Aptera = Over

A 3-wheeled EV(a tricycle?), and It would have had to pass the NHTSA head-on 40mpg and side impact crash tests like other road vehicles.

 

It is sad that they didn't get a government loan but Karma did. We need efficient plugins not the electron guzzlers.

 

Yet another sad reminder of how high the barriers to entry are in the automotive industry. Such a beautiful concept and design.

What fraction of the GM bailout would have sustained Aptera?

 

This is a sad day. Aptera got it right - airplanes are aerodynamic. Design a car with the same fundamental shape. Someone in this society does something logical, and Washington* again puts politics before logic.

Thanks for typing this.

I had been REALLY hoping Aptera was going to make it.

In response to the comment above about crash tests, Aptera could easily have made a four wheel version (and I think they had hopes to do so), and if a Smart car passed the tests, I'm sure Aptera could have added what was needed to get their cars to pass also.

PS. If any Toyota execs or employees are reading this, I think it would be noble of you to at least build a test/concept vehicle and explore the vehicle shape and aerodynamics that Aptera had been working on.

PPS. *The same Congress that's cutting NASA's research budget.

 

the Aptera is too "odd" for todays road.

sometimes things that look "cool" don't sell. like the prowler. everybody "pined" over it at the auto show and in the media but when it went on sale, not that many people bought it.

 

Someone has and it won the $5 million Progressive Automotive X-Price.

 

I disagree. Aptera had thousands of customer deposits, years ahead of planned production, and despite being sold only in California.

 

Buckminster Fuller got that back in 1933. Ran into the same problems.

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dymaxion_car]Dymaxion car - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
Pictures of the Dymaxion Car

 

it may have had a thousands signed up but it does not insure that they will actually buy them, just like the volt.

and few thousand drivers out of millions of driver won't keep them going too long.

 

I always thought of it as the only way to get me on a motorcycle+. Add a wheel, make it visible, add enclosure and give it great aerodynamics to make it extremely efficient.

A major manufacturer could, I think, use their resources to produce a similar vehicle with a convertible design at a lower cost than small manufacturers and thus sell a lot of them. The only problem is that success would hurt the rest of their business.

 

+1

also the volt helps sell cruzes and other gm cars, so gm can lose money on the volt, but use it for marketing. Aptera doesn't really make a business case versus the leaf, so it could not get investors.

Aptera Motors Closing: Electric Car Maker Fails To Woo Investors

I find Issa a little hypocrital here, as aptera looks a lot like solyndra in the business plan. Its a high risk venture that depends mainly on companies like nissan not being able to lower BEV car prices. I don't think many BEV enthusiasts care that much that the aptera uses half the electricity/distance, only about the range.

 

Aptera employees smash vehicles after company closes?

Videos are still up...

 

Well, that takes care of the crash testing.....

I'd say it fared pretty well, considering the bare shell got beat on by a forklift.

 

I waited for 2 years to get an Aptera.

The Nissan came out by accepting deposits for the LEAF EV. I signed-up and cancelled the Aptera deposit. We received our LEAF 3/27/11. 12,500 miles now and no gasoline is thrilling.

LEAF is smooth, 0-40mph as fast as a Porsche Boxster, quiet, low maintenance, comfortable, and reliable

EV driving has to be experienced to be appreciated. I think one of the tricks to selling EVs is to get people to test drive them.

Our Prius was a great segway to driving the LEAF. WE still own the Prius, but it's only used for trips over 100 miles now.

 

I know, it's small potatoes but...

se·gue  [sey-gwey, seg-wey] verb, -gued, -gue·ing, noun

verb (used without object)
1. to continue at once with the next musical section or composition
(often used as a musical direction).
2. to perform in the manner of the preceding section (used as a
musical direction).
3. to make a transition from one thing to another smoothly and without
interruption: The conversation segued from travel anecdotes to food.

noun4. an uninterrupted transition made between one musical section or
composition and another.
5. any smooth, uninterrupted transition from one thing to another.

Dictionary.com

FWIW, I saw my first LEAF in the wild in Ballamer tonight!!! :rockon:

 

Shades of the Tucker:

 

Aptera says employees didn't destroy cars
That’s not the case, a company spokesman said.
The spokesman, Jeff Green, said the videos have been taken completely out of context. The four clips show several employees smashing the body of one of the three-wheeled vehicles. All four, he said, were shot in May when the company opted to move its operations from Oceanside to Carlsbad, Green said.
The shells of the vehicles shown in the videos are of the Aptera 2e model, the company’s most recent design. Those bodies, Green said, were defective and were no longer usable in manufacturing Link Aptera says employees didn't destroy cars | SignOnSanDiego.com

 

Those "deposits" were in escrow, and could not be touched by Aptera!

 

Which would then evolve to thier ONLY business. That's progress! :cheer2: