Finally some movement

[ciege]

Finally see some more 'Job Postings' on the Aptera site. The type of jobs that will help get their 'production' going.

[APTERA 2356]

It's beginning to look as if we may start seeing Apteras on the road by the end of the year.

Then watch and see if the reservations don't spike as people see that this is a viable alternative to ICE cars and their $4.50 / gal gas

:jumping0007:

[JoeReal]

In all honesty, I really don't care much about the mpg or mpc of the Aptera. I simply love its unique look, and that's one of the primary reasons for me to buy one, given that it works as a commuter vehicle...

But I'm sure glad it is really more than it looks.

[KarenRei]

Gives you a good idea of where they're at in development. For example, they're now hiring a QA manager. I figure that means that they expect part lines to begin operating in under a month.

(Don't get too excited -- the first parts, if they're even good enough to serve their purpose, won't go into production cars; they're going to need cars for drive testing and crash testing. Also, expect lines to start up very slowly -- watching Tesla should give you a good idea of how these things can go).

[ciege]

Agree. Just nice to see 'real progress'. Besides with my reservation number for the 'e' I'll be lucky to see availability late next year.

[Vasil]

Actually, the product can be remarkably simple to produce. You have a list of subsystems and structures:

Body panels
Frame
Suspension
Interior
Powerplant
Electrical systems
Mechanical systems

Since Aptera has disclosed they're using a carbon fiber monocoque body, it's assumed they could be doing vacuum formed or mechanically molded body panels. That's one fairly simple production cell. Add a frame that could be welded metal or bonded carbon fiber, and that's another production cell. Drop in the power plat at yet another cell. Assembly subsystems with off-the-shelf components and that's an assembly line. Add in electrical and mechanical systems, then the interior components. Follow up with systems checks, random quality sampling, and various inline inspections and you will soon end up with a complete product.

Bear in mind that this vehicle has the complexity of an overly technical motorcycle, but lacking many of the metal components (engine, exhaust system, fuel connections, etc) and associated quality checks. I see no reason why they can't produce units in quick order, especially with well established design, purchasing, production, and quality systems in place.

[daddio]

"It's not easy being (going?) green"... a famous frog once said....

Maybe Ed Begley of "Living With Ed" should "plug" :) Aptera? Get funds flowing in their direction? He surely has a Green Celebrity following too! And has a CA residence... Just some thoughts

http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=1120

Jack Benny would be my first choice for a spolesperson for Aptera (if anyone remembers "Penny Pincher" Jack)? Maybe the "ghost of Jack" can work?
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:g2ZnHoXBQV4h5M:http://www.sperdvac.org/

[n_dawg]

Beneath the energy-absorbing shell lies a web of clever electrical engineering. Instead of clustering the circuit boards in one place, Aptera distributed them near individual systems. As a result, the wiring harnesses consist of no more than four wires each, which saves weight and cuts down on labor.

source (http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/magazine/16-01/ff_100mpg?currentPage=4)

Beautiful.