Aptera!

[Angry Ewok]

The beard is bigger, but, yeah.

[pawpaw]

The beard is bigger, but, yeah.

Is that a Crimson and White Mini? We can now, never doubt your love of all things 'Bama...

Cool pic!

[Angry Ewok]

Yeah, we drive this one to Bryant-Denny for all of the home games. It's fun. Gas mileage isn't as good as you might think, though...

[BH]

Sweet Brad!  I love mini's.   Fun as hell to drive.  As close as it gets to a go-kart for the street!  

(And of course they are made by the greatest car company in the world)

[Angry Ewok]

As close as it gets to a go-kart for the street!

I hate, hate driving... but that Mini is very, very fun.

[mjkoehler]

Damn Brad, that's tight.

I want this f'n car!!!! Damn, can you image rolling down 70 or 55 going onto downtown St Louis in one of these Phantom Menace lookin beauties? Considering I live roughly 30 miles from work, this would save me some serious coin. I would use roughly a gallon a week. I did the math and I would use about 55 gallons a week just driving back and forth to work. That is $220 a year for fuel, based on the $4/gal. Doing the same math, I'm spending about $6500 a year.

Fuck, I seriously want this car.

[BH]

Boom!  I already sold one.  Damn, I want commission!

[BH]

http://techblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/07/aptera-to-deliver-first-produc.html

Aptera to deliver first production models of its electric car in December
3:59 PM Tue, Jul 29, 2008
Victor Godinez    


Now here's an electric car that I can get behind.

Aptera Motors recently announced that it has raised $24 million in venture funding, and will use the cash to begin cranking out its Aptera Typ-1 vehicles in December.

The first, all-electric model will sell for about $27,000 and have a range of 120 miles per charge, and plug into a standard 110 volt outlet. It will take about four to six hours to charge, though.

A hybrid version will come out in about a year, and the company says that $30,000 car will get roughly 300 miles per gallon.

Popular Mechanics got to test drive the Aptera last year and came away very impressed.

Unfortunately, the Aptera will only be available for sale in California at first, but the company, which counts Google among its investors, promises to ramp up production through next year, so hopefully nationwide availability is coming soon.

I've criticized the high price tags of other electric cars, but I think $27,000 is pretty close to mainstream.

[Hawkeye]

I WANT ONE!!!!  I think we should all invest in Aptera to maybe help get their production up quicker.  I got $5 on it...

[BH]

Brad, check this out -->

MiniMotoringGraphics.com

You can do custome graphics on your mini!  How cool would it be to have the Tennessee Fire album cover for a roof!  ($400)



And concerning the Aptera, they just moved to a new facility to begin production!  Here is a good interview with some updates.  I wish I lived in California, I would try to get a job with this company.

Steve chats with our new CEO, Paul Wilbur

Steve: A lot of Aptera fans are wondering why you would take the big leap from Detroit to a small start up on the west coast?



Paul: It was a pretty easy decision, actually. The world is changing and it's changing fast. I decided to make a long term decision to be a part of the future of the transportation industry rather than continuing to work in the niche, specialty car industry. So you might say that I am transitioning from one of the largest carbon footprints in America into one of the smallest.



It's a fact: The world is running out of oil. Expert geophysicists tell us we are already on the downside from peak world oil production while demand for petroleum and petroleum based products are increasing at an alarmingly fast pace, especially with China's automotive industry coming on-line as a major worldwide consumer of petroleum.



I honestly expect that in the near future gas prices will exceed $5 per gallon and my children will pay double that price in their lifetime, assuming that they can get it at all.

At Saleen, we were making great 620hp Mustangs that guzzled fuel. It was a ton of fun, the cars were blazingly fast, but that didn't seem as relevant as working on vehicles that can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, reduce the emissions and noise pollution in our big cities and help better our society overall.



This is why I made the change.



And did I mention the weather in Carlsbad is pretty nice too! I remember the line from the movie, A Field of Dreams ... is this heaven?" states a ball player to Kevin Costner... "No, it's Iowa". Well, the weather in Carlsbad is heavenly to me.



Steve: What can we learn from Detroit?



Paul: A lot. Detroit has taught me many valuable lessons in automotive design, engineering and manufacturing. The industry is one of the most interesting and complex in the world.



Detroit does a lot of things right and I still hold the automaker's capabilities in high regard. Many of Detroit's present problems are caused by historic decisions and union agreements relating to wage agreements that are simply not competitive in a new global economy: historic luxuries and entitlements given to all employees such as fully paid retirement plans, vertical integration into antiquated processes and technologies, and changing personal tastes in automobiles. This doesn't mean that the people working in this industry are bad. Quite the contrary, some of Detroit's best and brightest engineers and manufacturing experts are leading the construction of plants and development of new products throughout most of the world today.



But what we can learn from Detroit relates to changing technologies that radically impact automotive design and construction. New technologies are changing all the assumptions about how cars are built and auto companies must react to those changes. Many of these newest technologies are already integrated into the Aptera.



The technologies in the Aptera are as dramatic as the aerodynamic shape itself. Let me give you just one simple example: there are very few wires inside the vehicle. Electrical function is controlled by a distributed http://www.aptera.com/newsletter092508/i/O circuitry (computer circuit boards) inside the vehicle. 11 Aptera circuit boards replace hundreds of pounds of wiring. On board the vehicle, Aptera has more than 45 circuit boards controlling every function that the driver and passenger desire. And it's not only lighter than all of those bundles of wires, it's also much more reliable. I could go on, but I need to save something for a future interview. Suffice to say that there are innovations galore on the inside and outside of this vehicle, and that's what makes it fun for me.



The more you learn about Aptera, the better the vehicle becomes.



Steve: And what don't we want to learn from Detroit?



Paul: Don't get complacent, don't ever stop listening to your customers,don't ever stop innovating.



Steve: Two weeks into the job, what are your impressions of Aptera?



Paul: It's awesome. I love the car, the concept, the engineering going on, it's great. The people who work at the company are fully committed to making this a real game changer. Often, I have a large group of the staff still working with me at 8pm at night. They are passionate about what they are doing and it shows. With this vehicle, there's no precedent and we are constantly reminded that we are breaking new ground and doing engineering on a whole new level. I believe that, in a few years, when we are driving the Aptera down the road and stop at a traffic light next to a three-ton SUV, we will look over and say, 'Wow! That's a dinosaur. What were we thinking?'.



Steve: What do you want to say to the 3,600 people who pre-ordered a vehicle?



Paul: You are all lucky that you are in line in front of me. Anyone want to trade numbers? I am number 1,654 in the all-electric line. But seriously, I think that the more you read and the more you know about Aptera, the smarter the vehicle choice is. There is so much to talk about. We had to create a whole new website just to have enough room to start talking about it. Expect the new website to launch in a month or so.



Steve: What do you want to say to the 45,000 people who subscribe to the newsletter?



Paul: First of all, thanks for staying current with us via the newsletter. We believe we are starting a revolution in transportation efficiency. Our goal is to be the worldwide leader in automotive efficiency, moving people from point A to B at the lowest possible energy cost. Please join our revolution. You can join us in four ways :

[Isobella]

You could just buy a $15000.00 car  and save even more money; or just buy used and not even worry about gas prices.

[BH]

You could just buy a $15000.00 car  and save even more money; or just buy used and not even worry about gas prices.

That's true, but it wouldn't do much for this countries dependance on oil would it?

And if gas gets to $8 a gallon (like it is in europe right now) you would spend $32000 on gas in a car that gets 25 mpg (if your lucky) over it's life of 100K miles.   So while you are driving a piece of crap used car for $5000 and spending another $30K on gas, I will just be spending $30K on a brand new car that has a warranty and I'll be helping the environment and the economy at the same time.

Plus after 100K miles, my aptera is going to really start paying me back and you'll be lucky if your used car even makes it that long.

[BH]

Good news and bad news......

Dear Aptera Family Member,

By now you are likely aware that there are changes happening daily at Aptera. As one of our most loyal supporters and part of the early foundation of our future, we want to update you about some vital issues, including when your vehicle will be available.

Our most recent corporate commitment was that we would deliver the first production Typ-1, now known as the 2e, by the close of 2008. Despite our well-intentioned efforts, we were unable to complete that vehicle before the close of the year, so it's now slated for January 16. However, unlike prior plans, this vehicle will not be delivered to a retail customer. We will continue our builds but at a much slower rate starting with a small test fleet of the enhanced vehicles, then moving to our volume production launch on October 1, 2009.

For months we have been receiving important feedback from you, our depositor community, and we have come to realize there were flaws in our initial product assumptions -- specifically as it pertains to satisfying the needs of real-world consumers. Our greatest degree of learning came just a few months ago when we asked all of you to participate in a brief survey. This critical piece of research requested insights about your expectations for our company and our products, and we discovered a notable disconnect between our product plan and realistic expectations. Some modifications had to be made. For example, you helped us realize that some trade-offs for convenience (like being able to grab a burger in a drive-thru) might be necessary to make the ownership experience more palatable, even if it cost us a couple tenths of a point on our drag coefficient.

To navigate us through this process, we recruited a team of seasoned professionals from the automotive industry and the California tech sector. With a complete management team operating on one accord, we are now in a better position to resolve all of the fundamental product usage questions that have been brought to our attention by our initial depositors.

As we move closer to volume production in the face of this challenged economy, it becomes increasingly important for us to accurately forecast our first year's production volume. To date, we have tried to provide the greatest flexibility possible by maintaining all deposits as fully refundable, and now it has become equally important for Aptera to properly model our operations to meet demand. To address this issue, we have created a proposition, known as "Lock-in," to reward your commitment to this point and in the future. Lock-in allows you to voluntarily convert your deposit from refundable to a firm, non-refundable one and receive an addition $250 credit towards the purchase of your Aptera vehicle. In other words, we will give you an additional 50% return on your money for sticking with us and taking the extra step.

The Lock-in program is completely voluntary and no depositor will be penalized for electing not to participate, but only those who opt into the program will be eligible for the additional credit. As always, your deposit money will remain in escrow until you move to transact the purchase of your vehicle, which is when any and all credits will be applied. Aptera is not, and has no intention of using your deposit money to fund the company. We are prudently trying to plan our volume and capacity to assure we do not introduce waste into our system that could lead us down the unenviable path of some of our industry predecessors. And who knows, maybe Wall Street will see us as a role model for offering these types of returns on investments.

To participate in the Lock-in program, email family@aptera.com with your full name, reservation number and the simple message, "I would like to Lock-in". You will receive a confirmation email, and your name and reservation will be added to the credit list. It is that simple.

Our combination of automotive industry experience paired with the pervasive "why-not" attitude of the California entrepreneurial set will continue to make Aptera more effective in every aspect of our business. Our new team is teaching us fresh ways to listen to you and translate your comments and needs into the product, so here's our pledge: "We will manufacture the most efficient vehicle on the road and continue to apply the input we receive from our consumer." As we fly in the face of this challenged economy and write a new page in transportation history, we simply can't afford to cut corners. We are going to do what it takes to get it right, and we cannot get there without your help and continued support. You have stood with us faithfully and we promise that our vehicles will be worth the wait.

We look forward to sharing our dream with you as Aptera introduces the world to the most energy efficient solution for personal mobility.

Thank you for your support,

The Aptera Team

[pawpaw]

So you're in the Aptera family?!?! :o

This is one of my favorite threads, btw. Dope engineering economics skills...  8-)

[BH]

So you're in the Aptera family?!?! :o

This is one of my favorite threads, btw. Dope engineering economics skills...  8-)

;D  Glad you like it.   It's very interesting to me, but I'm sure not everyone gives a crap.

Actually, I'm not in the family, they won't let me since I don't live in California.  (Snobs.   ;))  I cut and pasted this from the aptera forum.

The pushback of production is dissapointing but I expected that.  However, you could see some of the first models from the test fleet on the roads in 9 days!   Be sure and let me know if you see one!

[capt. scotty]

Actually, I'm not in the family, they won't let me since I don't live in California.  (Snobs.   ;))  I cut and pasted this from the aptera forum.

Well thats good, because I was gonna say you gotta be crazy to have just given these people $1K  ;D

Cool car though

[BH]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SlhwL5Fw2o&eurl=http://apteraforum.com/showthread.php?t=2204[/media]

[Ruckus]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SlhwL5Fw2o&eurl=http://apteraforum.com/showthread.php?t=2204[/media]

So how safe is this thing?  Would you play chicken riding facing off against a SMART car?

It looks sweet but that guy seemed rather distracted by his touch screen ;D

[goose]

Check out this '69 Firebird.  For about 5 seconds it gets 0 mpg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjhNC-vxUTg

BH that is hilarious.  I've done that with a 67 mustang before.

[red]

Somewhat relevant to this thread...

This is definitely worth a watch: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489037/