Electric car maker Aptera in disarray as founders fade away

http://green.venturebeat.com/2010/02/02/ev-maker-aptera-in-disarray-as-founders-fade-away-2/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Venturebeat+%28VentureBeat%29

by ilamont • 16 years ago

14 13 16 years ago

green.venturebeat.com

khafra2• 16 years ago

Aw, man. :( I really wanted an Aptera since the first time I saw them, years ago--it was the first car that was both as awesome as the concept, and planned to be affordable. But I had a feeling they wouldn't be able to make it anywhere near on time at their target price point.

Whether it's because they planned their initial release solely for a state that's sinking in red ink, or because of inherent unviability, it's a sad day for cool cars of today and the future.

proee3• 16 years ago

You should build your own EV and give HN weekly build updates. We could give you our expert opinions on the style and technology.

The only catch is you have to get a license plate that says HN-EV.

happenstance3• 16 years ago

Lots of people do their own EV conversions from ICE (internal combustion engine) cars. Trouble is, up until now they've all used lead acid batteries (and as such, were heavy and didn't have great range).

The next step -- and what I'm really interested to start seeing -- is homebrew EV's using Lithium Ion batteries. I think this is going to be the next step.

BearOfNH• 16 years ago

planned to be affordable

Got any firm numbers? The article managed to avoid conveying any facts along those lines.

koanarc• 16 years ago

From the Aptera website's FAQ: "The Aptera 2 Series vehicle (electric and hybrid) will range in price from $25,000-$40,000 depending on options and powertrain."

But whether or not that fits one's definition of 'affordable', I couldn't say.

frankus3• 16 years ago

This is disappointing, but not too surprising for anyone that has watched the automotive space for a few years. A thousand vehicles a year is considered the minimum viable volume for a car company to break even in series production, and the jump from prototype to serial number 1000 is huge.

Aptera even sidestepped a lot of the red tape by building a three-wheel vehicle (legally considered a motorcycle) and an electric vehicle (no subject to emissions regulations). Their only misstep may have been deciding to give it a body: building a world-class chassis is within the grasp of a skilled garage fabricator, while mass producing doors that close right and don't let the rain in is something multi-billion-dollar companies still struggle with. A three-wheeled electric Ariel Atom (similar to the Wrightspeed) could probably get to 1000 units/year much more smoothly, but with an even more constrained market.

Electric car maker Aptera in disarray as founders fade away

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