Aptera = Over

I wasn't suggesting the deposits were a source of cash flow for Aptera. I inferred that they were evidence of sales demand.

 

I agree there, my misinterpratation! Sorry. Andy.

 

I am very sad that Aptera has folded. They were an innovative company with a new and worthwhile design. I was a bit skeptical of the idea of taking that car on the freeway, but if it had been the first freeway-capable, 100-plus-mile EV available to me, I'd have bought it.

That said, I wonder about their management/design skills. I remember when the car was first announced, and it was not going to have windows that opened. They talked about how it didn't need them because it would have air circulation and cameras, and they talked about aerodynamics. But they never thought about what you were supposed to do if you got stopped by a traffic cop and he asked you to roll down your windows. Or if a pedestrian asked you for directions. Or if you just liked the feel of the wind. I thought it was a monumental oversight.

I also thought it was a huge mistake to begin putting resources into a conventional car before the 2e was in production. I think they bit off more than they could chew and that was a bad management decision. Tesla, by contrast, put the Roadster into production before they started spending money on the Model S, and the cash flow and enthusiasm and success of the Roadster helped get the S going. If I was an investor and Aptera came to me for money, I'd want to know they could build the 2e before I invested in them to begin design work on something else entirely. In short, I think Aptera lacked management quality.

Fisker never should have gotten federal money. GM never should have gotten federal money. But I wonder if people who thought a car didn't need windows that opened could have made good use of federal money. Rather than the feds picking out companies that "deserve" grants and loans and bail-outs, I'd rather they removed all the subsidies from gasoline, and put a good tax on it, and use the money to develop better battery technology and put the patents in the public domain.

I think a lot for Aptera depended on being the first to market. The Tesla Roadster is a niche car, but the Leaf is a game-changer. With a not-too-expensive near-100-mile freeway-capable car on the market, it's the car to beat. I'll bet a lot of folks like gasmiser1 pulled out their Aptera orders when the Leaf became available.

It's very sad that Aptera has folded. But I think they just didn't have the management skills to make it succeed.