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After 6 Years, Aptera Motors Is No More

Posted by timothy on from the market's-a-harsh-mistress dept.

After years of beautiful concept cars, envy-inspiring demos, and missed production targets starting in 2008, high-efficiency car startup Aptera is liquidating its assets. A pointed excerpt from Wired's account: "The truth is, Aptera always faced long odds and has been in trouble for at least two years. The audience for a sperm-shaped, three-wheeled, electric two-seater was never anything but small. It didn’t help that production of the 2e — at one point promised for October 2009 — was continually delayed as Wilbur ordered redesigns to make it more appealing to the mainstream. Aptera had a small window in which to be a first mover in the affordable EV space, and that window closed the moment the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt hit the market. At that point, Aptera teetered on the brink of irrelevance." As a compulsive driver, I had been hoping to one day drive one of these to save gas money.

4 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. As Usual by Mikkeles · · Score: 5, Insightful

    'was continually delayed as Wilbur ordered redesigns to make it more appealing to the mainstream.'

    The perfect is the enemy of good enough.

    --
    Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
  2. It's a toy "trike" and looks like it. by couchslug · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Trikes are registered as motorcycles in the US in the same way as a conventional MC with a side car.

    They aren't serious transportation. They are fun, but don't have the AGILITY of a two-wheeler or the STABILITY of a four-wheeler (wheels under each corner come in handy).

    This isn't a blow against practical EVs, it's just one less toy. Since trikes don't have to meet crash standards, it was an understandable workaround....that's been done before....but makes it a toy.

    --
    "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
  3. Died in 2008 with the hiring of Paul Wilbur by Shivetya · · Score: 5, Insightful

    He ousted two of the originals and was a old school car guy, it was no wonder that nothing that had been created before he arrived would ever satisfy him, nor much of any chance innovation was going to stick.

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    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
  4. Re:Snow. by arthurpaliden · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm not talking about batteries in an electric car. I am talking about sexy concept cars with small wheels, low clearance and no weight trying to drive through a few inches of wet snow and ice.

    --
    Undetectable Steganography? Yep, there's an app fo