4/10/10 - Engineer: Aptera 2e is designed for production, not winning... - abg.com

[NeilBlanchard]

Somehow, ABG has chosen to reuse the picture of the door opening, to accompany the story they posted about an "interview" Tom Reichenbach gave recently. Sounds a little like sour grapes/tempest in a teapot, but nevertheless they've posted it:

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/04/eingineer-aptera-2e-is-designed-for-production-not-winning-the/

[dfbvt]

So they had 117 miles on the odometer when they did the the GREAT INTRODUCTION at the McClellan - Polomar Airport on April 14th, just 2 weeks before they had to be at the race track. I posted the picture of the odometer of the driver display with the 117 Miles on it taken on that day on another thread. So they had 2 weeks from that point to be at the track and start the first series of shake down testing.

So lets do a little speculating here. From my just having a new firetruck for my Volunteer Fire Department all lettered up with a big 3' artwork decals put on each side and the amount of time it took to do all that I would say that to dress up the car in its fancy green tape job probably took at least 2 full days and probably more like 3 days to do. No driving or testing done during that phase. Then it probably took at least 2 days to drive that huge rig from California to the track. So now l would say that at best they that had 14 days - 4.5 days = 9.5 days of testing left. We know that at @ 220 VAC it takes 5 hours to charge up the battery minimum so they probably didn't test anything at night at all. So lets call that a minimum of 8 hr lost/ day. 8 hours * 9.5 days = Approximately 3 days lost to any test driving. So now we are down to 7.5 days maximum of potential testing (assuming they worked through 2 weekends).

So at best they had 7.5 days at a maximum of a little over a 100 miles per day or approximately 750 miles. Now i'm sure when it was driven out of the curtains at Polomar there must of been a ton of little details that needed to be worked on ( I'm a product engineer and this is ALL WAYS the way its goes). So I say that even being generous, 1/2 of that remaining time was fiddling with the guts of the car. That leaves at best 375 miles.

We know that there was some driving required during the first knock out round to pass the acceleration/ and stopping tests which went smoothly so not to many miles added on there.

THEN THE MOOSE TEST AND THE DOOR INCIDENT!

I would like to make a wager that when the door flew open that car had less than 250 Miles on it. Any takers?? Not a lot mileage to do major testing and tuning thats for sure.

And as many on this Forum predicted that single picture with the door opening would be a big project killer. Well its turning out we where right I guess. And all because they where totally unprepared!!! GERRRRR!

Dave Bowles :character0029:

[evmavin]

Aptera deserves all the negative press they get. They have screwed up every aspect of their business for years.

[organic]

Since when did Aptera go from asking for $75mil to $184 million? It thinks it will match $184 million now? Ha ha Good luck.

[aptera1213]

Either in enter the Xprize and try and win, or you don't enter and you work on a production car.

You can't have it both ways like Aptera is now trying to present it.

They could have:

Enter the 2e PP6 and try to win. A well tested car that was light and efficient and contrary to the CEO was production ready with just a few additions (though not production ready for the CEO).

Or

Build the SO-1 and drop out of the Xprize before the start to focus on building a finished car.

The Xprize is a good thing, but is also expensive and time consuming and runs risks (others could, and did, win...your car could have major problems that make you look bad...etc).

But to enter an untested car and then claim that winning was never a goal is just childish. And horrid from a business sense. -- Major investor: "So wait, explain it to me again...You entered a contest and spent tons of money and many many work hours and basically put your entire reputation on the line and never planned to win? And that is a good thing? Why of course I will give you another big check..." --

Since they went the wrong route and tried to enter an untested car, they should now just keep their traps shut and take a few lumps and move on...cut the press or answers about the xprize and talk about the So-1 instead.

Gavin

[JustWilliam]

This is sadly more of the same BS spin Aptera uses to further humiliate themselves (and everyone who ever supported them) under the false assumption that they are promoting investment or good public relations. Anyone and everyone remotely interested can follow the history of Aptera by following the money, the management, and the results.

Now more than ever, I have to appreciate Karen/Rei for proactively (prophetically?) reporting just how awful "Wilbur and Friends" are as a management team, and how little chance for relevance the Aptera had under their "guidance". The goal and concept have always been sound, but the execution under PWB is textbook failure, kept alive only by charlatanism from the bad ol' days of snake oil and the "art" of flimflam.

It doesn't take a genius to realize that Paul Wilbur has taken another niche vehicle concept and "productionized" it to the point that it was no longer satisfying to the few, and impossible to sell to the many. It sickens me that Aptera the vehicle is the punch-line to the joke about Aptera the company being Paul Wilbur's most recent disgrace.

I wasn't alone in predicting that Aptera's remaining hope was dependent on the X Prize. But I was challenged for the belief that Fox News and Consumer Reports alone would doom the project simply by covering the disastrous performance in the "moose test". This thread is debating an Autoblog Green post that references Fox News as it's source for heaven's sake!

Aptera is dead. Long live Aptera.

[Grendal]

Aptera deserves all the negative press they get. They have screwed up every aspect of their business for years.

Since October 2008, when PBW was handed the tiller.

Lets see...

It was December 2008 they promised to give the first vehicle to a customer. PBW breaks that promise to do his first redesign. Also PBW sends out no pre-warning that this would occur until after it had happened. Everyone was left in the dark and the beginning of the "I know we're screwing you over but just hang in there with us because it'll be great!".

Promises of monthly newsletters are broken but there are showings of the vehicles around California that distracts everyone.

October 2009 comes and no vehicles AND no information.

November 2009 and Steve and Chris are going on vacation but still no information.

January 2010 - confirmation Steve and Chris are fired "but still with us" - Little to no information.

March 2010 - the X-prize looms ahead and we get a brief showing of the new pants.

April 2010 - Introduction of the S0-1 just in time to make the X-prize deadline.

I could go on but everyone knows the more recent mistakes... This is by no means a comprehensive list of how much PBW and MM have jerked around their customers but you get the idea...

[G-Jet]

what a laugh! more BS, more blame, more lame hot air but no cars. super Fail on the job guys. maybe Tom is getting set up for a fall?

the comments on that article are priceless.

G

[JustWilliam]

Since October 2008, when PBW was handed the tiller.

Lets see...

It was December 2008 they promised to give the first vehicle to a customer. PBW breaks that promise to do his first redesign. Also PBW sends out no pre-warning that this would occur until after it had happened. Everyone was left in the dark and the beginning of the "I know we're screwing you over but just hang in there with us because it'll be great!".

Promises of monthly newsletters are broken but there are showings of the vehicles around California that distracts everyone.

October 2009 comes and no vehicles AND no information.

November 2009 and Steve and Chris are going on vacation but still no information.

January 2010 - confirmation Steve and Chris are fired "but still with us" - Little to no information.

March 2010 - the X-prize looms ahead and we get a brief showing of the new pants.

April 2010 - Introduction of the S0-1 just in time to make the X-prize deadline.

I could go on but everyone knows the more recent mistakes... This is by no means a comprehensive list of how much PBW and MM have jerked around their customers but you get the idea...
Amen Grendal!

Aptera's most devoted investors and followers have been knocked enough for being suddenly and unwillingly associated with the PWB business model and it's broken promises. When Autoblog Green needs to rely on Fox News to frame it's latest Aptera insult, it is time to throw in the towel and acknowledge that Mr. Wilbur and Friends have destroyed any chance for Aptera to succeed as a profitable business enterprise, or a significant solution to the vehicular status quo.

[Antjel]

So they had 117 miles on the odometer when they did the the GREAT INTRODUCTION at the McClellan - Polomar Airport on April 14th, just 2 weeks before they had to be at the race track. I posted the picture of the odometer of the driver display with the 117 Miles on it taken on that day on another thread. So they had 2 weeks from that point to be at the track and start the first series of shake down testing.

So lets do a little speculating here. From my just having a new firetruck for my Volunteer Fire Department all lettered up with a big 3' artwork decals put on each side and the amount of time it took to do all that I would say that to dress up the car in its fancy green tape job probably took at least 2 full days and probably more like 3 days to do.

I can't help with much of the speculation but when I at their Vista office Sat morning 4/17 and PW gave me the tour the S0-1 had the decals on. PW had mentioned he personally was up all night putting them on. He looked pretty run down so I had no reason to not believe him.

http://www.apteraforum.com/showthread.php?t=4168&page=6

Cheers,
Antjel

[Grendal]

Aptera's most devoted investors and followers have been knocked enough for being suddenly and unwillingly associated with the PWB business model and it's broken promises. When Autoblog Green needs to rely on Fox News to frame it's latest Aptera insult, it is time to throw in the towel and acknowledge that Mr. Wilbur and Friends have destroyed any chance for Aptera to succeed as a profitable business enterprise, or a significant solution to the vehicular status quo.

I think the question is: What's it going to take before the BOD gets rid of the schmuck? How many errors and delays are going to make them say enough? Occasionally he does do something right but do enough of those add up to keeping him around? Obviously, for us the answer is no, but it seems to be enough for the BOD. Are they keeping him around because they don't want to blow the government loan and somehow they see him as the guy to get it? Ya got me. Maybe he's got some inside information he's holding over the head of a couple Board of Directors...

[Antjel]

I think the question is: What's it going to take before the BOD gets rid of the schmuck? How many errors and delays are going to make them say enough? Occasionally he does do something right but do enough of those add up to keeping him around? Obviously, for us the answer is no, but it seems to be enough for the BOD. Are they keeping him around because they don't want to blow the government loan and somehow they see him as the guy to get it? Ya got me. Maybe he's got some inside information he's holding over the head of a couple Board of Directors...

I think it's easy to say fire and replace...the hard part is the who to replace with and getting them agree to sign on. I know if I had a platinum resume I probably wouldn't want to waste my time with the risk of a start up. I am sure the BOD thought that PW was a good bet, who knows they may still think he is the guy that will give them best chance...or they may just feel he's the best they can get at this time.

Cheers,
Antjel