Manufacturing plans

[David Smith]

I would love to learn more about what’s going on with the change of manufacturing facilities, why the change is happening, and what this means for overall delivery schedules. If there’s a new article/release out there that explains, please leave a link for me to follow.

Thanks,

David

[John Malcom]

there is no “Change” in manufacturing facilities. Aptera is “Looking” for a manufacturing facility. The facility they are currently in is their development facility where they are advancing their prototypes. It is a development facility

[Peter Pantoliano]

can anyone out there tell me when cars will start to be delivered ?

its like pulling teeth to get any sort of idea on projected delivery dates …….

[Pistonboy Delux]

In the 2021 Annual Report, it says on page 19:

• Deliver a vehicle to a customer by the end of the year.

• Then build out our facilities and ramp up production accordingly in 2022.

It is interesting they say “a customer”.

This report can be accessed from their website.

If I remember correctly, they found their development facility in a location which had ample room they could expand into for manufacturing. Apparently they decided to not use the potential manufacturing space, and instead look elsewhere.

[Gabriel Kemeny]

If you look at the location of their current office/development facility, there’s no way that could be a manufacturing location – way too small. Even at the low end of 10K vehicles per year produced, it would mean just the parking lot outside to hold the vehicles to be shipped needs to probably accommodate at least 100 vehicles (less than a week of production).

[Pistonboy Delux]

In the following video with Sandy Munro, Chris and Steve talk about their manufacturing and development building plans.

It is at time 6:00.

https://youtu.be/4DhzkUnIh58?t=360

[Steven G. Bueche]

So by this time (8/13/21) the first stage of the manufacturing facility could be set up already? Wouldn’t it be cool if a few shots of that set up could be shown. ????

[John Malcom]

Doubt that any of the setup is done even at this point. Beta build is not complete and no major testing started. The results of both could affect manufacturing planning. I would imagine next level (Detailed) planning based on Sandy Munro’s process is ongoing now that the facility layout is known and establishing the supply chain is the priority. 10/24/2021

[John Trotter]

As much as I would also like to see signs of manufacturing progress, with the hand assembly process we’ve heard about, I’m not sure how one would judge much before cars are actually moving through. (gamma’s?) No giga (or even mini) presses, stampers, fancy robots, paint dips, etc. Patience, I guess, (although I have often felt patience was overrated.)

[BRUCE MENGLER]

https://aptera.us/aptera-expands-into-new-assembly-location/

“As our supply chain becomes more established, we’ll ramp to 250 per month, and eventually reach our target of producing 40 vehicles per day.”

— Pablo Ucar, Vice President of Production and Procurement

In very round numbers 250/month is about 10/day & 3,000/year
In very round numbers 40/day is 10,000/year or 833/month

Above are totally realistic, but the bigger question is when will they become reality.

• This reply was modified 3 months, 3 weeks ago by  bbelcamino.
• This reply was modified 1 month, 1 week ago by  Gabriel Kemeny.

Aptera Expands into New Assembly Location

[Peter Jorgensen]

Back on topic – According to Aptera there are 3 facilities – This main final assembly location, and two others for Betas/R&D, Solar, and Composite manufacturing. Two in Carlsbad and one in North San Diego.

This makes a lot of sense to me – Prebuild parts nearby then assemble them there. This is so exciting!!!

[Ray Holan]

Your point is well taken, Peter. Yes, I’ve hear of these separate facilities for the components you describe. That is not the same thing as having 3 self-contained manufacturing locations — each capable of independently producing X number of Apterae per month.

[Curtis Cibinel]

Per the following discussion on fb someone claimed to have confirmation from Aptera that all versions (Sol, noir, and Luna) are wrapped. John also stated that and I doubt he did so without confirmation. https://www.facebook.com/groups/apterafans/?ref=share

[John Malcom]

I can confirm that all production Aptere sold to retail buyers will be wrapped either with one of three standard colors or custom wrapped at additional charge. The same careful thought that went into engineering the vehicle itself. Wrapping is the most efficient and lowest cost finishing approach.

Of course, once purchased, we are free to do as we wish with our vehicle.

[G Johns]

So, saying you are reservation number 9,000. If you divide 9,000 by 40 per day you get 225 Aptera/days untill you get one. Then divide 225 Aptera/days by 20 working days a month, no overtime, and you get 11.25 months untill your reservation is completed. Of course that’s after testing and everything else and when full production starts. now a second production facility gets that to 5 5/8 months.

So many months yet to save $ towards vehicle purchase.

How’s my math? I flunked every math course I ever took. Just saying.

[Harry Parker]

At one point months ago I remember an Aptera person saying rampup to full production volume would take months. I also heard that they hope to deliver 5000 in 2022. Hopefully they’ll be up to their full rate of 40 per day by the end of 2022, but it could take the full year to reach that.

[Llewellyn Evans]

I would love a progress update from Aptera …. but I am sure they are all busy with Beta builds and product development and the new factory etc etc.

[John Malcom]

Agreed. It is time for an official update from Aptera management. They should have some plans firmed up as they will need to provide the SEC a report for the year with plans for the next year.

Delaying reporting provides fuel for negative speculation and weakening of trust.

[Harry Parker]

I heard a few days ago that beta bodies were being glue welded together in the Carlbad beta factory location. 3D scanning and other quality control of incoming parts is ongoing. They were still waiting for beta parts to arrive from vendors.

Heard they will announce some new vendor partnerships in a few days or weeks.

Factory location is currently being built up for Aptera assembly while old tenant stuff being cleared out.

Over 15,000 reservations now. ????

You probably heard that the current round of funding is closing at year end.

First deliveries have been pushed to the 2nd half of 2022. ????

[John Malcom]

A lot of vigorous discussion on this thread!????

Many, perhaps most, on the forum and prospective buyers would prefer an alternative to wrap. We have trusted the Aptera engineers to “Stay true” to the mantra of efficiency. They have produced the most efficient general transportation vehicle in the world which we are eagerly waiting to get our hands on. To this point they have repeatedly indicated in public and in private to ambassadors that the retail production vehicles assembled in San Diego will be delivered with wraps. I trust that they have applied the same level of diligent engineering combined with attention to efficient production management of Sandy Munro’s lean manufacturing process to implement delivery within CA environmental constraints.

There is a lot of testing yet to be done. Perhaps changes to vehicle finishing may result. But until such time as that happens and is announced, we need to accept the solution the engineers feel is most efficient from the time and cost perspective

Perhaps future iterations of the Aptera manufactured outside of CA may have different finishes. I for one am not willing to wait.

[David Marlow]

Some of the recent videos have info indicating that a lot of things have some issues to resolved. There was one statement that the first delivered Aptera will come before crash testing even begins?

They have indicated that they want to make the first delivery this year, in the spring that was going to be a production unit, in mid summer it was going to be a Delta after crash testing had been done, Now?

[Qiang Fu]

Sounds like it. I did also hear that crash test will be done in Q1 so my guess is that the first delivery will have to be in Q1 at the earliest.

Frankly I was a little down that the gamma release did not come with a release of test data. Showing interior and exterior designs are nice but showing the prototype can achieve the expected technical spec (efficiency, solar output, charging speed, zero to sixty, etc) will be reassuring. I am hoping they are test-driving the gamma and collect these information, otherwise, gamma is just a design mule.

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[Dennis Swaney]

I now doubt they will even make the absolute basic delivery of ONE vehicle being SOLD and DELIVERED to ONE person (almost definitely an in-house employee) by their 11:59 P.M. on December 31, 2022 Pacific Standard Time promise.

[Wes Man]

I promise you I’ll buy this car when it’s made. Let them have their goals. I’m already planning on buying 2 Aptera’s eventually. I was hoping my second Aptera would be something with 3 to 4 seats. But I could also live with two, 2 seaters.

[Christopher Barrett]

“Time keeps on slipping into the future!” I know that the Aptera folks are keenly aware of the drumbeat of customers yet to be, waiting in line for the dream machine. They are focused on getting this assembly line going, but maybe even as difficult as production, it is gathering the needed dollars in a market that is growing cold towards raising capital. Money almost has to come first, as delays in production will be impacted by not enough money to pay for parts, and workers to put them together. Maybe instead of thinking when we will get this magnificent Aptera, we should be out beating the bushes of your wealthiest of friends to get them to invest. I am getting older awaiting my Aptera, at 73 soon to be 74 how much longer do I have to wait? I know one thing, they need the $$$$ to get to the next level of producing them. As the order book get fatter, the investor types see the potential, and it will happen. Buying stock in a new company, before it has revenue, is not for everyone. The risks are still big, but when I look at the passion on this community bulletin board, I think, “oh yeah, the money will follow!” Talk to your friends who drive fancy cars, and those who believe that climate change is real, show them this concept, and ask if they might wish to get involved with a purchase of the shares.

[Leaver]

Yeah… certainly not the best indicators of making it to production. I think the odds are still against it, which is why I’m buying a new Bolt EV in the new year as a hedge. If, on the off chance Aptera survives and makes it to production, then I shouldn’t have too much trouble selling the Bolt.

[Harry Parker]

One employee at the factory tour or the reveal ( I forget which) mentioned production ramping up “mid-year”, say Q2 next year.

The way I figure it is that production starts early next year but the first few dozen will be tested to the max, including destructive crash testing, over the first few months of 2023. Only IF they pass all their safety and performance tests THEN we might see the first Apteras in customer’s hands in March or April. If ANY major mechanical weakness shows up, we will be waiting for quite a few more months for a redesign and repeated testing.

[Peter Dezendorf]

Crash testing is required for CARS and SUVS by NTHSA. As Aptera is an autocycle, no such testing is required. That the company wants to do the testing is great. However, the degree which the vehicle passes the testing matters not a whit to the NTHSA. Hell, the motorcycles I rode for over 20 years would have flunked crash testing. I still rode them…….

[Dan Roberts]

Build the damn thing. Iterate on the fly. If you have 30k orders build a few and sell them. Let’s move! Production is hell, so let’s get through it now.

[Riley …]

I agree, get the car on the road now and just tell the early customers that the vehicle is untested and safety/durability is unknown. Only issue is damage to the brand if someone dies or too many vehicles fail costing the company a lot of warranty repairs. They could heavily restrict early vehicles warranty but I would have to pass on my early reservation if they did that.

[Joshua Rosen]

My guess is that first deliveries won’t happen before the end of Q1. They said that they haven’t finalized a lot of their supplier agreements yet, it doesn’t seem possible that they can have even one vehicle with all production parts by the end of this year. I suppose they could deliver a late prototype to an employee this year and call it a shipment, they might even deliver a handful to employees, but those cars won’t be production vehicles they will just be test vehicles.

[Rupert Jung]

Crash test results are overwhelmingly important for me. Don’t care if the government is calling this a ‘autocycle’, a motorbike or a car (which it is).

Basic (proven) safety is not a luxury for me and neither should be for someone else.

[OZ (It’s OZ, Just OZ)]

The original stated production order for the various model was stated at least as far back as the first day of reservations (12/4/20) on a FaceBook Video chat. It was:

400 mile

250 mile

600 mile

1,000 mile

During the busy week of the Fully Charged show, at a factory tour before hand, it was recorded during an unscripted battery brief as being 400-600-250-1,000, it appeared to go unnoticed at the time, but was picked up by intrepid viewers of the video. Since then it has been making the rounds here and elsewhere as the new order, with various opinions offered as to why it was changed. As it seemed an unusual change, that had not been formally announced I inquired. The response from Aptera follows:

“Thanks for asking about this! It was misspoken, our apologies! The planned order at this time is still 400, 250, 600 and then 1,000. Please let me know if we can be of any further assistance!

Driving solar mobility forward,
Nicole Hall
Community Success Associate”

The production order, at this time, remains:

400 mile

250 mile

600 mile

1,000 mile

• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by  OZ (It's OZ, Just OZ).
• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by  Gabriel Kemeny.

[John Voules]

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by  Harry Parker. Reason: Removed doubled link
• This reply was modified 2 months ago by  Gabriel Kemeny.