We have been following Aptera closely ever since it got back from the dead. Being such a unique proposition is just part of what makes it interesting: it will also be one of the most energy-efficient vehicles available when it is put for sale. Chris Anthony told Aptera’s subscribers on YouTube that there are 11,000 waiting for them already, but the company’s CEO also said Aptera is looking for a new manufacturing facility.
That was really unexpected. Aptera announced it would move to the Sorrento Valley headquarters back on January 7, 2021, in a chat with Sandy Munro. The Lean Design engineer would help Aptera conceive the manufacturing process for the solar car. In other words, the company is at the Sorrento Valley facilities for only months at this point, and we had to ask them why.
According to Sarah Hardwick, Aptera’s CMO (Chief Marketing Office), the issue was that Aptera planned to expand, and “that may not be possible” at the current location. We recall that one of the factors for choosing to establish the manufacturing facility at Sorrento Valley had to do with that possibility.
We have no idea if Aptera’s needs changed due to increased demand or if the people that leased the buildings to the company did not understand its need to expand. Hardwick said Aptera is “exploring all options” and that she will keep us posted on the changes.
The company would better hurry. The last deadline it gave for production start was Q3 2022, and it is yet to produce its Beta prototypes. Before that, it expected deliveries to start by September 2021 in the worst-case scenario. Considering how close we are to September,
The Beta prototypes will bring interesting improvements: Aptera managed to create a larger car with more headroom without affecting its fantastic aerodynamic. Roush will help it improve the vehicle dynamics and even door hinges and mechanisms. Steve Fambro also mentioned in a previous video that the Beta vehicles would have the Flex Circuit BMS (battery management system).
This new BMS would attach to the cells in a way that allows battery packs to be made ten times faster than those in other EVs. That translates into lower time to manufacture them and a lower price (or beefier profit margins).
After the Beta prototypes, we will see the Gamma and finally the Delta prototypes, the last ones before mass-production kicks off. Thanks to failing to do that in its previous attempt, Aptera still has to prove some skeptics wrong. The sooner it does that, the better: 11,000 already count on that.
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