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Friends and family reactions to Aptera
When I booked my Aptera, I told my wife that I will get a new car in the next couple of years ….. and gave no further details. Then today I 3d printed an Aptera and asked her to clean up the model for me. She held it up and said “Is this a space ship?” ……. I can’t wait for it to arrive.????
- 35 Replies
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Friends and family reactions to Aptera
updated 1 year, 2 months ago 29 Members · 35 Replies -
Great story! My friends, mostly, put up with my nattering-on about Aptera but my favorite comment came from one of my long-retired grad school profs: “It certainly LOOKS like something you’d drive…” ????
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To put it simply, the reactions are VERY strong, moreso than with any car ever. Alot of people still have no interest in buying one because of the 2 seats (which will be fixed with the next vehicle) and because of safety concerns (they don’t trust that’s its one of the safest vehicles there is), but everyone thinks it’s cool for sure.
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From my oldest daughter “Is that the thing on the back of your t shirt?”
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Meeting up with the family for the first time since covid started, this Thanksgiving. So of course I teased my mom with getting a new car a few days ago, but I wouldn’t tell her what it was.
After a few wrong guesses, she went with a magic carpet…. To which I said, that was metaphorically the closest guess so far. We’ll see how that goes. 😛
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My wife and I respect each others wishes even if we have opposite opinions. The best example is our choices in vehicles. She loves her yellow AWD Jeep, she can sit up high and not worry about getting stuck in the snow. She thinks the Aptera is ugly and is too low for her to get in and out of easily. I was able to get her to compromises some by getting the model that gets the best gas mileage. I currently have a 2011 Volt, that she will begrudgingly ride in.
I think that she will learn to at least apricate the economy of the Aptera and might even get her to ride in it.
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It definitely generates a lot of “wows”, “that’s cool”, and an interest to learn more since they at first are not quite sure what it is. The only negative reactions so far from some folks have been regarding having only 2 seats and having partially blocked views out the side windows. Many folks are intrigued by the look, the range, the solar charging, and how unique it is. My pre-teen daughter really wants me to buy one (more so than my wife) since my daughter wants me to drive her to school and other events in it. Aptera apparently has the pre-teen stamp of approval for a “see and be seen” car. ????
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“That looks like something you Enneagram 4’s would buy.”
“Oh I can’t be seen with you in that.”
“You won’t drive that for real will you?”
“That won’t fit in your garage.”
“Why would you want that? Are you sure you want all that attention?”
Then I tell her the stock has done a 16x and aren’t even selling cars yet….
“This looks like a nice car!”
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Wife and Daughter Both said something like: “It looks too small” – I pointed out that while it has Two Less Seats, It has very nearly the interior space of Our Cessna 182. Then I mentioned ZERO FUEL COSTS. The Peanut Gallery Went Silent.
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After showing a picture of it to my wife, who brings judgmental thought to an art form, simply called it a weirdo car. Mind you, this is a person with a Master’s degree from Yale. She is smart, but very slow to accept new ideas, even if they save planet Earth. I’ll keep working on her.
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I’m a investor and pre-order reservation holder but I’m afraid Aptera looks(3 wheeler) are just a bit outside of visual norms for mass adoption. Although I do like and appreciate the level of efficiency and many excellent ideas such as the skin cooling, usable solar, composite body etc. etc. I believe more of a balance with the expected vehicle aesthetic is needed. Something along the lines of 4 wheels with a slightly degraded cd about .15 -.17. Would still be leaps and bounds better than everything else available and have superior range. I love the Aptera concept but most people I show a picture of an Aptera shy away immediately.
I’d love to know what sort of reactions people on this forum have experienced? My personal views are different than most but I wonder if my experience of other folks is typical or unique?
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Many in my family think it’s really cool looking, but others are really skeptical of the acceptance of the look.
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I’m an Engineer – Pretty Is as Pretty Does. APTERA is simply BEAUTIFUL!
She Who Must Be Obeyed Thought it looked Small. I pointed Out that it was shaped and sized very closely to Our Cessna 182 Cockpit. She agreed that the Cessna was “Big Enough for us”
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Bruce, most people have been very interested in learning more, though many realistically would not necessarily buy one. I usually receive variations on “cool” for the looks and “wow” for the tech specs. My 12 year old daughter really really wants me to get one so she can show up to events in it (good sign for the next generation ???? ), though it is a tougher sell for my wife since it does not provide family transportation. I will probably need to keep our two current family-supporting cars and this will be a third car, which is not ideal but it is what it is. Primary negative comments received from others have been that it only carries two people, lateral views are obstructed by the mid-window frames, and risk averse uncertainty about being the first model from a startup company with unknown future/support/parts/etc. if the company doesn’t make it.
Fortunately, no car has to convince or appeal to everyone. It just needs to appeal to enough people to continue a viable business and meet its particular need even if it does not meet the needs of “99%” of other people in the world (since “1%” is still a lot of people and cars in the world). As an investor and someone who wants the company to continue long into the future, I do believe that 4 wheel variants which carry more people will be an important part of the company’s long term growth strategic roadmap, though a two seater can still meet different needs in its own way both now and in that future. The current design may help set the stage through wow factor and hopefully positive ownership stories. This can help propel success for other model variants in the future.
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The space ship aesthetics is what sets them apart. The world doesn’t need yet another CUV/SUV, there are a million of them and they all pretty much look the same. The looks and the range are the two things that distinguish the Aptera, in the long run it will just be the appearance. By the time they are shipping in volume Tesla will have the 4680s in everything, a Model 3 with > 400 miles of range plus the Supercharger network completely solves the range issue. That will happen in 2023 and no later than 2024. By then the CCS network won’t be so terrible either which will pretty much eliminate range as a selling point. That leaves looks and that’s a place where Aptera stands out. They will need to do a four wheel four passenger version at some point but it will still have to look like a space ship, if it’s looks are at all common they won’t sell any.
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I don’t think that norms and their application as a driver for mass adoption are the operative paradigm here. Frankly the market is already rapidly saturating with new EVs that look just like the same old ICE vehicles that they are hoping to replace. That’s down to including the ridiculous faux grills and air scoops! I recognize that lots of consumers buy into that status quo and that’s who the big car companies are trying to nudge over.
I see the role of Aptera as different. Many folks recognize that there is a desperate need to push the normative needle away from the ever more massive, do everything bricks auto maker’s have been selling us, towards more efficient vehicles. Aptera is going to provide that in an unmistakable, way out on the fringe sort of way. The very act of being out on the road (need I say, looking so very cool!) and making at least some people say, “Wow! What’s that? I want me one of those!”, will cause the bounds of what is normal (even possible) to shift in the minds of a lot of people.
A book I read a decade or two ago called that a “Blue Ocean strategy” and I am betting the Aptera will nail that in a significant way. That’s what I am in for.
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Joel Smith nails it: This isn’t a vehicle designed to be “aesthetically pleasing” – Aptera’s form is dictated by its function. The point of this vehicle it to determine just how efficient a functional vehicle can be. It’s not aimed at “mass adoption” – certainly not with a plan to build 10K units per year – but there are dozens of 2-seat 4-wheelers on the market that sell very, very well and have nowhere near the Aptera’s cargo-carrying practicality.
“Common knowledge” may be that everyone wants a vehicle that “fits in” with all the other vehicles on the road but, if so, why is the customization market an $8B industry in the US alone? So maybe this “common knowledge” is really just metathesiophobia. I am reminded of the scene in “The Life of Brian” in which the title character declares to the assembled multitude, “You are all individuals!” and the crowd responds as one voice, “Yes, we are all individuals.”
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Engineer here also – I think it looks amazing. The other cars on the market are just brick shaped blobs that all look the same. I wish more looked like Aptera! It reminds me of a sailplane or high performance glider. It looks incredible.
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Thanks to everyone for their replies. That said I feel the intent of my post has not been fully addressed. I am not as concerned about folks on this forum’s view, we are all ardent supporters. My post was more about the re-action when presenting Aptera to others. One of the comments I have received was that I should have a batman costume on when I arrive in it.
Original question below:
“I’d love to know what sort of reactions people on this forum have experienced? My personal views are different than most but I wonder if my experience of other folks is typical or unique?”
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Anecdotal evidence only: what about this vehicle engenders far more interest from XY-types than XX-types? I see only green Aptera teeshirt wearing XX-types with positive feelings about the company on the discussion board and my wife’s reaction is … people inclined to look at Apterii as a reasonable choice have waaaaay too much discretionary spending in their life. 🤔
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Once aptera has cars on the road I believe more women will be more interested in aptera than men at first glance. It’s the technical details that will be the main draw for men after the first sight of such a strange car. From my point of view the reason why we see so few women this early in the process is due to the way aptera is being placed out into the world right now.
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My girlfriend says it’s ugly and she won’t ride in it.
Just like my 1952 mgtd because it doesn’t have seat belts
or my 56 bug because it didn’t have air bags or seat belts
Do you see a trend ?
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The minute I found out that I could possibly never buy gas/electric power again with the solar panels, I started taking it seriously. My second thought was range. It was the only vehicle at the time with the range we need. After that I looked at safety, which was addressed by Aptera videos, chats and the FAQ. So, I suspect that when Aptera started addressing those things in factual videos that were on youtube, women became more interested – or at least I did. While I appreciate the engineering and technical details, I must admit that I really only want something that can get us from Point A to Point B (200 miles, a couple of times a month) and back safely, without using gas or plugging in. The fact that it is so fun looking is a bonus – at least I will be able to find it in a parking lot full of round-cornered boxes. (Just one woman’s opinion.
EDIT: Oh, and I don’t often wear tee shirts because they generally unflattering on certain bodies, including mine. Now if Aptera comes out with a V neck that has a bit of shaping so I don’t wind up with wads of fabric around my waist while being stretched tight across the girls, then I’d get one. Maybe. I did notice that Sarah cut the neck out of hers in the last update and she looks fabulous.
EDIT 2: I forgot to add that I’d been seriously looking for several years to get a car to replace my 2001 Honda CRV that was destroyed in 2017. I wanted an EV but was not impressed with anything out there because of price, range and the fact that I’d still have to plug it in. (So I would get twice the mileage with a hybrid? Big whoop. I’d still be using power generated by fossil fuels.) Aptera ticked the boxes for my needs. I’m a practical person and I think most women will see the advantages if they get the info. All of my girlfriends like the look and will probably be interested when they NEED to buy a car, but they want to see a working one that they can test out and purchase, instead of buying sight unseen. Not one of them has more money than brains, and they all think it’s a reasonable price. Fingers crossed that Aptera can hold the line on the initial quoted price.
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My house is already solar powered, so having my transportation being solar powered is the next logical step for me. As pointed out by others, Aptera is designed from a functional and sustainable standpoint, which is also part of its appeal to me.
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When I showed a picture of the Aptera to my wife she thought it was stupid and wouldn’t ride in it. After I told her I preordered one she said “you are not buying that car”. I stopped the conversation after that. We’ll resume the conversation when it is time to place the order.
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I’ll bet I’m not alone. Surrounded by doubters. “Are you still looking at that?” Two years before I’ve a chance of seeing my Aptera. I’m getting defensive. I’ve started putting on the headphones and hiding behind my screen.
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Honestly, my family think it’s neat that I’m going to make this my next vehicle.
Not that there’s not that one coworker rolling their eyes, though…