Carlsbad E-Car Company Plans 4th Q Production

Carlsbad-based Aptera Motors recently failed to win the Automotive X Prize, a competition, according to the website, “To inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change.”

On September 16, Progressive Insurance Company distributed a purse of $10 million to winners of three categories: Edison2, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, won $5 million; North Carolina–based Li-Ion Motors Corp. and Peraves X-Tracer, a Swiss company, each won $2.5 million.

Contestants had 30 months to prepare their vehicles to meet rigorous standards in fuel efficiency and vehicle performance. Qualified as one of the finalists out of 111 teams, Aptera Motors had a mechanical problem and did not finish the tie-breaking round, according to progressiveautoxprize.org.

Nevertheless, Aptera Motors is gearing up for general production in the fourth quarter of this year, according to aptera.com. The electric two-seaters will cost between $25,000 and $40,000. Aptera plans to sell their vehicles exclusively in California before expanding nationally.

Aptera management says they have thousands of deposits (generally $500, refundable at any time).

photo: aptera.com