decided to start with a clean slate. We will continue our customer relationships with our loyal supporters through a system that we are designing especially for these "VIPs."

 

[daniel]

Aptera is a very sad story, indeed! I'd have bought one two years ago. Even one year ago. But I fear that Ardie is right when he says that the Aptera cannot compete with the Leaf except as a niche vehicle. (A few people will buy it for its unusual design alone.) And with several other EVs coming out from trusted car makers, they'd need to far surpass those cars in order to overcome buyer reluctance to buy from an unknown manufacturer. They'd have to be a lot cheaper, or have far greater range than the competition. If they can match the range and performance of a Model S but at half the price, they might still have a chance, as long as other EVs on the market are still at "around" (i.e. "less than") 100 miles. Otherwise I doubt it. Sad. It was a great concept and a striking design.

 

[Mycroft]

Fox news: Electric Car Company Aptera Preparing for a Reboot? - Oct 28, 2011

Aptera Motors, the California startup behind the radical Aptera 2e electric car concept, has posted a notice on its website that “2.0 is coming.”

I would like to see this car succeed. Definitely an uphill battle.

 

[doug]

That non-functional front page has been up for over a week now. Here's one former Aptera fan's take on it:

Aptera new web site? - ApteraForum.com - Unofficial Aptera Car Forum

Hey gang! Aptera is on track to bring you the revollutionary vehicle you've been waiting for! And we'll be using a lot of the green buzz words you want to hear like sustainabillity and aerodynamical efficiency! You can expect to see a high quality rendering of our new design in the few months. A completeed untested pre-production model will arrive a very short 11-27 months later. We will then go into full production of 10,000 vehicles a month as soon as we get funding. As you can see we're hitting the ground runnning!

 

[Tech26]

I was a big fan of Aptera back in late 2008 and through most of 2009... I got a bad feeling when Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony were ousted. The thing that really sealed the deal for me was them losing the Xprize competition. They'll never catch up with Tesla or anyone else now.

 

[doug]

Some stuff on their website.

 

[doug]

aaaaaand..... done.

Aptera Shutting Down For Good

After years of focused effort to bring our products to the market, Aptera Motors is closing its doors, effective today. This is a difficult time for everyone connected with our company because we have never been closer to realizing our vision. Unfortunately, though, we are out of resources.

It is especially disappointing since we were so close…

Aptera executives had been engaged in exhaustive due diligence with the Department of Energy (DOE) pertaining to an ATVM (Advance Technology Vehicle Manufacturing) loan. Our business plan was examined from top to bottom by internal agency representatives, independent consultants and experts in academia. They did an amazing job of vetting us and they tested every possible weakness in our plan. And after nearly two years of discussions, we had recently received a Conditional Commitment Letter for a $150 million loan.

The ATVM loan would have provided funding for the development and commercialization of a five-passenger, midsized sedan (similar to a Toyota Camry) that would be base priced at less than $30,000 and deliver more than a 190 mile per gallon equivalent. The concept of this vehicle had been in place since the very beginning of Aptera, and we had been wholly focused on its development for the last year. The last remaining hurdle was finding new funds to match the DOE loan.

We were so optimistic that the company would move forward that we were in discussions to reactivate a mothballed automotive plant in Moraine, Ohio. In the past months we had engaged with the labor union that operated that facility to discuss the hiring of 1,400 new job opportunities. These jobs would have reactivated talented workers who had been dismissed when the facility was closed.

During the same time, we continued development of our patent-pending composite manufacturing system that enables energy efficient vehicle production by drastically reducing vehicle weight (by as much as 30%) while tripling its strength. This same patent pending system allowed us to finish the surface of our composites without manual finishing and without the high capital cost of a typical automotive paint shop. In all, the process would save nearly $750-million versus a typical volume auto assembly plant start-up.

We were well on the way to satisfying the vision of efficiency on which the company was founded and we are confident that with time and capital we could still achieve our goal. The Aptera formula: aerodynamics plus light weight design (through composites) delivered efficiency of 206 EPA miles per gallon in tests at Argonne National Labs. That wasn’t a simulation; it was real measured performance. Despite that promise of efficiency, this challenged market – specifically large private investors – did not have an appetite to lead an investment for the perceived low volume return of our three-wheeled vehicle. So we reprioritized our product plan to four-door sedans, which also cost us time.

We remain confident, even as this chapter closes, that Aptera has contributed tech new technologies to build a future for more efficient driving. Through the dedicated staff at Aptera, our board and suppliers we have touched this future. All that remains is for someone to grab it. We still believe it will happen.

Paul Wilbur
President and CEO
Aptera Motors

 

[Mycroft]

Looked more like a marketing letter than a "we're through" letter.

 

[T@oo]

Maybe some patents and workforce for Tesla to aquire....

 

[rolosrevenge]

They should have just shipped their three wheeled vehicle when they first had it done, before going back to redesign out the efficiency for increased functionality and then chasing DOE loans and everything else.

 

[Tech26]

*sighs* They were dead as soon as the original CEO (Steve Fambro) left the building.

Nice little write up / picture of the CEO/CFO/CMO of Aptera that lead the company to failure :smile: