Google!

[mmalc]

Google just announced investment in Aptera!
Dan Reicher at PlugIn 2008.

No details yet, more if I find out more.

[D Jetson]

Nice. That should help move production along :jumping0007:

[Apt3448]

I assume it is the follow-up on this announcement from September last year:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9776871-7.html
Google will invest, so they said, between .5 and 2.0 m$ in any company fulfilling their criteria: http://www.google.org/recharge/rfp/
This would be great news and great publicity, too. Watch those reservation numbers go up as Aptera gains credibility.

[mmalc]

I assume it is the follow-up on this announcement from September last year:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9776871-7.html
Google will invest, so they said, between .5 and 2.0 m$ in any company fulfilling their criteria: http://www.google.org/recharge/rfp/
This would be great news and great publicity, too. Watch those reservation numbers go up as Aptera gains credibility.

I managed to ask Dan after the presenatation and he said, yes, it was part of this initiative. He also said there were a lot of entries...

[KarenRei]

Oy, is this a crazy news night or what? ;) I'm having trouble keeping up!

[PaulO]

He also said that production was going to start in October.

[KarenRei]

Who said that? I've heard the October date mentioned several times before, but it's been a while, and for some reason, I've always just doubted it.

It's crazy to think that it could start that soon with so many things unknown to us. October is only 69 days from now.

[PaulO]

Dan Reicher of Google mentioned it tonight at Plug-In 2008.

I assume that as an investor, he is up to date on production. This was clearly a calculated release of information. He said google as a company decided to release the invest info at the conference. I would expect something to be on google.org soon.

[Apt3448]

Dan Reicher of Google mentioned it tonight at Plug-In 2008.
Not exactly the horses mouth (sorry, Dan), but I'll take it. He must have been told that as part of Aptera's application for the prize (they call it an investment on the web site). 69 days and counting...

[Apt3448]

This seems to be the first description on the web of the investment. Not a lot of details, but watch it explode in the next few days :)
http://media.cleantech.com/3153/google-plugs-cash-plug-ins

[Reellucky]

Watch for more silicon valley/bay area type companies to jump on the Aptera wagon as it becomes a reality. My son works for Cisco in San Jose. I dont remember if it was Cisco or Google, but one of them was offering employees a $5000 cash incentive if they bought a Prius. If that was for a 43mpg hybrid, you would think they would get real generous for 300mpg!

[Matthijs]

Here is also an article on the investment: Link (http://venturebeat.com/2008/07/23/googleorg-gives-electric-cars-a-push-with-investments-in-aptera-and-actacell/)

[speednut]

Google.org blog updated with details...

http://blog.google.org/2008/07/driving-plug-in-technology-with.html

(Thanks Karen!)

[mmalc]

Watch for more silicon valley/bay area type companies to jump on the Aptera wagon as it becomes a reality. My son works for Cisco in San Jose. I dont remember if it was Cisco or Google, but one of them was offering employees a $5000 cash incentive if they bought a Prius.

It was Google.

I work in a well-known Silicon Valley company, and I'm afraid we don't get that sort of on incentive. We did have a presentation from Tesla a couple of weeks ago, though.

[wwalkersd]

Who said that? I've heard the October date mentioned several times before, but it's been a while, and for some reason, I've always just doubted it.

It's crazy to think that it could start that soon with so many things unknown to us. October is only 69 days from now.

It's incredibly crazy when you look at their open jobs list (unless they're too busy to take them down when the positions are filled). Right now it lists:

Electrical Engineering Manager
Administrative Assistant
Senior Process Engineer
QA Manager
Operations Manager
Development Director
Timing Specialist
Vehicle Development Engineer
Composite Technician

Looking at just the first one, the position description says:
"As the Electrical Engineering Manager you will lead a team of electrical engineers in the design of an electric and hybrid-electric passenger vehicle. You will guide design of the vehicle control, architecture, electronics, firmware, software, power management, wiring, energy storage and drive system"

We'd better hope they're hiring now for post-Typ1 vehicle designs. This is not someone you hire three months before production starts. Likewise the development director.

Oh, sorry, first post. I'll go back to lurking now.

[pk-sd]

Here is another link to the news:

http://gizmodo.com/5028455/aptera-electric-trikemobile-finds-a-friend-and-275m-in-google

[Apt3448]

Not to rain on the parade but:
"Google's philanthropic arm has just thrown a cool $2.75 million their way" Nope, they have to share that with actacell, and we do not know the distribution of the money.
"the Aptera Typ-1 is due this year, same specs, at about $30,000. Both full electric and plug-in hybrid flavors will be available." That would be great, but until now we have always been told that the electric should be coming out in late 2008, the plug -in a year later. There is no other source for the suggestion that both would be available this year, or for the info on the specs.

Would be great, though..

To the best of our knowledge Aptera still needs to move to a new location, big enough for actual production. Production at first will be of a single model, and will be slow (a few units per week). The Google investment is not really big, but a vote of confidence and will lead to more reservations.So everything is going our way, but don't hold your breath.

[Vasil]

Three of those positions may fill by end of August. My buddy is interviewing for the Composites Tech position right now.

If you're still hiring engineers, it's most likely to design the next generation of Aptera vehicle.

[n_dawg]

Here's the story, for you diggers:

http://digg.com/environment/Google_pumps_2_75_Million_into_130_MPG_Car_and_EV_ Batteries

And Reddit(ers?):

http://www.reddit.com/comments/6t9tj/googleorg_invests_275m_in_aptera_motors/

http://www.reddit.com/comments/6t4s4/google_invests_in_aptera_motors_and_liion_battery/

http://www.reddit.com/comments/6t4nh/google_invests_in_aptera_motors_and_lithiumion/

[A1phaGeek]

"Driving plug-in technology with investments of $2.75 million"
the title from
http://blog.google.org/2008/07/driving-plug-in-technology-with.html

This article written by the google.org official team, clearly states that EACH of the recipients received a 2.75 million investment. It was not shared.

:jumping0007:

[Apt3448]

This article written by the google.org official team, clearly states that EACH of the recipients received a 2.75 million investment. It was not shared.

I must be loosing my mind; for the life of me I cannot see anywhere in your link that they EACH received money.

[A1phaGeek]

I must be loosing my mind; for the life of me I cannot see anywhere in your link that they EACH received money.

The title for one "investments" of 2.75 million. Then in the article that they link to with the first word in each company section goes into further details about the separate 2.75 mil investments.
Edit: I just went back and now the first link goes to the companies sites. Hmmm...

Now the link to the site which clearly talked about 2 seperate investments is gone from the blog. Now I'm confused also.. Oh well...

At least we know they got significantly more in their latest venture funding round. Although exactly how much of it was from google is a mystery.

[Matthijs]

The title for one "investments" of 2.75 million. Then in the article that they link to with the first word in each company section goes into further details about the separate 2.75 mil investments.
Edit: I just went back and now the first link goes to the companies sites. Hmmm...

Now the link to the site which clearly talked about 2 seperate investments is gone from the blog. Now I'm confused also.. Oh well...

At least we know they got significantly more in their latest venture funding round. Although exactly how much of it was from google is a mystery.

Well this site couldn't be more clear or wrong: http://www.carazed.com/2008/07/25/aptera-and-actacell-get-275-million-each/

[iwannaptera]

Looks like the other company Acta Cell has a new process for making lithium spinel rechargeable batteries that overcome the defects of earlier technologies. For those of you interested check out the US patent application 20080157027A1

[Apt3448]

Acta cell is working on batteries usefull for vehicles such as the Aptera, but
"Still in the development phase, ActaCell’s technology has not been publicly disclosed. Full product and technology announcements will follow in early 2009." (according to their own press release: http://www.actacell.com/pressrelease
It seems that whatever they will be working on will not be part of the first generation Aptera's.

[Skeat]

Junk reply so I can reply again with a link.

[Skeat]

I can guess why Google has tossed a lot of cash in the way of Aptera. I was watching a video I just today. Lets see if this will work (http://www.vimeo.com/3084547).Google has a big interest in the car because they are integrating the cars computer with google. As you can see in the video Google is the primary maps, email, calender and, apps program they use for the car. It's like Microsoft and Ford's new SYNC offered on some of their cars.

[speculawyer]

I can guess why Google has tossed a lot of cash in the way of Aptera. I was watching a video I just today. Lets see if this will work (http://www.vimeo.com/3084547).Google has a big interest in the car because they are integrating the cars computer with google. As you can see in the video Google is the primary maps, email, calender and, apps program they use for the car. It's like Microsoft and Ford's new SYNC offered on some of their cars.
It is more than that. The Google founders are actually into sustainable power. Their Google.org is heavily into it. Google has put up lots of solar panels (http://www.google.com/corporate/solarpanels/home?gsessionid=kE4lCp9eglo), they've got their own plug-in Priuses (http://www.google.org/recharge/), Google hosted a brainstorming session to help Th! (http://www.thinkglobalforum.com/the_google_brainstorming/agenda)nk, etc.


Sergey Brin (google co-founder) drove one of the Ford Th!nks sold in the late 90's. (http://thatcarguy.blogspot.com/2008/04/think.html)

[mmalc]

He also said that production was going to start in October.
I guess he didn't say which October :-)