APTERA!!! Former deposit holders ROLL CALL!!!

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pointlomadave

Well-known member
Joined
May 6, 2013
Messages
85
I had 2 deposits. One production # in the 300's and another around 1200. I got both my $500 deposits back. Anyone else? I see some familiar names on this forum. I was "Speedgsx98" on there. I recognize a few usernames on here that were on there like LTLFL Composite and PalmerMD and haven't seen her on here, but can't forget KarenREI. Anyone else???

For me, I knew it was over when the Aptera failed to do the emergency lane change maneuver at the X-Prize even in 2010 or whatever it was. At that point, I put in my request for a refund. Still think it would have been cool if they'd got it right, and sad they kept delaying things. They could have been first to market and created a real buzz. Instead they hired that dude from the Saleen Mustang program and evidently he insisted on getting it right the first time and as a result, there was no first time. =(
 
Duh, was drinking a few beers and posted this in the wrong section, but who cares? Lol. But why do you think it really failed? Steve Fambro removing himself as CEO? Cuz it was a 3 wheeler that would have required a motorcycle license? Cuz they put outside mirrors on it and the CofDwent from .11 to .15? Lol.
 
I never put down a deposit (not sure they ever opened it up to Texas) but I probably would have talked myself into it eventually. Very, very cool car....
 
pointlomadave said:
Duh, was drinking a few beers and posted this in the wrong section, but who cares? Lol. But why do you think it really failed? Steve Fambro removing himself as CEO? Cuz it was a 3 wheeler that would have required a motorcycle license? Cuz they put outside mirrors on it and the CofDwent from .11 to .15? Lol.
Like most EV dreamer-builders they died as a consequence of failing to execute. Customers lined up around the block means nothing if you can't deliver and convert to revenue. IIRC they couldn't decide whether the windows needed to roll down or not.
That said the market for that science experiment probably always was pretty small. Most people want "real" cars, and few are interested in making big compromises or riding around in a dorkmobile just to save a few bucks on gas.
I did get a fun screen name out of the deal though, and I have a lot of respect for people who post on MNL in an impaired state.
 
pointlomadave said:
Duh, was drinking a few beers and posted this in the wrong section, but who cares? Lol. But why do you think it really failed? Steve Fambro removing himself as CEO? Cuz it was a 3 wheeler that would have required a motorcycle license? Cuz they put outside mirrors on it and the CofDwent from .11 to .15? Lol.


Besides the two jokers and team that took over after Steve and ran it into the ground spending tons of cash on expensive office chairs and racing them in empty buildings? Nothing like muscle car guys to build an EV with a giant corporate spending mentality to run a start up company. Not that any of that cash went toward high compensation for their team. :roll:
 
I never put in a deposit, but I followed them closely from the beginning. When they failed, I designed and started building my own design, I call CarBEN. http://neilblanchard.blogspot.com/2013/04/carben-ev5-construction.html

I was at the X-Prize Knockout Round, and the SO-1 was MUCH heavier than it should have been. A person who was at the X-Prize final took this picture:



Aptera failed mostly because of incompetence of the "Detroit insider" CEO. They also failed because they didn't test the unit they brought to the X-Prize, which resulted in things like blowing the main fuse on the first lap of the race because they couldn't absorb the energy from regen with the fully charged battery.
 
Yes, I had my deposit down early and I got it back. I was active on the Aptera board for a long time, but I'm not sure what my username was there. If it wasn't Rat it was probably Xgman.
 
Also a former Aptera deposit holder. The closest I came to an Aptera was sitting in the original prototype in San Diego.
I went from an electric bike enthusiast to rooftop solar, to a Ford Ranger EV, to Aptera, to LEAF, to Tesla S, X and 3 (this month?).
And I still have a deposit on the somewhat Aptera-like Lit-motors gyro-creature. I keep dreaming. Life's more fun that way.

Rat said:
Yes, I had my deposit down early and I got it back. I was active on the Aptera board for a long time, but I'm not sure what my username was there. ...
I recall you were also the eponymous Aptera-forum member.
 
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