evmavin
10-02-2008, 01:25 PM
I think Aptera will have a tough road ahead with competing EV's and I believe these are SOME of the challenges they will face and advantages they have
Cons:
1) Cost to produce too high- It will be tough for them to build these cars in the US and be competitive with large overseas car builders.
2) Acceptance of platform for the mass public- Overall design perceptions, width, etc
3) Performance- Lower performance due to "off the shelf" inexpensive inverter/motor and other parts
4) Pack capacity- Possible limits on pack size limiting range and/or performance ability
5) Presently a limited production and new company- Scary for some at the price point
6) High cost for product delivered- Yes it is based on the projected parts, they are locked in here.
7) Their technology (as far as what is rumored) is not that advanced in the EV space based on the price point.
Pros:
1) Possible first-to-market on a long range EV provides them and edge
2) Styling that will attract attention and appeal strongly to some groups
3) Nimble to make quick changes within their design means
4) Very efficient design.
There is no question they will sell a few hundred cars to EV nuts like me, green team members, people who think it's cool or cute, etc. This assumes no major issues and they deliver close to promised.
Now after some time goes by we hope the batteries and build quality, drive quality etc do well, based on no bad experiences that further the unfortunate misconceptions about EV's we than go to growing sales.
Here is where I think other more "acceptable" EV designs like Think and others could really take the real sales away and ride the thunder of the EV revolution. And these are a couple reasons why:
1) The Aptera will not be very functional as a "city car" where it will get many of it's sales due to being very wide and long. What I mean is that EV's are very attractive in this regard and used for short trips so parking is important for these buyers. Just look how many Mini's and Smarts are in SF. This is one important component of the value
2) The Aptera will appeal to many for its unique design and styling and would sell many more cars to a broader group if they could offer more performance for those who like it to make economical short trips but also would like some fun from the power of an electric motor. This would not compromise efficiency and would be a compliment to the wide wheel base for handling. The challenge here is cost, they are stuck buying expensive motor and inverters and may be limited in pack size. They can offer a larger motor and you take the hit on range for fun- I think this would be smart but tough to do now.
3) Aptera should offer 240V charging or universal voltage charging, this is a real feature that has real value. Putting money here makes sense as many charging stations operate at this voltage and many will, as people drive these cars many will want faster charging for certain conditions and for many installing a 240 outlet at home is not tough. This will take care of many real and perceived objections regarding charge times. One charger with a cord and adaptors, this let's you charge anywhere and faster. RV parks, EV charging stations, home, your friends dryer outlet. All OEM EV's charge on 240 and infrastructure will be built that way, it's not an NEV.
Aptera has done great things with this product and I hope they have also spent time collecting information from individuals who have driven EV's similar in size and they test they have also had various demographic groups drive the EV.
Cons:
1) Cost to produce too high- It will be tough for them to build these cars in the US and be competitive with large overseas car builders.
2) Acceptance of platform for the mass public- Overall design perceptions, width, etc
3) Performance- Lower performance due to "off the shelf" inexpensive inverter/motor and other parts
4) Pack capacity- Possible limits on pack size limiting range and/or performance ability
5) Presently a limited production and new company- Scary for some at the price point
6) High cost for product delivered- Yes it is based on the projected parts, they are locked in here.
7) Their technology (as far as what is rumored) is not that advanced in the EV space based on the price point.
Pros:
1) Possible first-to-market on a long range EV provides them and edge
2) Styling that will attract attention and appeal strongly to some groups
3) Nimble to make quick changes within their design means
4) Very efficient design.
There is no question they will sell a few hundred cars to EV nuts like me, green team members, people who think it's cool or cute, etc. This assumes no major issues and they deliver close to promised.
Now after some time goes by we hope the batteries and build quality, drive quality etc do well, based on no bad experiences that further the unfortunate misconceptions about EV's we than go to growing sales.
Here is where I think other more "acceptable" EV designs like Think and others could really take the real sales away and ride the thunder of the EV revolution. And these are a couple reasons why:
1) The Aptera will not be very functional as a "city car" where it will get many of it's sales due to being very wide and long. What I mean is that EV's are very attractive in this regard and used for short trips so parking is important for these buyers. Just look how many Mini's and Smarts are in SF. This is one important component of the value
2) The Aptera will appeal to many for its unique design and styling and would sell many more cars to a broader group if they could offer more performance for those who like it to make economical short trips but also would like some fun from the power of an electric motor. This would not compromise efficiency and would be a compliment to the wide wheel base for handling. The challenge here is cost, they are stuck buying expensive motor and inverters and may be limited in pack size. They can offer a larger motor and you take the hit on range for fun- I think this would be smart but tough to do now.
3) Aptera should offer 240V charging or universal voltage charging, this is a real feature that has real value. Putting money here makes sense as many charging stations operate at this voltage and many will, as people drive these cars many will want faster charging for certain conditions and for many installing a 240 outlet at home is not tough. This will take care of many real and perceived objections regarding charge times. One charger with a cord and adaptors, this let's you charge anywhere and faster. RV parks, EV charging stations, home, your friends dryer outlet. All OEM EV's charge on 240 and infrastructure will be built that way, it's not an NEV.
Aptera has done great things with this product and I hope they have also spent time collecting information from individuals who have driven EV's similar in size and they test they have also had various demographic groups drive the EV.