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Aptera Subscription Possibilities
Has anyone seen anything about Aptera planning to charge any type of subscription for any of parts or software of the vehicle? Furthermore has anyone seen anything about them mentioning charging extra fees for you to unlock certain things like faster speeds? I’ve recently seen some things about this with other companies specifically with electric cars and the Aptera vehicle just seems so good I find myself thinking it’s almost too good to be true. I looked around the forums a bit but found nothing.
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9 Replies
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Aptera Subscription Possibilities
updated 10 months, 1 week ago
8 Members
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9
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I understand the concern and share it, generally, for the EV market. However, with Aptera, they promise 0-60 in 3.5s with the 3-motor so I dont think they could get away with later throttling it via software locks. They also promise the full suite of safety and autonomous driving features with that order upgrade. I imagine if they were to lock anything, it would have to be new features that are created after the vehicle has already been delivered as promised. However, I dont think see this happening with Aptera. I sure hope it doesnt.
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The Aptera business model is a purchase model not subscription.
When you reserve your Aptera, you select the configuration of the vehicle and premium features you wish to add. The price for the configuration you choose is displayed. When it comes time to order you may make changes and then execute a purchase agreement for that configuration. You get all you select and all that enables that functionality for the purchase price.
At some point there may be over the air functionality available as an upgrade or additional functionality not ready at the time of first production vehicles. At this point, since Aptera is still in the testing phase, we have no infomation on what that may be or if an owner will have to pay for it if they want it. I believe that if it was a feature originally in the plan for the vehicle, there will not be a charge. If it is something new, it is completely reasonable the we would pay for it if we want it.
All will be clear before delivery to customers begins to avoid surprises or misunderstanding.
Without question, Aptera is a remarkable value. Pinch yourself. It will hurt you are not in a dream!
There won’t be any $10,000 up charges for self driving like I was asked to pay when I bought my Tesla Model 3.
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John Malcolm: I don’t understand your last sentence. The dealer (or Tesla?) charged you a premium of $10K for what exactly?
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At the time Tesla had a 10K charge for activating Full Self Driving
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Wow!
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@Lane Costilow It’s currently a $12,000 option to activate Full Self Driving in a Tesla. When my buddy bought his Model 3 in 2018, it cost $6000. All Teslas are delivered with the necessary hardware installed, so you’re paying for software. All Teslas come with “Autopilot” – a basic Level 2 suite of driver assistance functions and you can pay an additional $6000 to unlock “Enhanced Autopilot” to gain a few extra functions. FSD is like subscribing to a science experiment: They keep testing new functions as they head toward full Autonomous Driving.
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I can understand the subscription model for a function that is mainly a software add on and needs to be regularly up dated, like self driving. However there are companies looking at charging later to keep the initial price down, for features that in the long run are cheaper to build in rather than offer as options, like heated seats, that bothers me. I also understand having a wiring harness built in designed to accommodate things that a dealer could upgrade later, like a premium sound system.
However Aptera will not be using a dealer system any time soon, if ever.
But people are asking for possible and on later options like a larger battery, but this will involve much more than just a battery.
In fact Aptera is being up front about these things, when GM introduced the Volt they did not disclose the fact that while there was more demand than supply, they would prioritize building the more fully equipped (more profitable versions).
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Discontinuing the Volt was another GM misstep.
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I am not sure why you would disparage GM for building the more well equipped Volts to make more profit or why you think they have some imperative to disclose that strategy. That is pretty much general practice for all automobile manufactures. They would not do it if there was no market for it. GM is a company in business to maximize return for their shareholders. They are not public service organization.
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