Aptera completes low-speed drive in its first production-intent solar electric vehicle [Video]
electrek.co
Spoiler Alert: The low-speed function test is short and sweet but a milestone nonetheless. Solar EV startup Aptera Motors has...
  • IMALlama@lemmy.worldEnglish
    193·
    1 month ago

    Find people who care about what they’re working on and they’ll go well beyond the extra mile. As an extra motivator, make it clear the company won’t be around if they don’t succeed. I’m sure these employees have shares, but tha only really matters if the company succeeds (extra motivation!). Unfortunately, there have been a ton of green/green-adjacent automotive “startups” that have struggled to gain a foothold. See also:

    (I’m sure many others)

    • ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      9·
      1 month ago

      Fisker is nothing but a conman, always has been. His MO is literally to start a company, secure funding, make a personal fortune and then abandon the bankrupt shell and leave customers hanging.

    • Yaky@slrpnk.netEnglish
      141·
      1 month ago

      Here are a few other interesting green automotive startups that didn’t make it:

      • Sono Motors’ Sion: Compact EV with solar panels, power sharing, intended to be easily repairable and included a detail manual. They had prototypes but never went to production. Now the company does niche solar applications.
      • Workhorse: Series Hybrid (think Chevy Volt) Pickup truck with onboard power for tools etc (was announced around or even before Rivian). Was a very pragmatic idea IMO. Later sort-of resold to Lordstown. Now company does some other things, like drones.
      • Lordstown Motors’ Endurance: EV Pickup Truck with hub motors. Made a few hundred, but they have been dragging it out long enough for Ford to make electric pickups. And the idea wasn’t too original even when it was announced.