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Elio In The Islands

Jeff Porter

Elio Addict
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May 20, 2014
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I believe the main reason the Aptera failed had to do to an over-complication of a simple design, in an effort to accommodate every request for accessories they added cost, added weight and changed specifications endlessly. They also had an uphill battle with general population accepting such a weird looking vehicle and range anxiety. Elio has made it much farther and is much more mainstream in design (it looks familiar) rather than the Jetson's car. The Elio also uses "familiar" components: an Internal combustion engine, transmission Etc. Not too scary for most and enables us home shop people to work on it comfortably.

It's good to get info from a former Aptera reservation holder, what you heard and felt a few years ago. The research I'd done said that Aptera leaders put too much emphasis on the ATVM loan application they submitted. They worked for years and years, there was an issue with 3-wheelers (back then, not now) being eligible for the ATVM loan, then DoE told Aptera they had to raise $80 million on their own to be proven viable, then Aptera switched to a 4-wheel design... all of this in the name of getting the ATVM loan, over a period of years. I found info that agrees with your comment about them trying to accommodate every request. I can see how the strange looks and range anxiety were major reasons, makes sense.
 

Johnapool

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Aug 29, 2014
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Thanks Jim! I have a theory about being in the back seat: It's the easiest way to eliminate a "back seat driver;" PUT HER IN THE FRONT SEAT.

Sure glad that she doesn't read this forum! o_O :)
My wife would tell you that there would still be a back-seat driver, even if I was in the back seat......
 
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