Aptera SOL

[Jambe]

Aptera shows off its ultra-futuristic solar-powered Sol electric vehicle with 1,000-mile range

Electric vehicle startup Aptera has just released a new video with perhaps the best look yet at the company’s futuristic...

electrek.co

 

[JEBar]

taken from the link above ===>"The vehicle is slated for delivery by the end of 2021 with a starting price of just $25,900 for the 250 mile (400 km) version of the car. Upgrading to the 1,000 mile (1,600 km) version still lands customers with a reasonable $44,900 price tag."

I wish them luck .... their definition of reasonable is considerably different than mine

 

[3wheelin]

taken from the link above ===>"The vehicle is slated for delivery by the end of 2021 with a starting price of just $25,900 for the 250 mile (400 km) version of the car. Upgrading to the 1,000 mile (1,600 km) version still lands customers with a reasonable $44,900 price tag."

I wish them luck .... their definition of reasonable is considerably different than mine

If it can grow wings, I'll buy one!

 

[AriLea]

Hmmm, at $25900, I would guess the final loan for me would be around the same as the Corolla my daughter drives, which is $488 on a balance of $30k.
In my case I'm buying 2.5 tanks a week at around $28 each. That comes out to around $280 savings if I really can drive on the sun without home charging. Charging would add about $2/day, 24 workdays each month.
So the baseline car would likely cost me $200 /mo. Certainly the $44k model does not make economic sense. Unless it out lasts the loan I'd have to make, by a long-long way.

 

[AriLea]

Just posting this update. We will see later this year how accurate it is.
I have a reservation on it. Even if I took that reservation, I still want a BEX. I don't think I would use an Aptera for long travel since the solar will only give 40miles-per-day even in AZ on solar alone. But one article does say 250mile range or 1000 with the expensive super-pak. Those motels better have charging in the parking lot! I'm not good for 8 hours of driving anyway!

LINK June29th and this June 6th
As of May 2022, Aptera claimed to have over 22,000 reservations for its SEV, which is expected to enter production later this year at a new facility in Carlsbad, California. The Aptera SEV has a targeted range of up to 1,000 miles (over 1,600 kilometers) per charge with the biggest battery option, in addition to the ability to cover up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) a day on solar power alone.

The vehicle is listed on Aptera's website with a starting MSRP of $25,900 for the base battery pack that offers 250 miles (402 kilometers) of range. Reservations can be made for a $100 refundable fee.

If they don't have a factory already getting set up, there won't be much production this year. It's supposedly going in Carlsbad, CA. (or near to)
Anyone see any possible activity in the white-ish areas in this image?

 

[RSchneider]

Aptera Address: 5818 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92008

 

[AriLea]

Aptera Address: 5818 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Yep, OK, at that spot, it would be realy difficult to see what is going on without drving into the parking lot and see through a garage door or get a tour.
When I did that at the Solo factory, the temp one, there were at least some office workers there. And the main factory was existing, but not done.
The building below at least looks like a factory, even if just a small one.
If they have more than the level of sales that Vanderhall has, they will need more than this.

Dec, 2020 article ... A year later, Hall moved out of the converted automotive bay and tripled his square footage to a 20,000-square-foot facility, followed by a 60,000-square-foot facility in 2016, and an 80,000-square-foot facility in 2017. Today, the factory exists as a 200,000-square-foot factory, and it’s soon to be a 400,000-square-foot factory with the newest expansion that will open up by the end of 2020. This newest iteration will include an expansion of their current building to accommodate growth and output.

 

[RSchneider]

The Aptera building is 77,147 sq ft.
Here's it's listing from a few years ago: https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/5818-El-Camino-Real-Carlsbad-CA/19689339/

Vanderhall broke ground on a 1,000,000 sq ft factory over a year ago where they can build up to 25K per year.

Vanderhall Motor Works Groundbreaking New Factory

If you create something revolutionary, often times demand will far exceed your supply. We got behind the wheel of a prototype Vanderhall a few years ago,

blog.dupontregistry.com

Arcimoto, informed us of their new factory.

On April 19, 2021, the Company purchased an approximately 220,000 square foot facility to expand production capabilities.

https://sec.report/Document/0001437749-22-012624/

Elio only needs around 1,000,000 to make 250K per year

Of the approximately 3.2 million square feet of manufacturing space, we will utilize less than a third.

https://sec.report/Document/0001493152-22-011793/

Elio has it figured out as they can produce way more with less space. No wonder the car is as cheap as it is.

 

[AriLea]

SO, on the balance of things, does this look like Aptera is going to produce any cars for sale in 2022, or is this just enough space to continue more R&D?
According to my Aptera Log-in... so nope, not 2022. I'll check again next year. At least as far as actual delivery for my own reservation.
My Order ID =15421.

Thier June 14th Video news

The takeaway is the first 1000 vehicle will take a couple months to produce (small pack only), but then with-in 12 to 24 months Aptera will be able to go global. Which says to me they expect to consume all the US reservations inside that period of time.

If I get an Aptera before the BEX, I'll still buy the BEX. If I get a BEX first, all bets are off.
The Aptera is not tandem. I want a tandem.

 

[RSchneider]

SO, on the balance of things, does this look like Aptera is going to produce any cars for sale in 2022, or is this just enough space to continue more R&D?
According to my Aptera Log-in... so nope, not 2022. I'll check again next year. At least as far as actual delivery for my own reservation.
My Order ID =15421.

View attachment 25850

What I have found out is that three wheeled startups promise big things and deliver with the key word "soon". They are happy to take your reservation money too. Only oddball is Vanderhall. Private funded and they didn't ask for your money up front. Plus they did it in record time. So the issue is, (you see this with EV's) is that they want your money up front, use that as a some sort of confirmed orders then, run lots of videos where everyone is smiling and happy. The latest scheme is to keep introducing more variations and models while not being able to build the original version. All while you continue to age and wonder, "When will I receive mine?" To finish it off, the price goes up (nobody can avoid inflation) and the specs go down.

I suspect Aptera will be like Arcimoto. Start trickling out a number of vehicles and then use any excuse (Covid, lack of employees, inflation, economic downturn) to just put you off.

Aptera will probably introduce a new version and three other ones all while you wait for yours. Best part is, when they make 500 of them in three years, you can be happy that they are only around 10K from building yours or just claim your state is on the banned list of sales due to "reasons".

As for the Aptera factory, the tub is to be 3D printed, so that could be done anywhere, battery pack will be built elsewhere. So maybe they don't need too much space to build them. I heard that EV's are really simple to build. Elio can do a full blown steel stamped operation with a small fraction as anyone else in the world can do. So, I'm thinking, Paul might be the secret consultant at Aptera as to why they can produce so many in such small space.