Really! A 230-mile-per-gallon hybrid in a year for the price of a prius! If the claims are correct, it should be safer than most cars on the road. I hope these folks deliver what they’re promising and I hope this car really is the future of the US auto industry. I hope it can single-handedly cut greenhouse gas emissions to a minimal level, end dependence on imported oil (and the warfare state that makes those imports possible), and cut down on the senseless slaughter on the highways. Only time will tell if any of this can happen, but please, let’s encourage it to happen!
I’ve been following the development of the Aptera for a little less than a year and it really is exciting that the company is finished with R&D and ready to start shipping them in about a year. They’ve even started a MySpace page. . They’re taking orders for an all-electric model with at 120-mile range at $26,900, and the hybrid model for $29,900, with delivery dates in 2008/2009. They’re asking a $500 deposit to reserve one.
I can’t begin to describe this vehicle, but it doesn’t look like anything you’ve ever seen on the road before. Their websites are done in the latest flash technology, with user-interface features I haven’t seen before. If the performace of the website is any indication of the quality of the car’s design and engineering, this is going to be great.
One concern I have is where will the workers who produce this car be located, what will they be paid, will they have health coverage and retirement plans, will they be free to form a union.