Aptera just got a $ 2 million private investment plus their $390,000 plus from www.WeFunder.com. Looks like their prototype will be ready sometime this summer.
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Aptera
- Thread starter Dustoff
- Start date
RSchneider
Elio Addict
With Aptera getting double what they were looking for, it's now a given that they will be in production in 2020. Good to see a three wheeler getting to production so quick and by 2021, they will be one of the global leaders in 3 wheeled vehicles.
Aptera just finished their funding effort on wefunder.com and they raised over $561,000. They also have raised $2.5 million from a private round. They are on their way to produce their prototype and will be available for showing this coming summer. Great news considering what is going on in our world right now. Aptera will be another choice for a three wheel vehicle but with electric to power it and depending on how far you drive and live, never having to recharge. Great podcast with EV World. http://evworld.com/interview.php?audioID=92
BigWarpGuy
Elio Addict
I think that is good news. I hope they can deliver with range. I think better range will make electric vehicles more appealing. I look forward to seeing them on the road.
We Funder - Aptera.
Aptera USA
Aptera Motors 3.0 - Facebook.
Aptera Motors - Facebook
We Funder - Aptera.
Aptera USA
Aptera Motors 3.0 - Facebook.
Aptera Motors - Facebook
BigWarpGuy
Elio Addict
Aptera on YouTube.
I like this video of it. It shows some of the details.
Fan Made - Aptera Overview
This is an interesting video.
Aptera and Elaphe Propulsion's In-Wheel Motor Technology
I like this video of it. It shows some of the details.
Fan Made - Aptera Overview
This is an interesting video.
Aptera and Elaphe Propulsion's In-Wheel Motor Technology
ecdriver711
Elio Addict
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I had high hopes for it back in the day. I hope they succeed. But starting at 35K leaves me behind.
Chris Anthony on Jun 28
CEO @ Aptera Motors FOUNDER
Release to BUILD!
We've been busy finalizing our development vehicle design and now it's time to BUILD!
From windshields to license plate holders we've been finalizing everything Aptera. That means releasing parts internally to build or to vendors to supply to us. The effort is moving along nicely, even with COVID delays, and all of our structural components are now released along with our suspension. We are now knee-deep in electrical engineering while finishing up the interior, exterior covers, and our lighting systems. It is exciting to see everything coming together and parts being built for our first new vehicles.
Our composite molds are moving along at light speed now. This is the mold that will be used to build our primary lower structure, or “tub”. This will hold the seats on the inside and the batteries below.
And our efforts to lighten our suspension significantly have been more than successful. We’ve reduced the weight on our metal components by 50% or more.
We’ve also been working through our electrical and control systems. With weight being a major concern, we designed these custom control boards to manage everything from the lights to the heater in the Aptera. They are distributed throughout the vehicle and allow us to use a very lightweight wiring harness to power all our devices. A typical automotive wiring harness could weigh over 50lbs and we cut that weight down to 20lbs!
And with over 4,000 hours of testing on our development solar systems, it is GREAT to see our first full solar body panels coming together. This is what will provide the Aptera will almost 700w of solar charging power! On a sunny day, this can get you over 44 extra miles of range just from parking in the sun.
Things are coming together quickly now and the next month will be action-packed for Aptera. Stay tuned for updates, surveys, and vehicle launch info as the summer progresses. And thank you ALL for the continued support! We can’t wait to roll the World Most Efficient Vehicle out to you ALL!!!
and Great Progress!
Our engineering department has been working around the clock to complete the first run of initial test prototypes and move Aptera closer to production. Our leadership team is also growing! We’re excited to announce that two of Aptera’s original team members will be re-joining the company: Nathan Armstrong as Chief Technology Officer and Sarah Hardwick as Chief Marketing Officer.
Armstrong, who will be taking on the role of Chief Technology Officer, started working on the first Aptera in 2005 and has an extensive background in engineering and prototyping over the past 26 years involving all varieties of vehicles, robots, aircraft, and spacecraft. Underneath it all, he’s “just a car guy and a total nerd about vehicle engineering and the inherent beauty of light-weighting and simplicity.”
Nathan’s philosophy is designing and building smarter to keep manufacturing jobs at home while improving the health of the planet. He believes in products that are tough and straightforward to repair, crafted to last a long time into the future. “Once you start optimizing with those goals in mind,” he says, “it's amazing how much room there is for improvement over current vehicle design.”
Sarah Hardwick, joining as Chief Marketing Officer, ran the communications firm that launched Aptera into the spotlight a decade ago and made headlines across the country. Tapping into what Aptera customers were passionate about, she helped to build and nurture a loyal community of fans who have since followed Aptera to become investors and a founding part of the company’s success.
“The first time I saw Aptera, I knew it had the potential to change people’s lives, and I still feel that way,” Sarah said. “The timing is better, the vehicle is better, and the world needs Aptera more than ever.” With these two on board, Aptera is moving forward in a more determined and dynamic way to usher in a new generation of ultra-efficient, safe and beautiful vehicles.
Along with adding extreme talent to the team, we’re also making great progress on our vehicle tooling and development efforts despite COVID slowing down many of our vendors. We’ve begun drivetrain testing and are bringing in new systems to our electrical architecture daily. We are also pushing to finish up our camera systems, displays, user interface systems, and low and high voltage harnessing. Our tooling stands at roughly 70% complete now and interior parts are coming together nicely. Above is a picture of the first primary body structure (no sides) out of our composites shop. We’ll use this in our electrical lab for wiring, EMI testing, and general part fitment. We’re just waiting on our front and rear subframes to install and wire all of our test components. Then we’ll calibrate and test everything in the lab before installing things in our first rolling chassis to begin road testing.
It’s exciting to see everything coming together in preparation to show you, and the world, our exciting solution to the inefficient state of transportation today. Remember that EVs have gained notoriety over the last few years but they still account for less than 1% of the vehicles on the roads around the world. We have a LOT of work to do getting more out of the energy we use to transport people and goods. Aptera uses a quarter of the batteries that a typical EV uses for the same range along with a quarter of the energy per mile. That means that, if every new EV is like taking three gas cars off the roads in terms of emissions, then the Aptera is like taking TWELVE gas cars off the road! Each Aptera put into use will have a huge positive impact on our planet and people's lives!
Thanks for all the continued support, positive comments, and general LOVE! Be safe out there and stay tuned for more updates SOON!
Our engineering department has been working around the clock to complete the first run of initial test prototypes and move Aptera closer to production. Our leadership team is also growing! We’re excited to announce that two of Aptera’s original team members will be re-joining the company: Nathan Armstrong as Chief Technology Officer and Sarah Hardwick as Chief Marketing Officer.
Armstrong, who will be taking on the role of Chief Technology Officer, started working on the first Aptera in 2005 and has an extensive background in engineering and prototyping over the past 26 years involving all varieties of vehicles, robots, aircraft, and spacecraft. Underneath it all, he’s “just a car guy and a total nerd about vehicle engineering and the inherent beauty of light-weighting and simplicity.”
Nathan’s philosophy is designing and building smarter to keep manufacturing jobs at home while improving the health of the planet. He believes in products that are tough and straightforward to repair, crafted to last a long time into the future. “Once you start optimizing with those goals in mind,” he says, “it's amazing how much room there is for improvement over current vehicle design.”
Sarah Hardwick, joining as Chief Marketing Officer, ran the communications firm that launched Aptera into the spotlight a decade ago and made headlines across the country. Tapping into what Aptera customers were passionate about, she helped to build and nurture a loyal community of fans who have since followed Aptera to become investors and a founding part of the company’s success.
“The first time I saw Aptera, I knew it had the potential to change people’s lives, and I still feel that way,” Sarah said. “The timing is better, the vehicle is better, and the world needs Aptera more than ever.” With these two on board, Aptera is moving forward in a more determined and dynamic way to usher in a new generation of ultra-efficient, safe and beautiful vehicles.
Along with adding extreme talent to the team, we’re also making great progress on our vehicle tooling and development efforts despite COVID slowing down many of our vendors. We’ve begun drivetrain testing and are bringing in new systems to our electrical architecture daily. We are also pushing to finish up our camera systems, displays, user interface systems, and low and high voltage harnessing. Our tooling stands at roughly 70% complete now and interior parts are coming together nicely. Above is a picture of the first primary body structure (no sides) out of our composites shop. We’ll use this in our electrical lab for wiring, EMI testing, and general part fitment. We’re just waiting on our front and rear subframes to install and wire all of our test components. Then we’ll calibrate and test everything in the lab before installing things in our first rolling chassis to begin road testing.
It’s exciting to see everything coming together in preparation to show you, and the world, our exciting solution to the inefficient state of transportation today. Remember that EVs have gained notoriety over the last few years but they still account for less than 1% of the vehicles on the roads around the world. We have a LOT of work to do getting more out of the energy we use to transport people and goods. Aptera uses a quarter of the batteries that a typical EV uses for the same range along with a quarter of the energy per mile. That means that, if every new EV is like taking three gas cars off the roads in terms of emissions, then the Aptera is like taking TWELVE gas cars off the road! Each Aptera put into use will have a huge positive impact on our planet and people's lives!
Thanks for all the continued support, positive comments, and general LOVE! Be safe out there and stay tuned for more updates SOON!
RSchneider
Elio Addict
I hope they lighten up the Aptera. That frame holding up that body in white looks like it could support 5000 lbs. So they would have never built something like that if it was to be really light. Just some 1" thin wall square tubing is all they need. Plus someone needs to learn how to weld. Looks like something I did back when I was a teenager. I would have 3D printed the frame.