john-malcom
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Early in this iteration of Aptera a member of the senior staff of Aptera said that an Aptera could float. It seems that Tesla took the hint and not wanting to be “One up’d” made Cyber Truck capable of swimming. Here is a post describing it frolicking in the serf. 😜
https://www.yahoo.com/autos/viewers-stunned-beach-goer-captures-140000936.html
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A BIG blow to the reputation of Tesla’s self driving technology, millions of U.S. Tesla’s are being recalled for the self driving feature. The Full Self Driving (FSD) feature at $12,000 up charge has been under investigation as a factor in fatal crashes for some time.
Neither of our two Tesla’s, one replaced with a Bolt now were equipped with FSD as we thought the value proposition for a 12K feature seldom used, was there.
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I do not expect a FM or AM radio in the Aptera. I want Apple Car Play or, for those that have Android phones, the Android equivalent. I think Sirius XM is the least probable.
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This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by John Malcom. Reason: added additional response
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This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by
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Stellantis announced that it is in the black on EV sales in the U.S. and Europe while Ford and GM are bleeding billions of loses on their EV sales and cutting back on Production with profitability forecasted no sooner then mid 2020’s.
Aptera enthusiasts TAKE NOTE: reason for performance “Controlling costs”
Article worth a read as there are other interesting facts there. A few, Stellantis is now number 2 behind Tesla in sales of EV’s in China. Stellantis will buy components from Chinese manufacturer to save cost of manufacturing. Stellantis is gearing up to compete with low cost Chinese EVs sod in Europe, and finally, Stellantis has a Citroen RV product at the 25K level.
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Sorry. Here is one. I will try to find the one I referenced and add it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qWULyu4FlA
And another. The one I first referenced requires a subscription to read.
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This reply was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by John Malcom. Reason: added additional response
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This reply was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by
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Big price increase and Failure to achieve target range
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tesla-fans-frustrated-musk-reveal-223842692.html
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This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by John Malcom. Reason: corrected spelling
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This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by
Gabriel Kemeny.
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This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by
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Today was the first customer delivery of Tesla’s Cyber Truck. The price of the base model Cyber Truck is now $69.990 an increase of $30K over the original advertised price. I suspect that some portion of the 2M reservations for the Cyber Truck will have sticker shock and not purchase.
This should give a sobering heads up for Aptera reservation holders that don’t believe that Aptera will raise prices.
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This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by John Malcom. Reason: erased formatting text
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This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by Gabriel Kemeny.
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This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by
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Agreed! Certainly foolish to expose a vehicle to salt water. Wouldn’t ford anything deeper than to floor boards. A typical Tesla exaggeration?
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Extra cost and increased price of the Aptera. Less use of radio (Both AM and FM) now days with pervasive use of smart phones in cars. Almost everyone has one. Low risk of being without your phone as most people are joined a the hip with their phone.
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Interesting factoid
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Agree. when Chrysler went bankrupt, then was bought by Mercedes, then migrated to Stellantis, people discounted them and stopped tracking them. Looks like a mistake since they have solved the equation of profitable, low cost EV manufacturing. Not a mystery, “Control costs”. There claim that the market needs a 25K EV is bad news for all manufacturers to include Aptera. They are giving Tesla a run for the money in Europe and will have a vehicle to compete with Tesla bot in the US and Europe. Caught Ford and GM by surprise as well.
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Like the illuminated logo as that is unique to Aptera and identified where to knock where to open the door. Also now strongly associate d with the Aptera brand.
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Thanks Biker! You come through consistently with useful information with no biased commentary, The right way for a provider of factual data to be.
Should add, this is a BIG win/capture for Aptera!
Signed up for Space Coast Chapter
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This reply was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by John Malcom. Reason: added additional response
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This reply was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by John Malcom. Reason: added additional response
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This reply was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by
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There never was a plan to to have the Name “Aptera” on the vehicle.and none of the renderings of the PI have it named. Is the idea to name it your idea or did you see somewhere that having the name Aptera was intended for production vehicles?
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Both are highly competitive entries in the low cost EV market. Our team’s market intel. indicates the first of Tesla’s Model 2 will be built in Giga TX as the assembly line has been worked on there for some time. Most production in Giga Shanghai and Giga Berlin for the two biggest EV markets. At one time rumored as “Self driving” “No pedals and no steering device) but will be Tesla conventional with pedals and steering device. Target steady state production, 4M Model 2’s per year. Perhaps overly ambitious. Forecasted to retain low to mid 20K for pricing (Low pricing because of revolutionary GigaPress manufacturing and Lithium/Iron batteries. Range about 300 mi. GM’s Equinox and 2gen Bolt about the same time will saturate that segment. GM worried about pricing and production of Model 2.
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I think you are right to consider both of these EV’s as competitors to an Aptera based on price especially for families that can afford only one EV and need to haul more than two passengers at a time. If I had to chose it would be the Volvo. Looks like both may be available around the same time as the Aptera in 25/26
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This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by John Malcom. Reason: correct spelling
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This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by
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Agree with your position on this kind of presentation vs. your term, my agreement “Marketing fluff” Marketing fluff is fine once in steady state volume production, but at this point, the most believable and effective format is simply answering lingering questions openly and honestly. Builds credibility and flattens speculation on both end of the distribution.
And thanks to Biker as always for his finger on the pulse for these kind of things.
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This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by John Malcom. Reason: added additional response
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This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by
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Thanks. That sounds like a reasonable way for out of state customers to ship their vehicle if they can’t come to pick it up for some reason
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Second thought question. Do you have an idea of how we will need to handle taxes/tags etc. under CA law if we did what you suggested? Can it go directly on a truck with out tags or tax and then pay those at the destination state?
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I suspect you will be a busy man! Hope you can get compensated for your service.
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I think it is apples to apples in the following areas. Years of inflation need to be accommodated. Both are new EV products with no history of production to guide pricing. Both require shake out of a new production process. Both will have unknown/unanticipated defects in the first production runs which fixing will require a reservoir of capital that will need to be generated from profitable sales as there is no capital pool to support these costs. Also there needs to be a reclamation of the R&D expense of development in both cases. Both had relatively the same schedule and faced the same development and capital hurdles in the same time frame. Both need to develop new production facilities. Both had low initial production vehicle pricing for those that wanted to reserve a vehicle with no upward adjustments along the path to production. The customer base of both vehicles held out/is holding out hope for no or little price increase.
Where it is an apples and oranges comparison is Tesla has the financial strength for wiggle room in pricing where Aptera does not.
Aptera will not have a 75% price differential. But if there are Aptera fans that don’t think Aptera will have a price increase, they are disregarding the facts of the automobile business.
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I have sometimes been critical of Aptera and sometimes supportive. Hopefully balanced and based on more than superficial personal speculation. One thing has been clear and consistent from the start at the end of 2020 is that Aptera has done remarkable things on a shoe string budget in the worst of economic times. That kind of effort deserves support to the end what ever that end may be. I believe that end will be a transition to limited production transitioning to full production. If that doesn’t happen, what is a reservation holder out worst case, the $70/100 reservation fee which will most likely be refunded. I spend that much at Starbucks in a week. Dr. Steve Lee on the Aptera Owners Club YouTube channel has a great video that completely debunks the “Speculation” that Aptera is a scam. Have the intestinal fortitude to stay with them for your benefit.
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A lot of competition coming for Aptera in the next 18-24 months. I think yours is the best case for couples/families that can afford two vehicles. For families that can’t The Pear or Tesla Model 2, or other small, inexpensive EV’s will be the answer based on price and seating capacity. Although range per charge will be a factor, with most EVs now with a reasonable range, price will be the overriding factor, especially if inflation continues in the economy and the price of everything goes up for everybody.
BYD is coming out with a small EV at $10,000 USD. At present, targeted at the Chinese market and EU where it will compete with the Tesla Model 2 being built at Giga Berlin. Eventually to the U.S. market (BYD already sells electric vehicles in the U.D. and has a production facility in CA)where it will compete wit Tesla Model 2, GM bolt and Equinox, and of course the Aptera in the untapped, low price, EV market the only remaining untapped market in the EU and North America.
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This reply was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by John Malcom. Reason: added additional response
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This reply was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by
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Not a bad idea! I had not thought about that approach but I have been brain washed by driving a Tesla Model 3 for four years. Have a Bolt now with buttons and switches
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I would agree that past production announcements would suggest a reasonable amount of skepticism on current statement about production. But, Aptera is a start up and hard to predict.