As an investor, I am extremely happy to hear that number of only 6000 produced to break even. Your statement of efficiency in both the vehicle and the assembly form of making Aptera is music to my ears. Because they have been smart about how to do this from the beginning with Sandy Monro, they should attract money on that interview. Thank you for you continuing support for Aptera. I am happy that I have invested and feel better than ever about it than ever. If I wasn't so frigging old, 75, I would put more money into it. But already am on the leader board in the first 4 days of production. I have no business investing in a start-up, I did, and man am I singing now! Wonderful news, and glad you are as excited about it as I am.
Me and a few others here think the 6000 number is not a profit after one year. But after selling 6000 per year for a number of years. I doubt they will be debt free after selling their first 6000 carz
@@golfish8589 Being profitable doesn't necessitate eliminating all debt. All you need to do is meet your recurring obligations(interest) and be able to refinance upon maturity. The interest and refinancing costs do go into the profitability calculation however.
Yes!!! Aptera being able to reach profitability after selling just 6000 vehicles was a HUGE takeaway from the interview. That is a feat no other EV manufacturer has been able to achieve before. I am SO glad to have invested significant money into this company. And plan to invest more.
Yeah exactly, I've got 1000 shares myself. I was planning to sell a couple for a good price once i could, but this news makes me want to HODL for a long while 😂
I think it is a rate of 6,000/year which will require an infusion of some cash. I wonder if Aptera can get the next amount crowd funded and avoid debt financing?
The Aptera is great for what is trying to achieve but the issue is not is not atractive for mass market. Cars like this dont become main stream sadly. Good luck to the company regardless.😊
This Aptera revelation jumped out at me today too. What a beacon of optimism six thousand vehicles are, even if that turns out to be a bit optimistic! This, to me, really secures the likelihood of company success!!
In a TH-cam video this last week with a large investor in Aptera, they offered to show him prints of the next vehicles they have plans on producing. At the end of the video Chris made the offer but explained they could not be revealed to the public. This is only the beginning for Aptera!
he's too focused on efficiency even when it kills the desirability of the vehicle compared to a similarly priced vehicle. no one who is buying a vehicle as their only car is going to buy this. this is a second car for people with multiple cars. but i like the vehicle too, they just need a 4 wheel one
@@a-don13dude, you're wrong. This will be my only car, and this is also true for a number of people in the Aptera community. Of course, it will make an EXCELLENT second car, prefect for that 95% of the time when most drivers don't need more than two seats or a truck to haul tons of stuff. Oh, and for some of us, the efficiency is one of the big sells.
@@a-don13 A gross one-size-fits-all generalization. You speak for yourself, not for those interested in this completely unique vehicle. Given the opportunity, we will buy the Aptera and it will be our only vehicle. We will sell our early i3 which people also told us was unrealistic and only a city car.... blah blah blah... 101,000 miles on it as of now... our only vehicle for the last seven years. You picked the wrong vehicle to be interested in if you think efficiency kills desirability. There are legions of ankle-biters & trolls willing to attack anything that does not fit in the presently popular group-think mold of mediocrity.
@TailosiveEV you are definitely getting the bigger picture w/o forgetting the details. Now add some European @apterasolar perspective and you're all set ;-)
@@GullWingInnMoclips lmao ofcourse you're one of those who bought that flop that is the i3. you're needs are just much much different than what the general public wants. again, not saying it will fail or anything but with the design its market is severely limited.
At 81, my wife and I don't need a car that will drive 1000 miles, just a 2-seater that increases my independence. In 2020, I ordered 3. One for us, one as a gift, and one to resell for profit.
Everything I hear about Aptera Motors and their EV is just so "smart." Well thought out, well engineered, and well planned, thanks to all the talent they have and folks like Sandy Munro helping out. I pre-ordered.
Another spot on post. I thought I miss-heard that 6k number as well when they said it-or maybe they didn’t hear Steve’s question properly. But not only did they hear it correctly but they even named the person by name on the company who calculated that specific number, without hesitation, proving that Chris A. wasn’t just grasping a random # out of thin air. This is another game-changing factor by a company that continues to break the molds. Keeping driving forward #Aptera! And keep posting outstanding videos Drew.
I frequently see a single person commuting in a massive extended cab 3/4 ton 4x4 pickup. For the majority of commuters, typically a single person or two at the most, commuting in an Aptera would make a lot of sense as a second or third vehicle. They REALLY need to get a few of these on the road. I'd buy one!
Also remember... The car body is being constructed in Italy (no reason to think that has to end) and the motors are also European. That's perhaps an even better market. It's sunny around the Mediterranean.
Important video, thank you! One thing I think could be cleared up: Rivian doesn't lose money on every car it sells. The way these headlines work is they calculate (income - expenditures) / (# of vehicles sold). A lot of the expenditures are due to fixed costs so if Rivian sold fewer vehicles, it would be less profitable and run out of money faster. Aptera has chosen to keep their fixed costs super low, which means each vehicle is probably less profitable for Aptera, but they don't need to sell a lot of cars before they turn a profit.
Yes I also appreciate the focus on efficiency in operation and manufacturing. My big gripe is with the design of the side windows. A big black frame is in the side windows and appears to be right at eye level. Gotta be a way to get that visual blockage reduced!
It's not for everybody? BS. I drive a Toyyota Sequoia as my daily driver. 75% of the time I'm by myself or with my wife. Would i trade my Sequoia for an Aptera? Never. Would I drive my sequioa way less if I also had an Aptera and save thousands of dollars of gas a year? Hell yeah!
Not everyone can afford a second or even third vehicle to make this idea work. This is not for a family who cannot afford to buy two vehicles (or a vehicle this expensive) and may need to hold more passengers or travel distances beyond its range. It is also not for people who live so far north the cold weather starts to effect the batteries and the sun isn’t out even to charge it properly. If you want to say many or possibly most people (rich enough) would want this but it is certainly not for everyone.
@wildcaveman5310 OK, but when people say it's not for everybody and can't see it being a good business model, I call BS. A pickup truck is not for everybody, and they sell plenty of those things. In a world where thousands of people per year will spend $30k+ on a side by side, I think there will be plenty of demand for this. Is it the same market segalment as a side by side? No. It will be the side by side equivalent for city folk.
The best selling 2 seater car of all time is the mazda miata, which has sold ~30k units per year since its debut in 1989. If aptera can double the popularity of the miata then they would move 60k units per year, just under the number of model s and x sold each year. A small niche, but the fact that aptera can be profitable in that niche is great!
@@TailosiveEV And didn't look like a spaceship 😉. Aptera is the best affordable sports car possible and has huge storage and performance. I'll be parking it in the garage and charging with power from my strata (power in BC is $0.10 usd / kwh)
The Corvette has sold over 2 million 2 seater sports cars compared to a little over a million Miatas. But the Miata has sold more 2 seater convertibles then anyone.
You are correct. Best EV clip I have seem so far. There must be people out there who want a EV to get around in and don't need or want a heavy tank of a thing that is hard to repair and opens the door for companies to overcharge on the price of recharging and repairs.
"Living" within your means is a wonderful thing if you can pull it off. If you can deliver your product without having to service a debt, breaking even is SO much easier. Aptera seems to be well on their way on both counts! Plus all the things you mention! The sun is shining.
@@JayCAlan Okay, I can't speak to whether or how much they are in debt (if at all). I did not say explicitly that they were not in debt; only that they appear to be reasonably successful in keeping their debt (if any) relatively low. But, regardless, the less debt you have, the less income stream (vehicles out the door) you need to break even or turn a profit.
Me and my partner gave each other a high five when we heard that stat in the interview. We want Aptera to succeed very much for all of the amazing reasons you so expertly outline.
I listened to that interview this morning heading into work, and when they said only 6000 per year for profitability, I was blown away. If I win the lottery, I'll invest enough to get these SOBs on the road ASAP lol. Till then they have whatever shares I already bought hah.
I'd missed the full significance of this, Drew, so thanks for making it clearer for me! I'm on the Aptera reservation list because it is radically different. Other interesting EVs are coming to market this year here in UK, and buck the inefficient SUV trend, (new Renault 5, the latest Dacia Spring). They may cost similar, they may cost a lot less, but Aptera impressed me with design, engineering and forward thinking that it was the first EV I put any money down on. Mind you, I do fit squarely into the early-adopter group for it, which was mostly middle-aged male engineers...😁
Excellent point about the efficiency having multiple benefits. I live in NY and I drive a lot, so the solar charging will cover just a fraction of my needs. But for people without dedicated 220V home charging, the vehicle gets enough range from 110V charging that you can simply run an extension cord.
Sandy Munro explained really well a few years ago why Aptera would be profitable. Explained that he’d been trying to get legacy auto to try building a car like this for many years. Considering that we’re barely getting snow in Canada now, I’m seriously considering getting the car. Already waist deep in the stock.
I think a big point most people miss about Aptera is that insurance will be much cheaper than a Tesla. If you add $1500/year potential insurance savings, to $500/year in fuel savings, that's $20k over 10 years with Aptera. If you keep up for 20 years, that's the whole purchase price! They need one with a removable passenger seat to use as a food delivery vehicle!
not arguing, but curious... why would the insurance be less expensive? i would think it would be more expensive due to it being a two seater, and being carbon fiber..
@@brtecson Motorcycle insurance vs car insurance. Lower weight means less damage. Less damage means lower payouts. Aptera doesn't want to push this point too hard, because every US state will be different.
As someone who has gas & oil in my veins i am pretty open minded. With the company being so transparent on its progress, the efficiency, right to repair, tesla plug, solar charging, 110 charge, cargo capacity, and so on this vehicle fits 90% of my needs. I work practically everyday and my commute round trip is 30 miles so it was a no brainer. Its going to look great right next to my other vehicle which is a gas guzzling V10 supercar. Lol
It makes me happy that Aptera is actually going to be profitable very easily. We need more vehicles like this. (Although I can't really justify spending this much money on two doors since I, like many others, can't afford to buy two cars. Maybe used, or when I absolutely need a replacement for my Bolt EV)
I, too, was pleasantly surprised by their breakeven projection. But, despite all the good points you make, I'm still a little skeptical on market size. The hope is that there are a lot of people waiting on the sidelines until it hits the road. I, personally, am concerned Aptera's reservation growth has greatly slowed down. They have been in the upper 40,000's for quite a while now and they will not get a high conversion rate. I would expect their backlog today to truly be approximately 1 shift of 1 plant worth of vehicles. After the accelerators, it will be interesting to see how many actually commit to a purchase or simply request back their $100 deposit. The breakeven gave me more optimism that they may get to production, but not ready to say they'd be sustainable. I do concede their low Capex approach puts them at a competitive advantage though.
I'm closer to 80 than 70 right now, and I have to wait for the right hand drive model. Fingers crossed. I would like to see the Aptera demographics. Baby Boomers love it?
Another thing that chaps my bit with naysayers is the constant "failed to meet their timelines" or "delaying for yet another year" bull$hit. Ooh, Tesla will have a $25K vehicle soon, or BYD will sell EV's from Mexico for $17K and it's over for Aptera. "they better hurry up and get to market, already". None of us actually knows how big of an impact this company will make, but WE know it could be HUGE. The Launch Edition will arrive in it's own time.
Your comments from 7:50 to 8:36 provide very compelling reasons for why Aptera's vehicle should (and most likely will) appeal to a much larger base than certain opinions might indicate. I'm rooting for them to stick to their core ideals, turn a generous profit and expand beyond expectations! Thank you for this video!
What tesla did for the ice industry, aptera has the potential to do for the ev industry. Something similar was proposed in the 1980s, with fuel engines getting 250+ mpg. The pre-ev aptera was an attempt at making the design concept a reality, I think.
Low income retirement presents its challenges. But if this company makes it, even to me it makes sense to buy one. We drive about 60 miles per week.That means no fuel costs. The other two big expenses would be insurance and maintenance. What would that be compared to getting a Toyota Fit compact car considering all expenses?
I’m a senior citizen who is statistically expecting deteriorating driving skills in my future…. Are you planning to ultimately incorporate FSD into the vehicle? That would be a major selling point for us aging Boomers.
8:00 just wanted to point out that ppl who live in an apartment and have trouble accessing home charging also likely have underground or roofed parking spaces, which unfortunately reduces the effectiveness of solar power. I'm interested in buying an aptera in the future, but I'm likely going to get the one without rear hatch solar, because where I live is going to have underground/garage parking. I'd also save on some purchase cost, and would appreciate the rearward visibility
Regarding demand for this vehicle: I've shown pics and videos of Apteras to friends and associates of mine. Everyone who's seen this vehicle is intrigued by it's look, and impressed by it's stats. I have yet to meet someone who says they don't like it. Now, of course, interest is not the same as demand, but the former leads to the latter, and when the overall initial reaction is this positive ... You get the picture.
I agree, one of the things I hate about the domestic vehicle market is that every manufacturer seems to be building the same car to chase the same market. I'd like to see something different, like the Aptera, or the Telo truck or even the Canoo. If I could fit in it, the Aptera could be a perfect fit for me, I really don't use the rear seats for my cars and the self charging aspect would have been great when I was a traveling engineer and had to live at places that didn't offer a place to plug in and charge. I hope this company, and the other ones selling something different, succeeds.
🤔 Sorry to break it to you but in the same AOC interview CEO Steve mentioned the first customer deliveries will be in 2025. The first production cars in late 2024 will be used by employees for extensive real world testing.
I was almost convinced by the pitch by the co-CEO's. Given the amount of time that it's take for Aptera to actually produce a product, it's unlikely that they will actually ever produce a product without going out of business. It's easy to produce a a prototype, it's hard to go into production. If the production concepts were actually profitable, it would be in the new low cost Tesla. Aptera almost had me fooled and I almost invested my $$$.
@@bobhellman8676yes. Aptera's business model is selling a dream. If their vehicle is so efficient, why haven't they done a range test and made a video about that?
@@tomsticklandbut you don't want to do extensive range testing until you actually have hardware from the factories. You won't be told what the specs are while the specs are still changing, because saying what the specs are will result outdated (and therefore wrong) information being spread over the internet. The internet never completely forgets information, so if wrong information gets to the internet, it stays there forever. Given that such information isn't available yet, for now educated guesses and opinions are the best the public can do. For myself, I see the investment risk as being worth it. Hindsight isn't possible at the time I'm writing this, but time will tell.
I don't know how many videos I've seen on Aptera and I've never seen one where they actually demonstrated 10 miles to the kilowatt hour. I totally accept that that would be without air conditioning or heating, and on a relatively level road. With one person inside. Still I haven't seen anyone do it.
If Aptera's autocycle goes into production this year, there is a chance it will be one of the benchmarks for Tesla's forthcoming next generation platform vehicles.
I took it to mean the latter. They still have capital expenditures, just far less than traditional auto manufacturers. Those expenses still need to be amortized. Five years of depreciation is common, but I don't know what they're doing
Can’t wait to get my Aptera. But, instead of focusing on the 6000 unit breakeven, figure out how they will get funding to complete testing and start production. Will it be an angel investor or an IPO?
I don't think they will IPO until production is underway. The holdup with funding at the moment is maintaining sufficient control. The founders have enough experience to be wise regarding this issue. They are carefully managing their cash burn rate now as well and still making progress.
I agree completely with Mr. Nelson--it's a bit of a conundrum right now on the source of production start-up funding, but the co-CEO's aren't just extremely capital efficient, they learned very well, the foibles that derailed them a bit in the past. They''re smart, honest, transparent as they need to be and have not only an efficiency mindset but also a continuous improvement culture. @@n.brucenelson5920
@@n.brucenelson5920 Bruce, Absolutely correct. Steve & Chris seem to be savvy entrepreneurs and won't miss all the elements of burn rate including cap equipment, salaries, taxes, utilities, shipping; etc..etc. What's your guess on how much money they need......$30M, 50M, 100 or more?
I single shift should produce 10,000 units per year. The first facility is a little lacking for access (doors) and parking space to allow 3 shifts. I sure appreciate your content and enthusiasm. I have a difficult time imagining a home that would not benefit from having an Aptera in the driveway.
im reserved to get one and look forward to it. I do really hope in the furutre they add one more seat to it to make it a 3 seater in the future. A lot of families in the US are single child households and could really almost double their target demographic if you could add a 3rd seat. hopefully future models consider that.
The vehicle is classed as a motorcycle/ scooter, so it does not need to comply with the lawful standards required for crash testing for cars, vans or trucks. So kudos to Aptera for building a product that needs none of that. I think I’ll place an order.👍
If Aptera rinses and repeats that 6k production run 8 times, that will clear out their current order books, and with the profits made they can then think about doing an IPO, designing new models, starting new factories, etc. In fact, after building about half of their current pre-orders, they could probably afford to build out another facility somewhere else in the US to fast-track the rest of the pre-orders. After that, we are probably going to see an acceleration of new orders coming in, and then it will just be a case of copy/pasting assembly lines into other locations, even in other countries, to meet the demand.
I think this is a terrific car with, all of the emphasis on efficiency. We have been waiting for production to begin for a very long time. With such a rapid path to profit, why exactly hasn't production begun? It is irrelevant that they will be turning a profit within 6 months of starting production if they never start. I wish them well, but they need to actually deliver on all of their hype now.
They are not going to do what Tesla did and deliver defective vehicles for a year. The first delivered Apterae will be validated for safety and performance first.
This is a point that isn't made often enough. The commercial market is going to see a lot of cost reduction in fuel costs as very attractive. Put a custom wrap on it, and it will attract eyeballs for advertising as well.
I love Aptera and nobody wants to see them succeed more than me... but profitable with 6k units...? I'll believe it when I see it. But seriously, really hope they do nail it. That would be amazing and ensure they'll be around for quite some time... AND will have the capital to develop/build a 4/5 seater.
Probably not, many states don't really allow autocycles for Uber drivers, and tbh idk if Uber even has an option for a 2 door driver which would be a problem for all the families expecting something that fits the family. That said, Uber eats is a whole other story, I think delivery drivers would like this a lot more
@@sahitdodda5046 aptera's lobbying team can get to work on that in the future haha, but yes for delivery drivers (instacart, Uber eats, etc.) It will be an endgame vehicle
That 6 thousand number is SO amazing! I would love to get my hands on one. I just wonder what the horn sounds like. I hope it's not one of those week wimpy Honda/Toyota sounds. I hope it's more like the ones VW's have: mean and obnoxious.
'several years' of production to catch up to the current customers? 15k a year made, 47k+ waiting = the numbers you gave. how about 'a few years'? i think several should start at seven. GREAT video, you are an inspirational speaker. it seems too good to be true. i want to be an aptera salesman for fun (& $)
Seems to me, as an investor and accelerator, in order to become profitable after producing only 6000 vehicles, they are going to have to make at least $10,000 profit on each of those initial 6000, and so instead of being $34000 , my Aptera will cost maybe $40000 or more, in which case I won't buy it......
My wife and I did the minimum investment. We'll probably put in a deposit for one as well, even though we only own one car and would like to keep it that way.
I hope they sell a metric shit-load of them, so they can afford to do some sort of relatively small, adventure vehicle-type thing, with a little more storage and a bit more clearance.
As an investor, I am extremely happy to hear that number of only 6000 produced to break even. Your statement of efficiency in both the vehicle and the assembly form of making Aptera is music to my ears. Because they have been smart about how to do this from the beginning with Sandy Monro, they should attract money on that interview. Thank you for you continuing support for Aptera. I am happy that I have invested and feel better than ever about it than ever. If I wasn't so frigging old, 75, I would put more money into it. But already am on the leader board in the first 4 days of production. I have no business investing in a start-up, I did, and man am I singing now! Wonderful news, and glad you are as excited about it as I am.
Me and a few others here think the 6000 number is not a profit after one year. But after selling 6000 per year for a number of years.
I doubt they will be debt free after selling their first 6000 carz
@@golfish8589 Not in debt, have not issued any bonds, no bank loans, so what are you saying?
@@golfish8589 What debt, where did you find this debt?
@@golfish8589 I hope not , otherwise us accelerators will have to pay a premium for our cars.......
@@golfish8589 Being profitable doesn't necessitate eliminating all debt. All you need to do is meet your recurring obligations(interest) and be able to refinance upon maturity. The interest and refinancing costs do go into the profitability calculation however.
Yes!!! Aptera being able to reach profitability after selling just 6000 vehicles was a HUGE takeaway from the interview. That is a feat no other EV manufacturer has been able to achieve before. I am SO glad to have invested significant money into this company. And plan to invest more.
Appreciate you supporting this awesome company!
Gotta love the openness. With most major components from 3rd parties they will be sharing the profit and risk with others.
Yeah exactly, I've got 1000 shares myself. I was planning to sell a couple for a good price once i could, but this news makes me want to HODL for a long while 😂
I think it is a rate of 6,000/year which will require an infusion of some cash. I wonder if Aptera can get the next amount crowd funded and avoid debt financing?
The Aptera is great for what is trying to achieve but the issue is not is not atractive for mass market. Cars like this dont become main stream sadly. Good luck to the company regardless.😊
This Aptera revelation jumped out at me today too. What a beacon of optimism six thousand vehicles are, even if that turns out to be a bit optimistic! This, to me, really secures the likelihood of company success!!
That's nutty. If Aptera ever makes a plant within a few hundred miles of me I want a job there
Aptera's openness and transparency is also so underrated
In a TH-cam video this last week with a large investor in Aptera, they offered to show him prints of the next vehicles they have plans on producing. At the end of the video Chris made the offer but explained they could not be revealed to the public. This is only the beginning for Aptera!
You're the only TH-camr who fully understands the big picture with Aptera.
he's too focused on efficiency even when it kills the desirability of the vehicle compared to a similarly priced vehicle. no one who is buying a vehicle as their only car is going to buy this. this is a second car for people with multiple cars.
but i like the vehicle too, they just need a 4 wheel one
@@a-don13dude, you're wrong. This will be my only car, and this is also true for a number of people in the Aptera community. Of course, it will make an EXCELLENT second car, prefect for that 95% of the time when most drivers don't need more than two seats or a truck to haul tons of stuff. Oh, and for some of us, the efficiency is one of the big sells.
@@a-don13 A gross one-size-fits-all generalization. You speak for yourself, not for those interested in this completely unique vehicle. Given the opportunity, we will buy the Aptera and it will be our only vehicle. We will sell our early i3 which people also told us was unrealistic and only a city car.... blah blah blah... 101,000 miles on it as of now... our only vehicle for the last seven years. You picked the wrong vehicle to be interested in if you think efficiency kills desirability. There are legions of ankle-biters & trolls willing to attack anything that does not fit in the presently popular group-think mold of mediocrity.
@TailosiveEV you are definitely getting the bigger picture w/o forgetting the details. Now add some European @apterasolar perspective and you're all set ;-)
@@GullWingInnMoclips lmao ofcourse you're one of those who bought that flop that is the i3. you're needs are just much much different than what the general public wants.
again, not saying it will fail or anything but with the design its market is severely limited.
At 81, my wife and I don't need a car that will drive 1000 miles, just a 2-seater that increases my independence. In 2020, I ordered 3. One for us, one as a gift, and one to resell for profit.
My situation also. Paying IT forward for societal benefits, as the shoulders of fore- Fathers/Mothers. We stand on the brink of Changes.
Everything I hear about Aptera Motors and their EV is just so "smart." Well thought out, well engineered, and well planned, thanks to all the talent they have and folks like Sandy Munro helping out. I pre-ordered.
Another spot on post. I thought I miss-heard that 6k number as well when they said it-or maybe they didn’t hear Steve’s question properly. But not only did they hear it correctly but they even named the person by name on the company who calculated that specific number, without hesitation, proving that Chris A. wasn’t just grasping a random # out of thin air. This is another game-changing factor by a company that continues to break the molds. Keeping driving forward #Aptera! And keep posting outstanding videos Drew.
I frequently see a single person commuting in a massive extended cab 3/4 ton 4x4 pickup. For the majority of commuters, typically a single person or two at the most, commuting in an Aptera would make a lot of sense as a second or third vehicle. They REALLY need to get a few of these on the road. I'd buy one!
Yes I was pretty happy with that number too
Also remember... The car body is being constructed in Italy (no reason to think that has to end) and the motors are also European. That's perhaps an even better market. It's sunny around the Mediterranean.
Literally my favorite sentence of the whole interview. Thank you for the video!
Who'd a thunk that building a highly efficient vehicle would result in a highly efficient use of capital?
This is an underrated comment
Important video, thank you! One thing I think could be cleared up: Rivian doesn't lose money on every car it sells. The way these headlines work is they calculate (income - expenditures) / (# of vehicles sold). A lot of the expenditures are due to fixed costs so if Rivian sold fewer vehicles, it would be less profitable and run out of money faster. Aptera has chosen to keep their fixed costs super low, which means each vehicle is probably less profitable for Aptera, but they don't need to sell a lot of cars before they turn a profit.
Yes I also appreciate the focus on efficiency in operation and manufacturing. My big gripe is with the design of the side windows. A big black frame is in the side windows and appears to be right at eye level. Gotta be a way to get that visual blockage reduced!
It's not for everybody? BS. I drive a Toyyota Sequoia as my daily driver. 75% of the time I'm by myself or with my wife. Would i trade my Sequoia for an Aptera? Never. Would I drive my sequioa way less if I also had an Aptera and save thousands of dollars of gas a year? Hell yeah!
Not everyone can afford a second or even third vehicle to make this idea work. This is not for a family who cannot afford to buy two vehicles (or a vehicle this expensive) and may need to hold more passengers or travel distances beyond its range. It is also not for people who live so far north the cold weather starts to effect the batteries and the sun isn’t out even to charge it properly. If you want to say many or possibly most people (rich enough) would want this but it is certainly not for everyone.
@wildcaveman5310 OK, but when people say it's not for everybody and can't see it being a good business model, I call BS. A pickup truck is not for everybody, and they sell plenty of those things.
In a world where thousands of people per year will spend $30k+ on a side by side, I think there will be plenty of demand for this. Is it the same market segalment as a side by side? No. It will be the side by side equivalent for city folk.
I have a Sequoia as well and got a cheapo Kia Soul EV a few months ago. Saving almost $1k a month (driving average 1250km a week)
@@wildcaveman5310 Aptera doesn't have to sell to everyone to be successful. That's the point.
@@MultisportOfficial no argument there. Hats off to those folks who made that happen.
The best selling 2 seater car of all time is the mazda miata, which has sold ~30k units per year since its debut in 1989. If aptera can double the popularity of the miata then they would move 60k units per year, just under the number of model s and x sold each year. A small niche, but the fact that aptera can be profitable in that niche is great!
and the Miata couldn't fuel itself 😉
@@TailosiveEV And didn't look like a spaceship 😉. Aptera is the best affordable sports car possible and has huge storage and performance. I'll be parking it in the garage and charging with power from my strata (power in BC is $0.10 usd / kwh)
@@TailosiveEV *can't*
The miata is still around, hasn't gone extinct, yet ;)
The Corvette has sold over 2 million 2 seater sports cars compared to a little over a million Miatas. But the Miata has sold more 2 seater convertibles then anyone.
@@ccibinelwell, it will find some sun eventually.
You are correct. Best EV clip I have seem so far. There must be people out there who want a EV to get around in and don't need or want a heavy tank of a thing that is hard to repair and opens the door for companies to overcharge on the price of recharging and repairs.
"Living" within your means is a wonderful thing if you can pull it off. If you can deliver your product without having to service a debt, breaking even is SO much easier. Aptera seems to be well on their way on both counts! Plus all the things you mention! The sun is shining.
You misunderstand what they mean by break even. They are most definitely in debt. You can be in debt and turn a profit.
@@JayCAlan Okay, I can't speak to whether or how much they are in debt (if at all). I did not say explicitly that they were not in debt; only that they appear to be reasonably successful in keeping their debt (if any) relatively low. But, regardless, the less debt you have, the less income stream (vehicles out the door) you need to break even or turn a profit.
@@JayCAlan Is it even possible that it is YOU who has misunderstood?
If aptera makes 6000 in 2025. They will not be debt free that is not what they are saying
Me and my partner gave each other a high five when we heard that stat in the interview. We want Aptera to succeed very much for all of the amazing reasons you so expertly outline.
I listened to that interview this morning heading into work, and when they said only 6000 per year for profitability, I was blown away.
If I win the lottery, I'll invest enough to get these SOBs on the road ASAP lol.
Till then they have whatever shares I already bought hah.
I had exactly the same lottery plans before this release. This only solidifies my position.
I'd missed the full significance of this, Drew, so thanks for making it clearer for me!
I'm on the Aptera reservation list because it is radically different. Other interesting EVs are coming to market this year here in UK, and buck the inefficient SUV trend, (new Renault 5, the latest Dacia Spring). They may cost similar, they may cost a lot less, but Aptera impressed me with design, engineering and forward thinking that it was the first EV I put any money down on.
Mind you, I do fit squarely into the early-adopter group for it, which was mostly middle-aged male engineers...😁
Excellent point about the efficiency having multiple benefits. I live in NY and I drive a lot, so the solar charging will cover just a fraction of my needs. But for people without dedicated 220V home charging, the vehicle gets enough range from 110V charging that you can simply run an extension cord.
Sandy Munro explained really well a few years ago why Aptera would be profitable. Explained that he’d been trying to get legacy auto to try building a car like this for many years.
Considering that we’re barely getting snow in Canada now, I’m seriously considering getting the car. Already waist deep in the stock.
I think a big point most people miss about Aptera is that insurance will be much cheaper than a Tesla. If you add $1500/year potential insurance savings, to $500/year in fuel savings, that's $20k over 10 years with Aptera. If you keep up for 20 years, that's the whole purchase price! They need one with a removable passenger seat to use as a food delivery vehicle!
not arguing, but curious... why would the insurance be less expensive? i would think it would be more expensive due to it being a two seater, and being carbon fiber..
@@brtecson Motorcycle insurance vs car insurance. Lower weight means less damage. Less damage means lower payouts. Aptera doesn't want to push this point too hard, because every US state will be different.
As someone who has gas & oil in my veins i am pretty open minded. With the company being so transparent on its progress, the efficiency, right to repair, tesla plug, solar charging, 110 charge, cargo capacity, and so on this vehicle fits 90% of my needs. I work practically everyday and my commute round trip is 30 miles so it was a no brainer. Its going to look great right next to my other vehicle which is a gas guzzling V10 supercar. Lol
You don’t have to convince anyone they will sell themselves when the public finds out about them
It makes me happy that Aptera is actually going to be profitable very easily. We need more vehicles like this. (Although I can't really justify spending this much money on two doors since I, like many others, can't afford to buy two cars. Maybe used, or when I absolutely need a replacement for my Bolt EV)
I suspect it may require more units than that to be profitable. Don''t forget that CEOs live in a reality distortion field.
@@ccibinel Hmm! OP a valid thought, but these CEO do not live in a controlled board room. They work/live on the shop floor
I like the line "The Aptera turns heads like no other. It's just like the Cybertruck." :)
I really hope Aptera makes it. This is the perfect primary commuter car / runabout.
I, too, was pleasantly surprised by their breakeven projection. But, despite all the good points you make, I'm still a little skeptical on market size. The hope is that there are a lot of people waiting on the sidelines until it hits the road. I, personally, am concerned Aptera's reservation growth has greatly slowed down. They have been in the upper 40,000's for quite a while now and they will not get a high conversion rate. I would expect their backlog today to truly be approximately 1 shift of 1 plant worth of vehicles. After the accelerators, it will be interesting to see how many actually commit to a purchase or simply request back their $100 deposit. The breakeven gave me more optimism that they may get to production, but not ready to say they'd be sustainable. I do concede their low Capex approach puts them at a competitive advantage though.
😥😥😥 My 72nd birthday is in a week, and I'm going to be 75 to 80YO before I can get to be the coolest old lady in Florida
I'm closer to 80 than 70 right now, and I have to wait for the right hand drive model. Fingers crossed. I would like to see the Aptera demographics. Baby Boomers love it?
Another thing that chaps my bit with naysayers is the constant "failed to meet their timelines" or "delaying for yet another year" bull$hit. Ooh, Tesla will have a $25K vehicle soon, or BYD will sell EV's from Mexico for $17K and it's over for Aptera. "they better hurry up and get to market, already". None of us actually knows how big of an impact this company will make, but WE know it could be HUGE. The Launch Edition will arrive in it's own time.
Your comments from 7:50 to 8:36 provide very compelling reasons for why Aptera's vehicle should (and most likely will) appeal to a much larger base than certain opinions might indicate.
I'm rooting for them to stick to their core ideals, turn a generous profit and expand beyond expectations!
Thank you for this video!
Well, very well presented reasoning to the advantages of Aptera.
Aptera is going to be the Tesla of lightweight vehicles. They are really on to something.
What tesla did for the ice industry, aptera has the potential to do for the ev industry. Something similar was proposed in the 1980s, with fuel engines getting 250+ mpg. The pre-ev aptera was an attempt at making the design concept a reality, I think.
Low income retirement presents its challenges. But if this company makes it, even to me it makes sense to buy one. We drive about 60 miles per week.That means no fuel costs. The other two big expenses would be insurance and maintenance. What would that be compared to getting a Toyota Fit compact car considering all expenses?
YES YES YES!!! Exactly, well said!
I’m a senior citizen who is statistically expecting deteriorating driving skills in my future….
Are you planning to ultimately incorporate FSD into the vehicle?
That would be a major selling point for us aging Boomers.
8:00 just wanted to point out that ppl who live in an apartment and have trouble accessing home charging also likely have underground or roofed parking spaces, which unfortunately reduces the effectiveness of solar power. I'm interested in buying an aptera in the future, but I'm likely going to get the one without rear hatch solar, because where I live is going to have underground/garage parking. I'd also save on some purchase cost, and would appreciate the rearward visibility
You rock Drew, thank you so much for you’re analysis and sharing!
My pleasure!
Great point. The whole next generation production approach really brings this closer to a motorcycle than a car in terms of manufacturing overhead.
it's the only EV on the market that doesn't require a 2+ car garage w/ a 220v service.
Regarding demand for this vehicle: I've shown pics and videos of Apteras to friends and associates of mine. Everyone who's seen this vehicle is intrigued by it's look, and impressed by it's stats. I have yet to meet someone who says they don't like it. Now, of course, interest is not the same as demand, but the former leads to the latter, and when the overall initial reaction is this positive ...
You get the picture.
Exactly! I have similar reactions from my friends and family too
I’ve gotten the opposite.
I agree, one of the things I hate about the domestic vehicle market is that every manufacturer seems to be building the same car to chase the same market. I'd like to see something different, like the Aptera, or the Telo truck or even the Canoo. If I could fit in it, the Aptera could be a perfect fit for me, I really don't use the rear seats for my cars and the self charging aspect would have been great when I was a traveling engineer and had to live at places that didn't offer a place to plug in and charge. I hope this company, and the other ones selling something different, succeeds.
That is fantastic to hear! Go Aptera!!!
APTERA FTW!!!
If you want to find out what will happen when Aptera's hit the road just watch Dirty Tesla's drive from Michigan to Florida in their new Cybertruck.
Absolutely can't wait to get mine.
I’d consider a 4+ seater Aptera. I wonder when that would be available.
By 2030 for sure, but give or take 3-5 years from now
Will be cool! Better call the model Gaia bc it would be a wagon :D
Two Aptera's offer four seats.
they will announce plans and more detail for (likely for a 5 seat sedan) when they go public.
@@n.brucenelson5920 doubt it would be a sedan hatchbacks are always more popular
Can't wait for the super efficient family aptera.
I think this car and its abilities are amazing. If I drove alot and didn't need a pickup I'd be on that waiting list.
Great points, like you I'm over the moon on this news, I've gone aptera (wingless flight)
How are the vehicles recycled or can they be continually rebuilt?
I wish Aptera the best 🤞🤞
I will get mine by December. Go Aptera
I hope so. I was supposed to be driving mine for the last 2 years.
🤔 Sorry to break it to you but in the same AOC interview CEO Steve mentioned the first customer deliveries will be in 2025. The first production cars in late 2024 will be used by employees for extensive real world testing.
Maybe December 2025.....
I will Receive an Aptera before that!@@ericstarmer7779
With advances in solar pannels and thermocouple technology I can see APTERA redesigned and improving everything every year.
I liked how they answered the question about valuation, you mean increase it?
I've a 600 mile version on order, just guessing I'm looking at at least 2 years maybe 3.
I was almost convinced by the pitch by the co-CEO's. Given the amount of time that it's take for Aptera to actually produce a product, it's unlikely that they will actually ever produce a product without going out of business. It's easy to produce a a prototype, it's hard to go into production. If the production concepts were actually profitable, it would be in the new low cost Tesla. Aptera almost had me fooled and I almost invested my $$$.
@@bobhellman8676yes. Aptera's business model is selling a dream. If their vehicle is so efficient, why haven't they done a range test and made a video about that?
@@tomsticklandbut you don't want to do extensive range testing until you actually have hardware from the factories. You won't be told what the specs are while the specs are still changing, because saying what the specs are will result outdated (and therefore wrong) information being spread over the internet. The internet never completely forgets information, so if wrong information gets to the internet, it stays there forever.
Given that such information isn't available yet, for now educated guesses and opinions are the best the public can do. For myself, I see the investment risk as being worth it.
Hindsight isn't possible at the time I'm writing this, but time will tell.
Say, do you think it's possible to make a 4 seater version? Or would the extra size/weight just eat up too much of the efficiency to be reasonable?
I don't know how many videos I've seen on Aptera and I've never seen one where they actually demonstrated 10 miles to the kilowatt hour. I totally accept that that would be without air conditioning or heating, and on a relatively level road. With one person inside. Still I haven't seen anyone do it.
efficiency all the way and everywhere is the ultimate answer for many start ups...and every other challenge in this world...
It definitely looks like a perfect 2nd vehicle next to owning a Tesla.
What is the price of the vehicle?
If Aptera's autocycle goes into production this year, there is a chance it will be one of the benchmarks for Tesla's forthcoming next generation platform vehicles.
I think there is a really large market for this car. This is basically the ultimate commuter car.
Is Aptera going to produce a vehicle this century
Is it after 6000 vehicles are made?
Or.
Do they need to make 6000/year for 3 or 5 or 10 years ? ? ?
I took it to mean the latter. They still have capital expenditures, just far less than traditional auto manufacturers. Those expenses still need to be amortized. Five years of depreciation is common, but I don't know what they're doing
Can’t wait to get my Aptera. But, instead of focusing on the 6000 unit breakeven, figure out how they will get funding to complete testing and start production. Will it be an angel investor or an IPO?
I don't think they will IPO until production is underway. The holdup with funding at the moment is maintaining sufficient control. The founders have enough experience to be wise regarding this issue. They are carefully managing their cash burn rate now as well and still making progress.
@@n.brucenelson5920 Do you agree they still need $20M+ additional to complete testing and build production line?
I agree completely with Mr. Nelson--it's a bit of a conundrum right now on the source of production start-up funding, but the co-CEO's aren't just extremely capital efficient, they learned very well, the foibles that derailed them a bit in the past. They''re smart, honest, transparent as they need to be and have not only an efficiency mindset but also a continuous improvement culture. @@n.brucenelson5920
@@johnpoldo8817 I suspect the real number is larger than that. They have to cover burn rate as well.
@@n.brucenelson5920 Bruce, Absolutely correct. Steve & Chris seem to be savvy entrepreneurs and won't miss all the elements of burn rate including cap equipment, salaries, taxes, utilities, shipping; etc..etc. What's your guess on how much money they need......$30M, 50M, 100 or more?
I just hope I fit in the Aptera. Gotta have one!
If you are under around 6'7, or even a bit taller, there should be no issues.
I am 6’6” tall and hope you are correct!!
what happened to the Cybertruck solar panels? probably not efficient enough to be on one
It’s next to the Cyber Quad
I single shift should produce 10,000 units per year. The first facility is a little lacking for access (doors) and parking space to allow 3 shifts. I sure appreciate your content and enthusiasm. I have a difficult time imagining a home that would not benefit from having an Aptera in the driveway.
im reserved to get one and look forward to it. I do really hope in the furutre they add one more seat to it to make it a 3 seater in the future. A lot of families in the US are single child households and could really almost double their target demographic if you could add a 3rd seat. hopefully future models consider that.
The vehicle is classed as a motorcycle/ scooter, so it does not need to comply with the lawful standards required for crash testing for cars, vans or trucks. So kudos to Aptera for building a product that needs none of that. I think I’ll place an order.👍
If Aptera rinses and repeats that 6k production run 8 times, that will clear out their current order books, and with the profits made they can then think about doing an IPO, designing new models, starting new factories, etc. In fact, after building about half of their current pre-orders, they could probably afford to build out another facility somewhere else in the US to fast-track the rest of the pre-orders. After that, we are probably going to see an acceleration of new orders coming in, and then it will just be a case of copy/pasting assembly lines into other locations, even in other countries, to meet the demand.
I think this is a terrific car with, all of the emphasis on efficiency. We have been waiting for production to begin for a very long time. With such a rapid path to profit, why exactly hasn't production begun? It is irrelevant that they will be turning a profit within 6 months of starting production if they never start. I wish them well, but they need to actually deliver on all of their hype now.
They are not going to do what Tesla did and deliver defective vehicles for a year. The first delivered Apterae will be validated for safety and performance first.
Have they started delivering yet?
Likely, early 2025.
They could easily sell 10k as fleet vehicles.
This is a point that isn't made often enough. The commercial market is going to see a lot of cost reduction in fuel costs as very attractive. Put a custom wrap on it, and it will attract eyeballs for advertising as well.
I love Aptera and nobody wants to see them succeed more than me... but profitable with 6k units...?
I'll believe it when I see it.
But seriously, really hope they do nail it. That would be amazing and ensure they'll be around for quite some time... AND will have the capital to develop/build a 4/5 seater.
Right to fix? What is that
Followed lucid, Faraday future, fisker, Bollinger... now aptera . Can it make it
These are going to be absurdely popular for uber drivers.
Especially Uber eats! 32 cubic feet can hold a lot of pizza 🍕
Probably not, many states don't really allow autocycles for Uber drivers, and tbh idk if Uber even has an option for a 2 door driver which would be a problem for all the families expecting something that fits the family.
That said, Uber eats is a whole other story, I think delivery drivers would like this a lot more
@@sahitdodda5046 aptera's lobbying team can get to work on that in the future haha, but yes for delivery drivers (instacart, Uber eats, etc.) It will be an endgame vehicle
@@TailosiveEVthat's exactly how I'm going to start ordering pizza, by the cubic foot lol.
@@sahitdodda5046 Can you name even one state that wouldn't allow this?
All I want to know is how can I invest?
at their website
That 6 thousand number is SO amazing! I would love to get my hands on one. I just wonder what the horn sounds like. I hope it's not one of those week wimpy Honda/Toyota sounds. I hope it's more like the ones VW's have: mean and obnoxious.
Right to repair means I can install a foghorn
Aptera's low Cap-Ex requirements ALSO makes it more likely to be able to provide financing. That's huge.
no charge, this is the car of my dreams
To “ The Future “ !
I don't think they are going to have a lot of trouble selling 6000. Those are supercar numbers. So can they make that many?
'several years' of production to catch up to the current customers? 15k a year made, 47k+ waiting = the numbers you gave. how about 'a few years'? i think several should start at seven. GREAT video, you are an inspirational speaker. it seems too good to be true. i want to be an aptera salesman for fun (& $)
Seems odd they can't find investment if that number is valid.
Can't wait for my 1k range version
Who could hate this. I have poor faith but full confidence Aptera could change this game
Seems to me, as an investor and accelerator, in order to become profitable after producing only 6000 vehicles, they are going to have to make at least $10,000 profit on each of those initial 6000, and so instead of being $34000 , my Aptera will cost maybe $40000 or more, in which case I won't buy it......
Love your gab!!hahaha
My wife and I did the minimum investment. We'll probably put in a deposit for one as well, even though we only own one car and would like to keep it that way.
I hope they sell a metric shit-load of them, so they can afford to do some sort of relatively small, adventure vehicle-type thing, with a little more storage and a bit more clearance.
Bravo!!