Aptera is gone for good. :'(

Joined
Oct 28, 2008
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Location
Manhattan Beach, CA, USA
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1070154_aptera-shutting-down-for-good


This is a sad day. It was only of the only vehicles that didn't all ready exist by the year 2000 that I had interest in buying.

It was a massive step in the right direction for vehicles, kinda like the opposite of a hummer. Shame to see it disappear.
 
Dude How deep do you think the coruption goes....? Aptera is a shame and proly had their reasons. But Companies who build Gas powered Cars and bikes dont give a rats ass about electrics they just do it for the publicity and the kickbacks!
If you want true passion for a EV look to a company who builds only EV's. Zero, Testla ect. You are on the right path and doing a great job. We all need to build electrics of every kind and show the world!!!!!

PS Will I be able to purchase Just a battery for a Zero Bike?
 
That sucks. It was my favorite realistic E-car, because it was so much in the right direction. I always thought the potential downfall was safety issues, but apparently it's just another tech heavy company with no business sense. I could gen out lots of 100 mile 3 wheel E-cars with that body design and $150 million, so if it wasn't bad business then as much as I ignore conspiracy theories, some do come to mind.

On the bright side, now I can copy it without a care. :mrgreen:
 
Aptera
Friday, December 2, 2011 6:11 PM
From: "Lock" <lock@yahoo.com>
To: berkshire@berkshirehathaway.com

Dear Mr.Buffett
The news today about Aptera is very sad. Please don't let this happen. This vehicle is a perfect complement to your investments in MidAmerican and wiser than BYD?

Cheers
Lock
Canada
 
To bad to see a visionary company close. But not unexpected. If it was easy to start auto manufacturing we would have seen more new companies grow in the past 50 years, and less dominance by the old big ones.

If there was an "experimental" class for cars, just like for planes, then maybe new designs could spread as plans and kits. That's how aerospace genius Burt Rutan, and revolutionary trimaran designer Ian Farrier got their ideas and designs out at an early stage. Thousands of air plane and sailing enthusiasts are building these light composite designs across the globe.
 
Sorry guys but i knew this car was not going to make it. Things that are so far ahead of their time do not make it to production 95% of the time. I think that Aptera was far too ambitious for their own good.
 
That sucks, industrially! Where did they go wrong :?:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080903005523/en/Aptera-TM-Hires-Seasoned-Auto-Executive-Paul
 
looks kinda like an expensive version of the BugE, I still see those driving around town alot. http://www.bugev.net/
 
I was literally saddened when I saw this story pop up earlier today. The former GM fucks that killed it should be hung.
 
So incredibly sad. Great aero, reverse trike layout, safety chassis, everything I wanted in an EV, thought out really well. I became increasingly skeptical about it coming to market as time went by, but I still had hope. At 30k, i would have found space for it in my garage. Wish I could lay hands on an unfinished chassis to molest.

-JD
 
RIP. I agree totally that they were one of the few companies making a reasonable attempt at dramatically reducing mass while retaining a reasonable driving experience. It's all about using the least energy to move and protect the occupants. The shitty thing is protection becomes so huge a deal because people somehow think it's a god given right to drive a 2000 kg weapon around while talking on the phone and eating a sandwich with two kids in the back playing video games.

If only we licensed drivers with real skill testing, then graduated it by total mass x speed limit. Then only competent people could drive really heavy weapons around, while the idiots would be stuck on bicycles - basically the opposite of what we have now.
 
mrzed said:
If only we licensed drivers with real skill testing, then graduated it by total mass x speed limit. Then only competent people could drive really heavy weapons around, while the idiots would be stuck on bicycles - basically the opposite of what we have now.
A-men brother!
 
In the usual "lets get fed funding and suck it dry" MO, the CEO of Aptera managed to successfully auger the company after blowing through a 150mil loan. Douchebag :evil:

Although the Aptera poster child was the cute little aerodynamic three-wheeler that appeared somewhat like an airplane without wings, they blew their cash load fluffing and feeling out the market for a four wheel EV model similar to a Camry. As that was what they believed the VC's were willing to take a chance on. Of course that's all conjecture, the four wheel model never made it beyond vaporware.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/02/aptera-close-stop-end-shut-down/

Read the CEO's list of excuses included in the post. I'd like a taser and five minutes alone with him...

No mention of the sheeple who paid him a sizable deposit as an advance on the little three wheel EV/hybrid before we began the new economy.
 
mrzed said:
while the idiots would be stuck on bicycles - basically the opposite of what we have now.

I agree with your intent, but there are a lot of Lycra's with attitudes out there demonstrating that we already have plenty of idiots on bicycles. :lol:

-JD
 
From Stevil_Knevil's link:

after a thorough search, the company has hired Paul Wilbur as its president and chief executive officer. Wilbur is an automotive industry veteran who brings 26 years of extensive automotive experience, ranging from product planning and finance to marketing and product development for leading car companies such as Ford and Chrysler.

What were they thinking?... an insider, that plays by insider (expensive and only with members in the club) rules. It was dead the minute they hired him and became as you said, only a means to suck $150M from us for them to "play with" and humor the "greens" while they smoked Cuban cigars at the "club!"
 
bigmoose said:
From Stevil_Knevil's link:

after a thorough search, the company has hired Paul Wilbur as its president and chief executive officer. Wilbur is an automotive industry veteran who brings 26 years of extensive automotive experience, ranging from product planning and finance to marketing and product development for leading car companies such as Ford and Chrysler.

What were they thinking?... an insider, that plays by insider (expensive and only with members in the club) rules. It was dead the minute they hired him and became as you said, only a means to suck $150M from us for them to "play with" and humor the "greens" while they smoked Cuban cigars at the "club!"

This is a crime from my pov, i want to know how much he personallyprofited from killingthe company
 
We really really need to get some more serious builds on the go.... How can we team up to make them happen faster? Maybe a build day once a month at justin's shop? Or my shop (I think I have more space) sorry Justin I just got a smokin deal..... I have room for 2-4 car builds and some bike builds anyone who want to cover their own expenses and wants to build some head turning EVs, bikes, cars, ATVs, Planes? etc let me know I will help! I just got asked to build a durango into a ev by one of my girlfriends employees and I don't think she is ready for the big price but I will give her some numbers and see if she really wants to. Anyways I think we can make things happen faster as a team... I am sick of these companies lollygagging around. I mean like gm who was talking about the volt in 2008 and it just came out now they have worries about post crash battery fires. :roll: I am almost willing to bet GM made the mistake on purpose so they can keep us scared of the dangers of an EV, which the car isn't anyways its a plug in hybrid so they just call it an EV so they can get grant moneies and kick backs from the government. Anyways I am going to work in my basement on my controller I just hope there is more like me close by who want to make it happen. Because its not going to be able to be sold to us (well except a few companies like zero bike.) End rant.
 
Check this out you want to understand more:

http://gas2.org/2009/11/20/aptera-troubles-get-the-full-inside-story-here/

I knew it was over years ago after reading this and part 2. If I was prone to conspiracy theories I'd have a hard time leaving this alone.
 
wiredsim said:
Check this out you want to understand more:

http://gas2.org/2009/11/20/aptera-troubles-get-the-full-inside-story-here/

I knew it was over years ago after reading this and part 2. If I was prone to conspiracy theories I'd have a hard time leaving this alone.

Wow. That is so profoundly sad. Beings like Paul Wilbur make me hope there is truth in karma. Here's part 2:
http://gas2.org/2009/12/21/inside-aptera-troubles-part-ii/


-JD
 
Arlo1 said:
We really really need to get some more serious builds on the go.... How can we team up to make them happen faster? Maybe a build day once a month at justin's shop? Or my shop (I think I have more space) sorry Justin I just got a smokin deal..... I have room for 2-4 car builds and some bike builds anyone who want to cover their own expenses and wants to build some head turning EVs, bikes, cars, ATVs, Planes? etc let me know I will help! I just got asked to build a durango into a ev by one of my girlfriends employees and I don't think she is ready for the big price but I will give her some numbers and see if she really wants to. Anyways I think we can make things happen faster as a team... I am sick of these companies lollygagging around. I mean like gm who was talking about the volt in 2008 and it just came out now they have worries about post crash battery fires. :roll: I am almost willing to bet GM made the mistake on purpose so they can keep us scared of the dangers of an EV, which the car isn't anyways its a plug in hybrid so they just call it an EV so they can get grant moneies and kick backs from the government. Anyways I am going to work in my basement on my controller I just hope there is more like me close by who want to make it happen. Because its not going to be able to be sold to us (well except a few companies like zero bike.) End rant.

Wish I had you in my part of the world. I have the money in my pocket, the car in my garage and the ideas in my head. What I'm lacking right now is some fab skills and most of all time... Feel like flying to south africa to put together a fiat x19 with a warp11hv, sol1 and 96s8p headways 200kW at under 1000kg should be fun when it's done :mrgreen:
 
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