Exciting. Great move on Aptera's part to be at CES. It's a huge conduit via the media for international exposure. With its futuristic looks, Aptera will be a big hit in drawing attention to its cause.
Timing is good, but having validation of the claims that Aptera has been making are key. Aptera definitely has an open playing field, as being the most unique vehicle ever, sets them apart. Proving those claims, having decent crash testing results, EPA rating milage of over 300 MPGe and drag coefficient of .13/.15 making investment types sit up and notice is just a matter of months away. Against all odds, this vehicle is going to prove itself, and show the world a better way. Going to CES is a starting point, but validation is the key. Aptera knows what it means, and is working on getting there! Thanks for letting us all know, and looking forward to seeing your videos about your time in Vegas. This time what happens in Vegas should not stay there.
@christopherbarrett9749 Steve, Drew, Chad, and Raj, should get together and drive the vehicle from the factory to Vegas and back, and report/document their experiences. If it's a 400 mile production vehicle with useful solar assist, it's a slam dunk 1 charge each direction real world validation, no?
@bobhellman8676 Maybe a good idea but the insurance company might not like the idea. As none of them are employed by Aptera. But Chris McCannon is. Not sure but this would only prove that it can travel, true validation needs to be under the regulators rules, for airbags, EPA for MPGe and crash testing by the National Highway Safety commission... The driving of it to Las Vegas would not qualify as a third party test. Moose testing is done on a closed track, with professional drivers.
@@bobhellman8676 - I agree. All they have to do is hire them as independent contractors then 1099 them in the end. That way, insurance is fine with it. I do it all of the time. They could make a caravan of the three Pi builds with a support crew and people doing a live stream along with updates along the way. With that trip showing the solar charge, the Tesla supercharging and battery range being at least in the range of what they have claimed, instant investment would come in and thus, Aptera is fully funded. I bet VAG would throw $1B to Aptera as they will be next store neighbors that week in Vegas.
Totally agree that documented testing by independent professionals in accordance with standards is the correct way to go. But Aptera has generated funds on promises and assumptions since its inception. As regards “a better way”, not so much. 88” over cosmetic fairings is not a practical solution. No EU market and a horrible metro US outcome shows or will show this was a poor choice. Munro’s “start at high volume” which requires another $200mil per their USCG data, has predictably emerged as a bridge to nowhere. Most important, price. Their USCG data shows a $30K BOM. With that, they would have to know that Aptera is not viable at remotely close to the $32.3K LE price they show. Not viable at $40K. So, yes tests must be thorough and accurate. But validation of claims is so, so overdue (as mules should have had 10’s of thousands of test miles on them by now), they should show something before another $15 mil is solicited. $15 mil vs. the $200 mil ‘24-‘26 losses they show in the USCG offering, to build a very niche 2-passenger overly wide vehicle that would have a price far in excess of what they’ve promised is the reality here. As the years go by, they are not racking up the wins one would need to show this solution has merit, if you’re objective, they’re really just exposing their overreach. 3 years ago @Alpha they were saying “next year”. And when they had 500 Accelerator slots open a year or so ago, it was “PI’s completed in the first few months of next year”. Which was of course a lie because they had nothing to build them with. They’re just getting there now. I’ve asked the question “It’s clear you’ve given these people your trust. How have they earned it?” and have never received a response. So even the basic validation from a typical road trip would be great.
Aptera has just announced a new round of crowdfunding, with a share price of $14.80 (minimum investment of $1,000) for regular investors or $10.50 (minimum investment of $25,000) for accredited investors. This looks to me to be coordinated with Aptera’s upcoming appearance at CES.
I'm done investing in Aptera. I paid enough being No. 5xx Accelerator. I have pretty much written off the money. Maybe I'll get the vehicle before I'm dead.
And they should drive the PI to and from CES demonstrating the 10 mi/kWh in a transparent and documented fashion before they ask anyone to support this. As well as explaining why the USCG effort has flatlined. Otherwise the new ask is burial funds.
Thanks Steve, Your updates make me far more connected to Aptera. I've always wanted to go to CES and this would be a great opportunity but it's not to be.
I am an Aptera investor and I'm trying to get tickets don't know how to answer the 'credentials' page on the CES 2025 site. Could you advise what credentials I can provide here?
Sure! First step is checking your email for instructions from Aptera themselves stating the directions. I was one of the first to get this as an accelerator, but I believe they sent the email to all investors now. For the CES signup you have to prove you are apart of the industry through multiple means for your choice. For us when you get to that section, link the Aptera website and take a physical photo of a “business card” they want you to print out from the email. When they ask for your position click “other” and type investor. All the other stuff should be standard stuff I think.
Happy Thanksgiving! Haven’t said 🤝 Thanks for what you do… since meeting at Fully Charged LIVE… I hope to reconnect Jan 7th at Aptera’s booth but I am sure you will be busy “ Doing your thing ! “
I am investor too. Sadly, how well I print my "business card", cut it, take a photo (done three times), CES has rejected my application! ☹I guess I will be seeing all the wonderful videos Steve, Raj and others are going to post!
My first attempt to use this "business card" as a pdf file was rejected by CES. I have now sent an photo of this business card and waiting for a response. How did you all manage to use this business card?
@@murthy90232 Screenshot, crop and upload did not work for me (was rejected by CES). Printed, ran through scanner and uploaded (as PDF) did work; credentials were accepted this time. Registered just in case; hope to go, but may not be able to orchestrate it.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to go (I also have a day job) but I am eagerly looking forward to seeing the coverage of the completed Production Intent Aptera!
I registered last night with the info Aptera gave me. Under most of the questions I put other, then typed in Company Investor. My current status is registration under review. If approved I will go. If not approved I will change my credentials to my business, as my medical field is highly technology oriented. If still not approved I won't go.
Don’t be too predictive on trade show traffic. As an industry show manager for many years I have often been surprised how just one “newby “ in a hall can create tons of buzz and foot traffic.
I don't understand those attendance numbers ( 107k ). I was there 35 years ago and would guess there were that many then. The Fallbrook Avocado Festival gets 100k each year and it is a one day event in a town of less than 50k people. Anyway, I am hoping for the best and new exposure / publicity is always welcome.
The world's largest trade show in terms of exhibition space is bauma, which takes place every three years in Munich. By combination of floorspace and attendance it is Euroter Hanover. CES is not even in top ten of these lists although a couple of auto industry trade shows are which is why I have sometimes brought up how aptera should go to auto shows in as many different countrys and cities as possible. Get this vehicle out in front of auto industry and auto consumers. Get people talking about it. Especially women who do go to car shows, not just guys, which electronic shows are inundated with
I got the email yesterday. Saw there's a code to waive the ticket fee, which is nice. It's a good place to showcase the Aptera. I still wonder if it's going to be the PI4 or not. I mean, it's in just over a month. I'll have to look into plane ticket prices...
I got the invite to go to CES but the dates aren't going to work out unfortunately. Hopefully next time something comes up I can make it because I really want to see the Aptera in person and meet the people involved in it's development.
If Aptera has really created a vehicle worth owning, after the show they should turn it over to some independent/objective reviewers for evaluation. Motor Trend, Car & Driver, Consumer Reports, whomever. All of these events, from St. Moritz, Tesla Takeover, the Battery event, the UAE trip, and now this, have displayed the vehicle but they’ve avoided performance demonstrations like the plague. And now another $15 mil. crowdfunder ask. a) That takes a lot of balls without a true demonstration of the claims. b) Without an explanation for the USCG flatline, again, why would you just blindly donate? c) And the amount does what? Their USCG data shows ‘24-‘26 losses of roughly $200 mil.. How is there any path to success? Sorry, just shaking my head out loud… There are a lot of people smarter than me. Maybe one of them can explain how people stand a chance of getting their vehicle.
Got my final approval for CES, it’s gonna be great to meet other Aptera fans and reservation holders. If any of the influencers are putting together a meet up I’d love to know about it. And if not, I live in Vegas and am happy to coordinate something at a nearby spot
Volkswagen has partnered with Rivian to get the Computer interface, so I can imagine that the Scouts will have very similar user interfaces as Rivians, which is high quality. At the same time Rivian's vehicles will be one of their chief competitors, especially once the R2 comes out in 2026.
The "Central Plaza" is outside, right? Google Maps shows it as a big parking lot, but apparently there has been a lot of construction going on there (particularly at the north end of the plaza parking lot). I wonder if the "parking lot" has been converted to more of a "plaza" as part of this renovation.
This is great news. Arcimoto was there in 2018 and even did free test drives. Elio Motors was even at CES too. Let's not forget Canoo was there last year. So this shows that CES leads to success when it comes to efficient and right sized transportation.
None of those three vehicles have experienced success. One, Elio, gone altogether. The other two, Acrimoto and Canoo, on the verge of bankruptcy. I hope we don't follow those examples.
That is what is VERY LACKING, real proof, and not some computer modeling. And that will be 'the shoals upon which the good ship Aptera will founder'. Any investor is going to want proof, not spreadsheets
AOC should interview USCG and present a valid understanding, to the fans, of the severe failure of the offering. If this doesn’t happen, then anyone considering investing in the latest crowdfunding round should consider… Hundreds of qualified investors looked at the offering and determined Aptera was not viable based on their own data. And ask yourself what possible reason you might have to ignore this important data point and drop your hard-earned? The CES preview and the reporting on it will get some excited. That’s the point of it. But, on due diligence, you really want to wait until verifiable PI test data, against claims, to replace promises. You may have a low 300 mile range 7-8 kWh, 20 mile solar contribution. Maybe not. But after all the years, shouldn’t you know before you part with your $? You should also consider what $15 mil might accomplish, when 10X is required to possibly get this closer to a settled-down cost. And, you should show the USCG data to someone experienced in manufacturing, and ask them what they would expect for the MSRP of a product of this type. Up to you of course, it’s your money.
You seemed pretty worried about scout motors, but you are aware that they're a subsidiary of Volkswagen, right? At least they'll be financially sound for a while
Its of the first water that Aptera can be there! This writer will not be going, with the peril of winter storms and travel, I'd be NUTS to try and go. And I'd bet the hotels are either FULL or charging more than the mark up on a VW Bus, for a room next to the elevator shaft. Now lets hope for MORE than a 03 minute video of the event from HQ, and with a whole lot less talking[like the low speed test video}
Another EV startup (albeit owned by VW) producing pickups and SUVs swims in cash while Aptera treads shallow water. Sure, large vehicles are popular in the U.S., but Scout has voluminous competition while Aptera has none. It's arguably more of a sports car, but if Aptera only captured a few percent of the market for Corollas and the like, it would be a roaring success while Scout competes in a market flooded with alternatives, yet Aptera can't raise a paltry $60M while companies like Scout raise billions. Why? I'd love to be proven wrong, but frankly, CES looks like a last-ditch effort to attract investment from high-stakes gamblers.
It's simple to see why. Chris and Steve have total control and will not give it up. So when VAG went to them with a 5B investment, Aptera refused it because VAG wants some control. This is because VAG has to answer to their stockholders and they said, "No investment unless we can have a say in the company." Thus VAG went to Rivian. If there's one thing holding Aptera back, it's that two guys with a limited track of success and going on round two of the same idea, want to have all of the money but nobody telling them what to do with it. Thus, those big investors walk away. Literally, nobody can tell those two what to do and thus they lose out on the experience that comes from those experienced investors.
And that’s how they literally lost their company the first time. The end result was that we all ended up with no Aptera and they received all the blame even though they had little to no control over what happened. I personally do not blame them. If only they were like Elon and had wealthy friends to support them then they could cede control to only those guys kind of like how Elon did. Everyone criticized Elon back then too.
@@danielthompson3928 - So, if VAG or Elon offered them a billion, then it's good that they rejected it as they would lose control of the company and could be ousted yet again. As we know, their leadership ha shown for the last 5 years that they are extremely trustworthy with their claims. Thus no reason to question them at all.
@@billsmith5960 True enough, but no one will hand them even a paltry $60M with no strings attached. Fund managers aren't investing their own money and have many strings attached to their investments for good reason. Even wealthy individuals hire managers to tie their own hands when tens of millions are involved. They need to tell a long line of friends and family that it's out of their control. I understand why Chris and Steve want to maintain control, but at the rate they're raising capital now, I'll never see an Aptera.
This is a rare & timely opportunity get wide exposure in the hopes of attracting funding for full production. If successful they’ll be able to build more cars faster & cheaper. So seems a worthy investment of time & money.
Hey, OP we all would like to see the SEV built. So you can mail them a cheque for $200 millions of USD and they will happily build the cars. Right now, they are effectively broke.
Disappointing to know that they will not have a production ready vehicle to show us till next year...doesn't seem like they are planning to accomplish much more this year
So excited to goto CES! Such a huge milestone to show off and celebrate! Go Aptera!!
I'll be there. I've got my confirmation, airline reservation (flying in from Atlanta), and hotel reservation. I hope to see you there!
Exciting. Great move on Aptera's part to be at CES. It's a huge conduit via the media for international exposure. With its futuristic looks, Aptera will be a big hit in drawing attention to its cause.
Timing is good, but having validation of the claims that Aptera has been making are key. Aptera definitely has an open playing field, as being the most unique vehicle ever, sets them apart. Proving those claims, having decent crash testing results, EPA rating milage of over 300 MPGe and drag coefficient of .13/.15 making investment types sit up and notice is just a matter of months away. Against all odds, this vehicle is going to prove itself, and show the world a better way. Going to CES is a starting point, but validation is the key. Aptera knows what it means, and is working on getting there! Thanks for letting us all know, and looking forward to seeing your videos about your time in Vegas. This time what happens in Vegas should not stay there.
@christopherbarrett9749 Steve, Drew, Chad, and Raj, should get together and drive the vehicle from the factory to Vegas and back, and report/document their experiences. If it's a 400 mile production vehicle with useful solar assist, it's a slam dunk 1 charge each direction real world validation, no?
@bobhellman8676 Maybe a good idea but the insurance company might not like the idea. As none of them are employed by Aptera. But Chris McCannon is. Not sure but this would only prove that it can travel, true validation needs to be under the regulators rules, for airbags, EPA for MPGe and crash testing by the National Highway Safety commission... The driving of it to Las Vegas would not qualify as a third party test. Moose testing is done on a closed track, with professional drivers.
@@bobhellman8676 - I agree. All they have to do is hire them as independent contractors then 1099 them in the end. That way, insurance is fine with it. I do it all of the time. They could make a caravan of the three Pi builds with a support crew and people doing a live stream along with updates along the way.
With that trip showing the solar charge, the Tesla supercharging and battery range being at least in the range of what they have claimed, instant investment would come in and thus, Aptera is fully funded. I bet VAG would throw $1B to Aptera as they will be next store neighbors that week in Vegas.
Totally agree that documented testing by independent professionals in accordance with standards is the correct way to go.
But Aptera has generated funds on promises and assumptions since its inception.
As regards “a better way”, not so much.
88” over cosmetic fairings is not a practical solution. No EU market and a horrible metro US outcome shows or will show this was a poor choice.
Munro’s “start at high volume” which requires another $200mil per their USCG data, has predictably emerged as a bridge to nowhere.
Most important, price. Their USCG data shows a $30K BOM. With that, they would have to know that Aptera is not viable at remotely close to the $32.3K LE price they show. Not viable at $40K.
So, yes tests must be thorough and accurate. But validation of claims is so, so overdue (as mules should have had 10’s of thousands of test miles on them by now), they should show something before another $15 mil is solicited.
$15 mil vs. the $200 mil ‘24-‘26 losses they show in the USCG offering, to build a very niche 2-passenger overly wide vehicle that would have a price far in excess of what they’ve promised is the reality here.
As the years go by, they are not racking up the wins one would need to show this solution has merit, if you’re objective, they’re really just exposing their overreach.
3 years ago @Alpha they were saying “next year”. And when they had 500 Accelerator slots open a year or so ago, it was “PI’s completed in the first few months of next year”. Which was of course a lie because they had nothing to build them with. They’re just getting there now.
I’ve asked the question “It’s clear you’ve given these people your trust. How have they earned it?” and have never received a response.
So even the basic validation from a typical road trip would be great.
I'm going and very excited! Hope to see you on the 7th!
Aptera has just announced a new round of crowdfunding, with a share price of $14.80 (minimum investment of $1,000) for regular investors or $10.50 (minimum investment of $25,000) for accredited investors. This looks to me to be coordinated with Aptera’s upcoming appearance at CES.
I'm done investing in Aptera. I paid enough being No. 5xx Accelerator.
I have pretty much written off the money. Maybe I'll get the vehicle before I'm dead.
And they should drive the PI to and from CES demonstrating the 10 mi/kWh in a transparent and documented fashion before they ask anyone to support this. As well as explaining why the USCG effort has flatlined. Otherwise the new ask is burial funds.
@@bobhellman8676 Driving off Jerry's truck will be step 1.
Thanks for all the good CES info. Steve, I wish we could be there too!
Been holding it down for Aptera here in Vegas for years now. Welcome everyone to my turf 😂 can't wait to see the PI on my home soil.
1 if by road, 2 if by truck ;-)
Hey fellow Las Vegan, we should try to coordinate and meetup at the booth. What car# are you btw? I'm 715
@MarcoLandin hey!!! I'm slated for 2026. Ambassadors get theirs after excellerators and foundation. Maybe I can come see yours when it comes😅
Thanks Steve, Your updates make me far more connected to Aptera.
I've always wanted to go to CES and this would be a great opportunity but it's not to be.
Considering going. Was looking at 7-10tg but hotels are expensive. May look at just the 6th to the 7th
Just got accepted! Can’t wait to see everyone involved!
I am an Aptera investor and I'm trying to get tickets don't know how to answer the 'credentials' page on the CES 2025 site. Could you advise what credentials I can provide here?
Sure! First step is checking your email for instructions from Aptera themselves stating the directions. I was one of the first to get this as an accelerator, but I believe they sent the email to all investors now. For the CES signup you have to prove you are apart of the industry through multiple means for your choice. For us when you get to that section, link the Aptera website and take a physical photo of a “business card” they want you to print out from the email. When they ask for your position click “other” and type investor. All the other stuff should be standard stuff I think.
@@conorharrington2061 thanks for your help. I didn't get the business card. Although I am an investor, I am not an accelerator.
@@conorharrington2061 thanks for all your help, I just got confirmation of my registration and I am super excited to go!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Haven’t said 🤝 Thanks for what you do… since meeting at Fully Charged LIVE… I hope to reconnect Jan 7th at Aptera’s booth but I am sure you will be busy “ Doing your thing ! “
Let's hope Aptera gets lots of press!
Really really looking forward to seeing this "production intent vehicle" in just 6 weeks.
Aptera having a spot next to a door and Scout Motors is great.
I will be there but don't get in to LAS until about 2 on the 7th
I am investor too. Sadly, how well I print my "business card", cut it, take a photo (done three times), CES has rejected my application! ☹I guess I will be seeing all the wonderful videos Steve, Raj and others are going to post!
In an email to the accelerators they included a "business card" that can be printed and used for the free ticket and all the instructions to do so.
My first attempt to use this "business card" as a pdf file was rejected by CES. I have now sent an photo of this business card and waiting for a response. How did you all manage to use this business card?
@@murthy90232 Screenshot, crop and upload did not work for me (was rejected by CES). Printed, ran through scanner and uploaded (as PDF) did work; credentials were accepted this time. Registered just in case; hope to go, but may not be able to orchestrate it.
Yea, I’m not sure what that was all about. Granted, I have already attended CES in the past.
@@murthy90232 Yeah, I am trying to get past a rejected status too.
You don’t have to be part of Aptera, but you do need some credentials. I have my own engineering business so was able to use that info.
My bride and I live in S.W. Utah. We registered on Monday and were approved on Wednesday.
Looking forward to meeting all the Aptera Ambassadors at CES! 🎉
Fantastic to hear!
See ya there!
Unfortunately, I won't be able to go (I also have a day job) but I am eagerly looking forward to seeing the coverage of the completed Production Intent Aptera!
Investor/Accelerator here, I live in Las Vegas, got my pass & looking forward to seeing Aptera at CES. I think it's a great move.
I registered last night with the info Aptera gave me. Under most of the questions I put other, then typed in Company Investor. My current status is registration under review. If approved I will go. If not approved I will change my credentials to my business, as my medical field is highly technology oriented. If still not approved I won't go.
Update, I was approved with just the info and business card Aptera sent me and listing myself as a Company Investor.
Aptera youtuber Raj Giandeep is going too.
I am registered and hope to see you Steve.
Just registered. Waiting to see if they accept my “credentials”. Two nights at the Luxor. 🤓
Don’t be too predictive on trade show traffic. As an industry show manager for many years I have often been surprised how just one “newby “ in a hall can create tons of buzz and foot traffic.
Not us- we're gonna be outside with the big kids!
Would PI 4 be complete then for people to see or to test drive.?
That's the plan! Hopefully they will have done the track verification runs by then to prove their efficiency and range claims as well. 😎
Hotrod McCammon is going to need to be restrained from ripping around the parking lot in the PI!!
I booked a free ticket with the promo code, thinking of going for the first 2 days...
I'm trying to get tickets, but it's showing up as $201 with Aptera's code. It's STILL December 5th!! I thought the price went up AFTER Dec 5th. :(
What web site do we use to snag a couple of tickets
Found the procedure fairly tricky to register. Then there was not Exhibit Plus Pass to select. Hope for another meet-up in the future. Charge on!
I don't understand those attendance numbers ( 107k ). I was there 35 years ago and would guess there were that many then. The Fallbrook Avocado Festival gets 100k each year and it is a one day event in a town of less than 50k people. Anyway, I am hoping for the best and new exposure / publicity is always welcome.
Aptera sends you a bussiness card with your name and association on it for the ticket.
Do I need to request this business card from Aptera? If so, how?
@kevinworammusic if you didn't get send one, there are some videos on how to make one for you.
@@mikegardner1589 thanks Mike, I found the aptera owners club video explaining it
Scout Motors is a subsidiary of VW
I tried to sign up yesterday but it didn't like the website, not sure what to put in there.
Same here. I uploaded all the required documents. But it asked me for more proof.
The Scout brand is owned by VW so it's basically going to be a VW engineered product, so think Pickup/SUV version of the ID4.
The world's largest trade show in terms of exhibition space is bauma, which takes place every three years in Munich. By combination of floorspace and attendance it is Euroter Hanover. CES is not even in top ten of these lists although a couple of auto industry trade shows are which is why I have sometimes brought up how aptera should go to auto shows in as many different countrys and cities as possible. Get this vehicle out in front of auto industry and auto consumers. Get people talking about it. Especially women who do go to car shows, not just guys, which electronic shows are inundated with
After some work finally got registered. Are you allowed to brung a plus 1?
Will invest more after IPO not before.
I think anytime after full demo meeting performance specs is marginally safe. Before then is stupid.
@@artsmith103 I wouldn't say stupid. Depends on one's risk tolerance. I'm in the 500s accelerators and won't be putting anymore money in.
I got the email yesterday. Saw there's a code to waive the ticket fee, which is nice. It's a good place to showcase the Aptera. I still wonder if it's going to be the PI4 or not. I mean, it's in just over a month. I'll have to look into plane ticket prices...
Good luck with this. I tried for two days. Uploaded all the credentials it asked for and they say I still need more.
"Just released their EV9" ... a year after deliveries started
Sorry was thinking of the ioniq 9. Get Kia and Hyundai confused sometimes
Whomever is coming to Las Vegas. let's also organize a meetup!
Sorry I can not make it, but hope lots of fans show up. And sympathetic press. And new investors.
I got the invite to go to CES but the dates aren't going to work out unfortunately. Hopefully next time something comes up I can make it because I really want to see the Aptera in person and meet the people involved in it's development.
If Aptera has really created a vehicle worth owning, after the show they should turn it over to some independent/objective reviewers for evaluation.
Motor Trend, Car & Driver, Consumer Reports, whomever.
All of these events, from St. Moritz, Tesla Takeover, the Battery event, the UAE trip, and now this, have displayed the vehicle but they’ve avoided performance demonstrations like the plague.
And now another $15 mil. crowdfunder ask.
a) That takes a lot of balls without a true demonstration of the claims.
b) Without an explanation for the USCG flatline, again, why would you just blindly donate?
c) And the amount does what? Their USCG data shows ‘24-‘26 losses of roughly $200 mil.. How is there any path to success?
Sorry, just shaking my head out loud…
There are a lot of people smarter than me. Maybe one of them can explain how people stand a chance of getting their vehicle.
Got my final approval for CES, it’s gonna be great to meet other Aptera fans and reservation holders. If any of the influencers are putting together a meet up I’d love to know about it. And if not, I live in Vegas and am happy to coordinate something at a nearby spot
Scout is owned by Volkswagen!
Volkswagen has partnered with Rivian to get the Computer interface, so I can imagine that the Scouts will have very similar user interfaces as Rivians, which is high quality. At the same time Rivian's vehicles will be one of their chief competitors, especially once the R2 comes out in 2026.
The "Central Plaza" is outside, right? Google Maps shows it as a big parking lot, but apparently there has been a lot of construction going on there (particularly at the north end of the plaza parking lot). I wonder if the "parking lot" has been converted to more of a "plaza" as part of this renovation.
This is great news. Arcimoto was there in 2018 and even did free test drives. Elio Motors was even at CES too. Let's not forget Canoo was there last year. So this shows that CES leads to success when it comes to efficient and right sized transportation.
None of those three vehicles have experienced success. One, Elio, gone altogether. The other two, Acrimoto and Canoo, on the verge of bankruptcy. I hope we don't follow those examples.
@@johnmalcom9159 - It's different with Aptera this time. Trust me........
@@johnmalcom9159 Exactly. His post makes no sense
@@Randy-J - Aptera is different this time.
@@billsmith5960 Agreed. However that's not how your comment reads. At least not to me nor John. CES is huge. I follow it every year.
Shame they may not have all the stats available when they get there. It’s better to say Aptera definitely can do this or that.
That is what is VERY LACKING, real proof, and not some computer modeling. And that will be 'the shoals upon which the good ship Aptera will founder'. Any investor is going to want proof, not spreadsheets
AOC should interview USCG and present a valid understanding, to the fans, of the severe failure of the offering.
If this doesn’t happen, then anyone considering investing in the latest crowdfunding round should consider…
Hundreds of qualified investors looked at the offering and determined Aptera was not viable based on their own data.
And ask yourself what possible reason you might have to ignore this important data point and drop your hard-earned?
The CES preview and the reporting on it will get some excited. That’s the point of it.
But, on due diligence, you really want to wait until verifiable PI test data, against claims, to replace promises.
You may have a low 300 mile range 7-8 kWh, 20 mile solar contribution. Maybe not.
But after all the years, shouldn’t you know before you part with your $?
You should also consider what $15 mil might accomplish, when 10X is required to possibly get this closer to a settled-down cost.
And, you should show the USCG data to someone experienced in manufacturing, and ask them what they would expect for the MSRP of a product of this type.
Up to you of course, it’s your money.
You seemed pretty worried about scout motors, but you are aware that they're a subsidiary of Volkswagen, right? At least they'll be financially sound for a while
Glad you told me the ambassadors were given preference! Made my decision easy! Not going!
Its of the first water that Aptera can be there! This writer will not be going, with the peril of winter storms and travel, I'd be NUTS to try and go. And I'd bet the hotels are either FULL or charging more than the mark up on a VW Bus, for a room next to the elevator shaft. Now lets hope for MORE than a 03 minute video of the event from HQ, and with a whole lot less talking[like the low speed test video}
Another EV startup (albeit owned by VW) producing pickups and SUVs swims in cash while Aptera treads shallow water. Sure, large vehicles are popular in the U.S., but Scout has voluminous competition while Aptera has none. It's arguably more of a sports car, but if Aptera only captured a few percent of the market for Corollas and the like, it would be a roaring success while Scout competes in a market flooded with alternatives, yet Aptera can't raise a paltry $60M while companies like Scout raise billions. Why? I'd love to be proven wrong, but frankly, CES looks like a last-ditch effort to attract investment from high-stakes gamblers.
It's simple to see why. Chris and Steve have total control and will not give it up. So when VAG went to them with a 5B investment, Aptera refused it because VAG wants some control. This is because VAG has to answer to their stockholders and they said, "No investment unless we can have a say in the company." Thus VAG went to Rivian.
If there's one thing holding Aptera back, it's that two guys with a limited track of success and going on round two of the same idea, want to have all of the money but nobody telling them what to do with it. Thus, those big investors walk away. Literally, nobody can tell those two what to do and thus they lose out on the experience that comes from those experienced investors.
And that’s how they literally lost their company the first time. The end result was that we all ended up with no Aptera and they received all the blame even though they had little to no control over what happened. I personally do not blame them. If only they were like Elon and had wealthy friends to support them then they could cede control to only those guys kind of like how Elon did. Everyone criticized Elon back then too.
@@danielthompson3928 - So, if VAG or Elon offered them a billion, then it's good that they rejected it as they would lose control of the company and could be ousted yet again. As we know, their leadership ha shown for the last 5 years that they are extremely trustworthy with their claims. Thus no reason to question them at all.
@@billsmith5960 True enough, but no one will hand them even a paltry $60M with no strings attached. Fund managers aren't investing their own money and have many strings attached to their investments for good reason. Even wealthy individuals hire managers to tie their own hands when tens of millions are involved. They need to tell a long line of friends and family that it's out of their control. I understand why Chris and Steve want to maintain control, but at the rate they're raising capital now, I'll never see an Aptera.
I'd rather they simply start building cars...
This is a rare & timely opportunity get wide exposure in the hopes of attracting funding for full production. If successful they’ll be able to build more cars faster & cheaper. So seems a worthy investment of time & money.
Hey, OP we all would like to see the SEV built. So you can mail them a cheque for $200 millions of USD and they will happily build the cars. Right now, they are effectively broke.
Disappointing to know that they will not have a production ready vehicle to show us till next year...doesn't seem like they are planning to accomplish much more this year
Should have happened years ago.
first company to make a truly affordable and good quality EV is going to take the cake.