KarenRei
01-20-2009, 06:17 PM
Note: No real new info here, but since it's a new interview, I suppose it's worth posting:
http://www.autoextremist.com/on-the-table1/2009/1/20/on-the-table.html
Publisher's Note: Paul Wilbur is the President and CEO of Aptera (www.aptera.com), one of the most forward-thinking car companies in the world. I thought it would be interesting to do an interview with Wilbur - an industry veteran with a high-performance resume - and see what the future of American automotive transportation might look like. - PMD
PMD: You left Detroit after a long and varied career, why?
Paul Wilbur: Last summer, in the midst of $4.00 per gallon gas, I was building super-high performance Mustangs and other Ford specialty vehicles with Saleen and that concept felt pretty career limiting. I felt like I was positioned on the wrong side of the macro-economic wave and we were pushing too hard against the grain. It was fun building 650HP Raptors, but it’s not going to change the industry. And I guess, at the heart of it, changing the industry (for the better) is exactly what I want as my legacy.
In my 25 plus years in this industry, I have seen a lot of change, and I can’t say that I am enamored with all of it. For example, I grew up loving Pontiac, but Pontiac today is not the same brand that John DeLorean once fostered. Some are doing better than others. I like some of what Jeep is doing, like the 4 door Wrangler. It is spot on. Some of the other stuff, maybe “not so much”. This market is changing, and the challenge is to change with it AND protect the core that makes America and automobiles synonymous.
So let’s call my move out of Detroit - a move related to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Automobiles are my life (it’s the only industry I have ever worked in). There is something noble and liberating in the Aptera quest to make the most fuel-efficient vehicles in the world and running a new company that will change the world falls into the category of “pursuit of happiness”.
Even with gas back down to a very low $1.75 per gallon, I still believe in the basic fundamentals of moving off of fossil fuels into electric power, series hybrid drives, hydrogen fuel cells and other future propulsion technologies. If the world were not in recession right now, gasoline prices would be considerably higher. So it’s only a matter of time when we are faced with the scenario of change or die. I chose to change.
You could also say that I personally went from the highest to the lowest carbon footprint in America...in one career move.
PMD: What lured you to Aptera and what makes you think Aptera is distinct enough and that it will find its niche in the automotive universe of the future?
Paul Wilbur: The challenge of building the most efficient vehicle in the world lured me to Aptera. There is no silver bullet for energy independence in transportation. Aptera’s approach is to attack the vehicle “architecture” through aerodynamics, light weight composites, low friction components and use a powertrain “agnostic” approach. That much alone garnered my attention. Then you add the fact that we are targeting our vehicles to fit the way that people live, work and play and at a price that a larger part of the population can afford. This is EXACTLY opposite of a lot of the conventional thinking today. You have some that are attempting to shoehorn newer and higher technology powertrains into the same old architectures consequently yielding marginal benefits when the market is looking for breakthroughs. Then there are others who are making vehicles that are so far away from lifestyle of the average consumer that it is hard to rationalize their purpose in this market.
We want to be in the heart of the market and relevant. After our December research clinic, we are not worried about being distinctive. We’ve nailed that element inside and out. We delivered to the market a vehicle that has a form that is more about function and much less about styling, and the consumer gets it, and sees the beauty in it.
PMD: What is the vision for the company? And what makes the machine so special?
Paul Wilbur: The vision is to see Aptera build and sell upwards of 100,000 units a year across its full line of daily use, “efficiency” based products. This may take us the next 5 year or so but we believe that it is a realistic goal, if we stay focused.
We approach the vehicle “efficiency” as a primary product objective. It is our beginning and our inspiration. It is the reason for the unique aesthetic of the vehicle as well as the three wheel architecture. By looking at every part of the vehicle through a lens of “efficiency” from the very beginning, we maximize the potential value of every decision.
Now if you have ever driven on I-5 in Los Angeles (or I-75 in Detroit at rush hour) and watch the gridlock of thousands of cars, SUVs and trucks – all with only one person inside each vehicle, you will start to understand our vision.
Only in America can you live where you want to live, drive where you want to drive and be who you want to be. We want to ensure that we maintain these American qualities of life in the future. A vehicle like Aptera can preserve those values by virtue of its product attributes and cost proposition.
PMD: Where do you see Aptera fitting in this nation's future transportation fleet? As an "urban commuter" car, a green sports car alternative, or what? And what are your realistic projections for volume?
Paul Wilbur: I see the Aptera as the vehicle that you drive every day, (Monday to Friday for sure), and less on the weekends. That may be your daily commute, but it may also be your trip to the mall or a nice dinner with your spouse. We will leave the high performance sports cars and off-road weekend warrior business to someone else. The Aptera is the vehicle that you live with and will feel good about. Its primary mission is a daily “commuter” vehicle but as technologies improve, the breadth of the products appeal will also improve to be more of a primary vehicle, primarily in the major metropolitan markets.
PMD: My criticism of the "blue sky" new wave "green" automakers in northern California is that they're woefully short of reality and have trouble executing their vision because of their fundamental lack of knowledge in designing, building and manufacturing automobiles. Aptera seems to be different. They brought you on and you in turn have brought seasoned auto industry veterans with you. Do you view that as an essential ingredient for Aptera's future success, and how has that made a difference since you've been there?
Paul Wilbur: Yes - we would agree with that. The auto industry has existed for more than a century. Granted there are a number of things that are due for a change, but there is no way that more than 100 years of learning can be all wrong. By bringing people from inside the industry, we are bringing some of the learning that cannot be picked up in a book and the experiences that most people understand without living through it. Just think about all the engineering knowledge in Detroit. How can you replace that knowledge externally to the automotive industry? I think that automotive experience is essential to developing a new vehicle company. What we are doing at Aptera is combining that auto experience with attitude, energy and innovation of California. I think the result is where the magic happens. Our ideal mix is 50/50 because Lutz is right (making a car is a hell of a lot more difficult than people think) but we want to also constantly infuse our team with new critical thinking and new ideas that seem second nature to those that live in California, including a green mentality and the importance of creativity.
PMD: Traditional automotive advertising and marketing clearly would be out of place for this car. How do you plan on getting the word out about Aptera? Beyond going after the touchy-feely early adopter types, what's your plan to reach a broader audience?
Paul Wilbur: We agree. The first thing we need to communicate is integrity. American buyers like to know that you will do what you promise...no gimmicks, no tricks. These days, when you do that, people tend to talk about you. So, our first objective in marketing Aptera is to do what we say to the best of our ability. After that, we have to go into the market so that people can see and touch us and experience the promise for themselves. The last point is that we are going to engage them. The web is an amazing environment that is largely under-utilized in automotive marketing. Today, people can log on and touch base with people that they may not have seen in a decade. They trade recipes, catch up on gossip, and why not learn a little more about their vehicle and the people that are creating it for them. You see, since we are small, we will also be personal. That is a real strength that we have that many others do not. We have a few tricks up our sleeve relative to distribution, servicing, and our go to market strategy, but that will have to wait for another day. Thanks Peter.
http://www.autoextremist.com/on-the-table1/2009/1/20/on-the-table.html
Publisher's Note: Paul Wilbur is the President and CEO of Aptera (www.aptera.com), one of the most forward-thinking car companies in the world. I thought it would be interesting to do an interview with Wilbur - an industry veteran with a high-performance resume - and see what the future of American automotive transportation might look like. - PMD
PMD: You left Detroit after a long and varied career, why?
Paul Wilbur: Last summer, in the midst of $4.00 per gallon gas, I was building super-high performance Mustangs and other Ford specialty vehicles with Saleen and that concept felt pretty career limiting. I felt like I was positioned on the wrong side of the macro-economic wave and we were pushing too hard against the grain. It was fun building 650HP Raptors, but it’s not going to change the industry. And I guess, at the heart of it, changing the industry (for the better) is exactly what I want as my legacy.
In my 25 plus years in this industry, I have seen a lot of change, and I can’t say that I am enamored with all of it. For example, I grew up loving Pontiac, but Pontiac today is not the same brand that John DeLorean once fostered. Some are doing better than others. I like some of what Jeep is doing, like the 4 door Wrangler. It is spot on. Some of the other stuff, maybe “not so much”. This market is changing, and the challenge is to change with it AND protect the core that makes America and automobiles synonymous.
So let’s call my move out of Detroit - a move related to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Automobiles are my life (it’s the only industry I have ever worked in). There is something noble and liberating in the Aptera quest to make the most fuel-efficient vehicles in the world and running a new company that will change the world falls into the category of “pursuit of happiness”.
Even with gas back down to a very low $1.75 per gallon, I still believe in the basic fundamentals of moving off of fossil fuels into electric power, series hybrid drives, hydrogen fuel cells and other future propulsion technologies. If the world were not in recession right now, gasoline prices would be considerably higher. So it’s only a matter of time when we are faced with the scenario of change or die. I chose to change.
You could also say that I personally went from the highest to the lowest carbon footprint in America...in one career move.
PMD: What lured you to Aptera and what makes you think Aptera is distinct enough and that it will find its niche in the automotive universe of the future?
Paul Wilbur: The challenge of building the most efficient vehicle in the world lured me to Aptera. There is no silver bullet for energy independence in transportation. Aptera’s approach is to attack the vehicle “architecture” through aerodynamics, light weight composites, low friction components and use a powertrain “agnostic” approach. That much alone garnered my attention. Then you add the fact that we are targeting our vehicles to fit the way that people live, work and play and at a price that a larger part of the population can afford. This is EXACTLY opposite of a lot of the conventional thinking today. You have some that are attempting to shoehorn newer and higher technology powertrains into the same old architectures consequently yielding marginal benefits when the market is looking for breakthroughs. Then there are others who are making vehicles that are so far away from lifestyle of the average consumer that it is hard to rationalize their purpose in this market.
We want to be in the heart of the market and relevant. After our December research clinic, we are not worried about being distinctive. We’ve nailed that element inside and out. We delivered to the market a vehicle that has a form that is more about function and much less about styling, and the consumer gets it, and sees the beauty in it.
PMD: What is the vision for the company? And what makes the machine so special?
Paul Wilbur: The vision is to see Aptera build and sell upwards of 100,000 units a year across its full line of daily use, “efficiency” based products. This may take us the next 5 year or so but we believe that it is a realistic goal, if we stay focused.
We approach the vehicle “efficiency” as a primary product objective. It is our beginning and our inspiration. It is the reason for the unique aesthetic of the vehicle as well as the three wheel architecture. By looking at every part of the vehicle through a lens of “efficiency” from the very beginning, we maximize the potential value of every decision.
Now if you have ever driven on I-5 in Los Angeles (or I-75 in Detroit at rush hour) and watch the gridlock of thousands of cars, SUVs and trucks – all with only one person inside each vehicle, you will start to understand our vision.
Only in America can you live where you want to live, drive where you want to drive and be who you want to be. We want to ensure that we maintain these American qualities of life in the future. A vehicle like Aptera can preserve those values by virtue of its product attributes and cost proposition.
PMD: Where do you see Aptera fitting in this nation's future transportation fleet? As an "urban commuter" car, a green sports car alternative, or what? And what are your realistic projections for volume?
Paul Wilbur: I see the Aptera as the vehicle that you drive every day, (Monday to Friday for sure), and less on the weekends. That may be your daily commute, but it may also be your trip to the mall or a nice dinner with your spouse. We will leave the high performance sports cars and off-road weekend warrior business to someone else. The Aptera is the vehicle that you live with and will feel good about. Its primary mission is a daily “commuter” vehicle but as technologies improve, the breadth of the products appeal will also improve to be more of a primary vehicle, primarily in the major metropolitan markets.
PMD: My criticism of the "blue sky" new wave "green" automakers in northern California is that they're woefully short of reality and have trouble executing their vision because of their fundamental lack of knowledge in designing, building and manufacturing automobiles. Aptera seems to be different. They brought you on and you in turn have brought seasoned auto industry veterans with you. Do you view that as an essential ingredient for Aptera's future success, and how has that made a difference since you've been there?
Paul Wilbur: Yes - we would agree with that. The auto industry has existed for more than a century. Granted there are a number of things that are due for a change, but there is no way that more than 100 years of learning can be all wrong. By bringing people from inside the industry, we are bringing some of the learning that cannot be picked up in a book and the experiences that most people understand without living through it. Just think about all the engineering knowledge in Detroit. How can you replace that knowledge externally to the automotive industry? I think that automotive experience is essential to developing a new vehicle company. What we are doing at Aptera is combining that auto experience with attitude, energy and innovation of California. I think the result is where the magic happens. Our ideal mix is 50/50 because Lutz is right (making a car is a hell of a lot more difficult than people think) but we want to also constantly infuse our team with new critical thinking and new ideas that seem second nature to those that live in California, including a green mentality and the importance of creativity.
PMD: Traditional automotive advertising and marketing clearly would be out of place for this car. How do you plan on getting the word out about Aptera? Beyond going after the touchy-feely early adopter types, what's your plan to reach a broader audience?
Paul Wilbur: We agree. The first thing we need to communicate is integrity. American buyers like to know that you will do what you promise...no gimmicks, no tricks. These days, when you do that, people tend to talk about you. So, our first objective in marketing Aptera is to do what we say to the best of our ability. After that, we have to go into the market so that people can see and touch us and experience the promise for themselves. The last point is that we are going to engage them. The web is an amazing environment that is largely under-utilized in automotive marketing. Today, people can log on and touch base with people that they may not have seen in a decade. They trade recipes, catch up on gossip, and why not learn a little more about their vehicle and the people that are creating it for them. You see, since we are small, we will also be personal. That is a real strength that we have that many others do not. We have a few tricks up our sleeve relative to distribution, servicing, and our go to market strategy, but that will have to wait for another day. Thanks Peter.