A Very Light Car

Yeah, you don't have a linkedin group. :)

The Aptera certainly got free press like the Wienermobile.

I liked the concept. If it could have been built for the $20k target I think they could have had a niche market. Sales at least in the hundreds per year, something like kit cars I imagine. But they couldn't possibly make an EV version for that price, especially in relatively small numbers. And anybody who bought one at any price would have to accept the strong possibility of owning an orphan. The company's best hope would have been an ICE kitcar version. As for mass market, forget it, DOA. I can't believe they ever thought they should get government funding for a doomed concept.

That makes a good press release. What do you do when the $5 million runs out?

They built one or two, right? Yahoo.

I know about the Volt, Jon.

You'd make a fine automobile industry marketing exec., Jon.

Let us know when they hit 32,000 Apteras. That's how many Volts were sold since 2010. You need really deep pockets to survive on that kind of production.

I probably won't still be living, but the other members here will be interested.

Agreed.

Perhaps because like me, he wanted a more substantial car, and the opportunity to get a higher EV percentage. His other ride is a Yukon. Looks like his lifetime mileage might be 62 thus far.

Yeah, it's too bad that people can't apply the rule they use about flatscreen payoff etc. to a ground breaking product that's made in America to boot.

Yeah, 11 have been built since 1936. It's a real moneymaker.

My guess is that EVs of various types will fill a small market segment, with serial plug-ins being the most viable. Now it's a matter of cost.

And, of course, watching to see what new technologies may do. It appears that we may be stalled in available battery technology for now, but there are a lot of things in the pipeline. One or more could emerge and change the whole landscape.

Meantime, GM is piling up some experience.

Nope, they'd turf him just like everybody else has. First time he got caught with his sockpuppeting act it would be game over.

"UPDATE -- July 8, 2007 -- I had to close this blog post to further comments and to remove the personal attacks between Jon and some other newsgroups readers. Before the interview, I made an agreement with Jon about the style of the interview and the way to handle it. Jon didn?t respect our agreement, posting comments under fake names. Jon?s authentic and fake comments are all posted from the same IP address,

And how did they make out with their deposits, Jon?

Maybe if Aptera actually could have built those little crickets for the price they quoted, everyone would have come out better.

Never. But $5 million prizes don't build car companies. First, you need customers.

When your ideas win 5 million dollars please let this group know, Ed.

That was a joke.

I'm familiar with Jon's enthusiasms.

I've already told you what the problem with Apetra was, Ed. It had nothing to do with the technology and everything to do with bad management. That you or KiddingNoOne can't grasp this fact doesn't surprise me in the least.

I'm not trying for that, Jon. I'm happy with what I'm doing. Prize money is not a part of it.

Good, now all you have to do is stop suggesting what I do with my life or that the Chevy Volt represents something great... it doesn't.

On the other hand, the Edison II does represent greatness and it's been rewarded for its greatness.

We'll have to wait and see how many of those crickets any of them sell

-- if any of them ever sell any.

KiddingNoOne doesn't get the joke because he is a joke... and a sad one at that.

KiddingNoOne continues to live in fantasy land and is in denial of how overweight the Chevy Volt is and why it's such a failure so far.

Time for GM to move to phase two of the Chevy Volt. Phase one has proven to be a failure and a bust.

Hey, I thought you were identifying a great marketing opportunity. If it's so hot, why not jump on it?

It probably will be more important to the future of automobiles than any of those little crickets.

Yup. They got their 15 minutes of fame, and enough money to really whoop it up for a big time in Lynchburg.

We don't have wait to know what Gen 1 of the Chevy Volt is.

The Chevy Volt Gen 1 is way too heavy, is priced way too high (by GM's own admission) and it doesn't make economic sense to most Americans. The result: The Chevy Volt doesn't sell very well.