Aptera production delayed, founders gone

Dependent upon government loans?

The unique Aptera 2e might never be built.

At least 10 workers have been laid off. One founder is gone. The other might come back some time next year - might - according to reports.

Without doubt, production will not happen this year. Instead production has been pushed back into 2010, but without a cash infusion, it seems Aptera might be done.

Thus, Apera's future looks almost completely dependent upon whether the government wants to risk a clean energy loan on the California plug-in maker.

I say the government has already made much larger and far riskier bets, so why not?

Trouble for Aptera?

Will it be built?

There are rumors that the board of Aptera has ousted the founders of Aptera, but thus far the company is denying the claim. The founders have, however, taken some vacation time to help with cash burn, as the company's financial troubles mount.

While the Aptera 2e is close to finished, mass production of the vehicle is beginning to look dependent upon government fuel efficiency loans, such as Tesla, for instance, recently received.

Aptera almost eligible for Energy loans

Time to think differently about 3 wheels

Aptera, and the makers of other three-wheeled vehicles, might soon qualify for Department of Energy loans.

On Friday, Congress passed a bill that allows "any manufacturer of enclosed three-wheeled vehicles that can carry at least two adults while returning at least 75 miles per gallon" to be eligible for some $50 billion on Energy loans for fuel efficiency improving projects.

President Obama is expected to sign the bill.

GM fights Energy Department funding for Aptera?

No funding for innovation and out-of-the-box thinking

So, the government has pumped tens of billions into GM. Likewise, GM has requested at least an additional $10 billion in loans from the Energy Department.

However, GM has been opposing new legislation moving through Congress that would make companies like Aptera eligible for Federal loans because they aren't big enough according to AutoWeek.

So, it's alright for the government to give GM tens of billions of dollars - much of which will never be paid back according to experts - for failing as an innovative automaker, but providing $75 million to an innovative start-up is wrong?

Maybe if GM focused more on innovation rather than lobbying Congress, they could have pulled a Ford and stood strong during this recession.

Aptera 2e steps closer to production

Latest interior sketch of the Aptera 2e

The final touches are being added to the Aptera 2e electric vehicle, which is scheduled to begin production this year. Aptera has released this sketch of the latest interior design.

In 2010, Aptera will also roll out the plug-in hybrid version of the Aptera.

It's still a strange vehicle and cost-effectiveness could be an issue. Beginning at $25,000, this limited seating vehicle will only resonate with a small group of consumers. Of course, $25,000 isn't very much to many early adopters of such technologies, especially in the auto segment.

Nonetheless, I love the out-of-the-box thinking on the 2e. Hopefully, Aptera will sell enough of these vehicles to provide the R&D resources to keep refining their unconventional, yet brilliant, ideas.