Yet one more sign of the dismal economic times, Aptera has announced that it will not be able to deliver cars until maybe October of 2009 and, oh yeah, the company needs more cash.

As you may remember, Aptera received $2.7 million from Google last summer.  The projection was that the money would get Aptera ramped up and able to manufacture and deliver cars by the end of 2008, early 2009.  According to Autobloggreen, Aptera has put on the brakes.

Apparently simply providing cupholders and seats made from recycled pop bottles isn’t enough.  It seems that Aptera had not realized that its customers might actually like to have windows that rolled down allowing them to take advantage of such mundane things as fast food drive throughs and atm machines.

Aptera has been receiving feedback from those who had paid a $500 deposit for future 2es.  The feedback sent Aptera back to the drawing board with a new management team recruited from the tech sector and automobile sector.

The first Aptera 2e will make an appearance around Jan. 16, but it will not be sent to a customer.  Instead the car will be used for further testing and refinements.

Since the car will have such high tech gadgets as a central screen that shows the view from a rear camera, the roll down windows that Aptera will be providing, will be electric.

A further modification will be switching from a rear to a front wheel drive.  All of these changes (and others unnamed) mean that Aptera will not have cars in the hands of its customers for several more months.

In the meantime, Aptera is also asking its customer’s to voluntarily change their $500 refundable deposits to non refundable deposits but with $250 off the final price.  Aptera has assured its customers in a letter that the money will remain in escrow and not go into the company coffers.

However, the company has acknowledged the current “challenged economy”.  It seems to have bitten Aptera where it hurts the most – the wallet.

The following letter was sent to Aptera customers and is reprinted here from Autobloggreen.

Aptera email:
Dear Aptera Family Member,
By now you are likely aware that there are changes happening daily at Aptera. As one of our most loyal supporters and part of the early foundation of our future, we want to update you about some vital issues, including when your vehicle will be available.
Our most recent corporate commitment was that we would deliver the first production Typ-1, now known as the 2e, by the close of 2008. Despite our well-intentioned efforts, we were unable to complete that vehicle before the close of the year, so it’s now slated for January 16. However, unlike prior plans, this vehicle will not be delivered to a retail customer. We will continue our builds but at a much slower rate starting with a small test fleet of the enhanced vehicles, then moving to our volume production launch on October 1, 2009.
For months we have been receiving important feedback from you, our depositor community, and we have come to realize there were flaws in our initial product assumptions — specifically as it pertains to satisfying the needs of real-world consumers. Our greatest degree of learning came just a few months ago when we asked all of you to participate in a brief survey. This critical piece of research requested insights about your expectations for our company and our products, and we discovered a notable disconnect between our product plan and realistic expectations. Some modifications had to be made. For example, you helped us realize that some trade-offs for convenience (like being able to grab a burger in a drive-thru) might be necessary to make the ownership experience more palatable, even if it cost us a couple tenths of a point on our drag coefficient.
To navigate us through this process, we recruited a team of seasoned professionals from the automotive industry and the California tech sector. With a complete management team operating on one accord, we are now in a better position to resolve all of the fundamental product usage questions that have been brought to our attention by our initial depositors.
As we move closer to volume production in the face of this challenged economy, it becomes increasingly important for us to accurately forecast our first year’s production volume. To date, we have tried to provide the greatest flexibility possible by maintaining all deposits as fully refundable, and now it has become equally important for Aptera to properly model our operations to meet demand. To address this issue, we have created a proposition, known as “Lock-in,” to reward your commitment to this point and in the future. Lock-in allows you to voluntarily convert your deposit from refundable to a firm, non-refundable one and receive an addition $250 credit towards the purchase of your Aptera vehicle. In other words, we will give you an additional 50 percent  return on your money for sticking with us and taking the extra step.
The Lock-in program is completely voluntary and no depositor will be penalized for electing not to participate, but only those who opt into the program will be eligible for the additional credit. As always, your deposit money will remain in escrow until you move to transact the purchase of your vehicle, which is when any and all credits will be applied. Aptera is not, and has no intention of using your deposit money to fund the company. We are prudently trying to plan our volume and capacity to assure we do not introduce waste into our system that could lead us down the unenviable path of some of our industry predecessors. And who knows, maybe Wall Street will see us as a role model for offering these types of returns on investments.
To participate in the Lock-in program, email family@aptera.com with your full name, reservation number and the simple message, “I would like to Lock-in”. You will receive a confirmation email, and your name and reservation will be added to the credit list. It is that simple.
Our combination of automotive industry experience paired with the pervasive “why-not” attitude of the California entrepreneurial set will continue to make Aptera more effective in every aspect of our business. Our new team is teaching us fresh ways to listen to you and translate your comments and needs into the product, so here’s our pledge: “We will manufacture the most efficient vehicle on the road and continue to apply the input we receive from our consumer.” As we fly in the face of this challenged economy and write a new page in transportation history, we simply can’t afford to cut corners. We are going to do what it takes to get it right, and we cannot get there without your help and continued support. You have stood with us faithfully and we promise that our vehicles will be worth the wait.
We look forward to sharing our dream with you as Aptera introduces the world to the most energy efficient solution for personal mobility.
Thank you for your support,
The Aptera Team
Aptera Motors 2008

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Entry was posted on Thursday, January 8th, 2009 at 9:16 pm under Auto, Green Technology.

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