Aptera: The Hype Aint What it Used to Be

It could just be that the Nissan Leaf is supposedly producing several thousand cars for the first initial release at the end of the year in the 5 test markets, that the "spotlight" is off Aptera and Myers Motors. Being that so much time has passed, and now a major car mfr is bringing out an EV that is more traditional looking, with supposedly good range, and at about the same price (rumored).. Time will tell I suppose.

 

As much as I'd like to see a local (their office is a couple blocks from mine) company succeed - they have not shown much in the last year to indicate that they will... I wish them the best...

 

The Aptera is a beautiful, brilliant design that really deserves to be successful. But now that the founder has been pushed out - or should I just say 'no longer involved' - and ex-GM people have taken over, I don't hold out much hope for it. A few paltry million thrown its way instead of bailing out GM could have made a huge difference.

 

I work very close to where they use to be located in Carlsbad. My wife saw their vehicle out and about a few years back and loved it. We paid our deposit that night. Then I bought the Prius. Now I'm looking fwd to putting money on the Leaf. I have no good feelings about Aptera's future. It could have been good.

 

I put a deposit on the Aptera, #738. We have a 2006 Prius and a 2001 Insight with 157k on it.

Aptera was supposed to be our next vehicle, but they have had way too many delays. Fambro was the glue that held the company together.

Since Fambro was ousted from his own company, we are looking towards the Leaf as a replacement for the Insight.

I'm afraid Aptera is becoming a distant memory :-(

 

Hill,

Have you seen this:

"As for the pre-production 2e, it's about what you'd expect if you've
been keeping up with development. It's being pitched as a "200-mpg-
plus" car, using phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries from A123
Systems to deliver electricity to the car's electric motor.

"The pre-production or "design intent" prototype is now on its way to
Michigan to compete for the Progressive Insurance Automotive X
PRIZE, where it will undergo several months of testing, judging and
evaluation."

More.

 

Aptera 2e Production Version Unveiled - April 14 - Road and Track


Aptera 2e Production Version Unveiled - Article - Road and Track

 

If it cannot beat the Leaf to market it'll take a big hit to its market share. I'd much rather be driving a 4-wheel "conventional" EV. However, I sure hope they can pull it off because we need LOTS of different EVs on the market to appeal to different tastes and needs.

 

I am thinking that with the very limited rollout on the Leaf, there is enough pent up demand for the very limited production output for the next few years for all EVs. Isn't Tesla still selling as fast as they can produce? I would think Tesla has the most to lose with an affordable option (Leaf).

I did not buy my 2004 Prius based on its looks, but given the choice between the Leaf anf the Aptera, the Aptera wins.

 

I'd heavily consider an Aptera if I didn't have a family. But as we often need more than 2 seats, I wouldn't be able to own this car unless I had enough money to keep it as a weekend car only, but I am not that rich.

 

The Tesla Roadster is not competing with the Leaf. It's a very high-end high-performance sports car. It's competing with other racing cars. The Leaf may steal a little bit of market from the Tesla Model S, if people are buying the S just because they want an electric car. The Leaf will be serious competition with Tesla's planned affordable family sedan (after the Model S).

Why would you prefer the Aptera over the Leaf? The Aptera will be more efficient, but much smaller and probably not as safe. It is an eye-catcher, though, one cannot deny that. Oh, and the warranty is more secure with an established company like Nissan than with a start-up that may or may not survive the entry into the market of bigger companies.

 

A lot of the people buying the Tesla Roadster are buying because it is the first (and only?) highway EV for sale in America. They could charge $100+k because of the novelty (and 0-60 in under 4 sec). If a $30k EV had been out first, there would have been a much smaller initial market for the Roadster because having a "EV" would not be such a big deal. Remember all the Hollywood people buying 2004 Prius? They could afford what ever they wanted but they bought the Prius for the cool, green image. The Leaf will hurt the Model S for the same reasons. Many of us desperately want an EV, even if it is a 4 seat sedan.

Aptera over the Leaf? Yeah, I wanted it since I first saw it 3-4 years ago. Hard to get excited about the looks of the Leaf. Warranty is an issue, but so is supporting a US startup.
Goal is to burn less petro, the more companies and different models in the game the better.

The Aptera is so different from anything on the road, it will draw more attention to the EV possibilities than 100 boring Nissans.