Aptera IS testing and gearing up for PI2 

OBC = On-board charger. Also the dust protection they're talking about is common "conformal coating"

Let's go APTERA 🎉

My guess is that VW wants to share architecture so they don’t have to develop a chassis on their own. I think, for the NA market, they will base the first Scout vehicles heavily on RS1 / RS2.

I cannot say i have seen the "connectors" they are using before, and that is a lot of little boards. Man, excited to see if that really works!!

Temperature is the Enemy, so Software to modulate Power Usage will protect the Vehicle as Climate dictates: Density Altitude will affect Heat Rejection. Vehicle Gross Weight, Road Slope, etc will Modulate absolute performance.

AC compressor is the air conditioning.

Clearly, Aptera has suffered a major disruption from Elaphe, whose motors will no longer be used, likely a cost increase but potentially durability problems or unsprung weight difficulties. The inexpensive Tesla motor or the superior but very expensive Lucid motor will be moving our vehicles forward. Tesla could offer Hardware 5, full self-driving, and the proven Tesla infotainment and driver interface along with technical help with manufacturing in a licensing deal or hopefully an outright Tesla acquisition. Tesla buying Aptera might need to be delayed until grant restrictions are lifted, but should our shares be acquired, a substantial economic reward to shareholders would be in the offing.

How is it a PI vehicle if it can't drive? Pi means production intent.. all of the production vehickes should drive right!?! Why wont all the PI?

It was two months ago that they received this wiring PI and this is the first time they have every shown pictures. They had it unpacked on April 11th. So people had valid criticism that Aptera spent an inordinate amount of time not showing any work being done with wiring. Do you just forget that May existed? With regards to the circuit boards, there is no real proof these are functional pieces or if they are even the pieces that will be affixed where they were filmed. I have seen better wiring work on Rich Rebuilds. Interesting they have stickers for components but cannot show us the actual components. My friends and I were literally laughing when watching this video. The quip about how complex Rivian's wiring looked and somehow Aptera was better should have instead given you pause. Open circuit boards with a protective applied coating are not a robust solution. Moisture and dirt gets everywhere and anyone who works with electronics will tell you that. Even on the interior of cars much of the electronics has a cover. What cannot be denied now is that as originally described PI builds would use production intent parts but we know for fact this is not true. Just back in May the talk about frames and battery work was clearly indicated as having been shopped around for these initial builds meaning all we have is another thrown together prototype whose parts are not indicative of what production will be. By their own presentation the frame and chassis work for production vehicles is to be done in Italy and PI 2 will have none of that. Ask Steve and Chris when we can expect PI builds using actual production intent parts from actual production suppliers? Are we going to see this by the fifth, eight, or tenth, PI? I really do not expect any production till very late in 2025 if at all. They aren't far enough along on this PI and they have eight to fourteen more to go... and I will bet you now they will cut back the number of PI builds as the months go past.

I really don't see how VW will help Rivian, if anything it's going to ruin Rivian by adopting the failings of VW.

I took some screenshots of the chassis and front suspension and compared it to prior images. This frame, chassis, and suspensions ,front and rear, have significant changes. The front frame obviously has been beefed up for collisions. The two yellow members located near the seats on either side our new. They must provide longitudinal support, and maybe side impact. It appears some of the rear suspension have been built into the frame. And the front suspension is quite a bit different. Looks like the shock mounts horizontally with the fixed ends near the center of the vehicle at the two new big round mounting locations. I'm wondering if this new front end has Italian inspiration?

"Drivable" means with motors. That will be interesting, unless we have specific updates before that.

I am very happy to see Aptera's efforts and progress revealed in this latest update video. Some people who are upset about the production Aptera being delayed this long (not even considering that volume production still won't begin until next year) are looking at every unexplained point, and imagining some major problem. They are assuming somehow that Aptera doesn't really think about every facet of their development and production timeline. Of course in reality Aptera does really work hard on these details, and they have defined plans for release. But for some of their work, they cannot tell the public exactly what is going on for contractual or other reasons. For those of us who trust that they know what they are doing, we realize that they will reveal those details as soon as they can, but understand that they are still moving forward as fast as they can. In addition to their progress, this video shows that they are sticking to the idea of having simpler, lightweight electronics. Which will help reduce materials costs, build costs, weight, and be more reliable and easier to repair. That model happily includes secure over-the-air updates. Which I want.

Timeline slippage is disappointing but not terribly surprising. All tech companies are optimistic about their timelines. All the progress they've shown off here is huge, and they definitely are making real progress. They are getting closer and closer to production every day

I love the comparison you did with the Rivian video!

I doubt it'll be hot glue, the car can reach temperatures where the glue melts and no longer holds.

Software define anything is basically microservices. Tesla uses Ethernet in the cyber truck, not can bus. So each computer board is tourabke and can be a micro-service . This means you can upgrade any boards software , independent of the others. It also means you can reuse udo and tcp that we have everywhere . Somewhere is a router. It’s exactly like how we build cloud services but each Baird is a server !!

The circuit boards to wire connections for volume production should not be soldered - too time consuming. This is likely just for the production and tent vehicles. I suspect volume production will have connectorized board to wire harness points. Charge on!

It is well established that directly soldering wires to boards is a point of failure esp. with RoHS solder. Furthermore, it violates the spirit of right-to-repair as very few consumers (and technicians) possess the skill and tools to do this properly. PI = panic induced.

Watching MBA's steer companies into subscription based models just to squeeze consumers even harder is so simultaneously depressing and aggrevating, especially since we are already getting hit from every other angle by taxes, inflation, food prices etc. It feels like we are running out of choices to get products that actually try to deliver value anymore while every company just does everything they can to wring people dry.

As far as hot-glue is concerned, I really hope they are not doing that. At 4:34 the circuit board clearly shows 2 holes that could be used to secure the board to the vehicle. For speed of install and weight, these would typically be snaps. The boards would be sealed from the elements before installation. Each remote board would typically have 3 wires and they should be enclosed in a light weight protective sleeve.

They’re getting close but be prepared for delays. They are in a stage where there will be many overlooked “oops” moments. Kludges won’t be allowed in a production unit. At a glance the harness is a mess. At minimum it will be a very time consuming step in manufacturing and at worse subject to many modifications before it’s ready for prime time.

SDV is probably the biggest paradigm shift happening in automotive industry now. Basically having a virtual twin of a car in cloud from the beginning, and co-develop by designers, engineers, supply-chain managers, and some suppliers. Everyone can stay on the same page and do whatever they need to do without hitting a metal.

Tach companies adding more and more software to cars, just to sell a subscription, should not be tolerated. The software is important for sure, especially with EVs, but people should be able to buy an EV that's not like driving an AI computer. It would be so wonderful to be able to buy an EV with just manual controls, physical buttons, reliable but simple software for the BMS, voltage and current monitors, and that's about it. Just because Tesla did stuff and sold a lot of it, doesn't make it good.

Hi Steve, As the tech is demonstrating electrical fitment, check the bottom of the circuit board and you will see the hole for the mounting screw. Near the tip.

You can glue the pub boards to the bins but hen your apple !!! Needs to be replaceable, so needs a shock proof harness glued and then the pcb

The Rivian electrical mockup is *approximately* the layout of the vehicle - but I very much doubt that is an actual vehicle chassis? Aptera's PI1 is the place they will work out the actual wiring harnesses.

I agree with Steve. Originally I was dreaming of a late July P2. I was hoping for an August P2. I was expecting a September P2. Now I'm expecting October or November P2. I'm still holding out hope we will see actual production vehicles built before the end of 2025. I think 2nd Qtr. 2026 seems most realistic given Aptera's history of delays and missed projected deadlines. Which worries me but if they can get further funding from US Capitol or other sources that will help.

Planetarily speaking, "summer" ends on the 20th of September.

As you rightly pointed out, Aptera delivery this year is out of the question. My guess is Q2/3 2025. And even this is overtly optimistic.

software defined is just a fancy way of saying that the hardware will be controlled by their own central software, instead of just a dumb switch that they bought with the hardware from somewhere else.

Am I the only one concerned with them gluing components into an automobile? I really don't see this as a viable long term solution

Hi Steve, thanks for presenting this. Regarding the circuit boards Aptera will not have to mount most of these inside another box because the carbon fiber and fiberglass are not conductive like most car's metal bodies. Those holes at the ends of the boards are where they will be mounted and likely on some type of stand-off to allow for airflow, reduce NVI (noise and vibration) and keep the parts from rubbing against the body. I don't think they are using their electronics jig to create something like Rivian, unless they attach to the PI-1 body. This is more for verifying software/hardware testing. To write testing software for each produced vehicle you need the test station to develop and update as necessary. This opinion is based on managing manufacturing test for several different companies, one of which was in Sorrento Valley years ago. Keep up the great work.

An authoritatively presened technical update, but missing mention of my two elephants in the room; when and how much capital comes in and the status of wheel motors. If PII is "Driveable" then it should have production motors. I am wondering if the wheel motor issue, whatever it is, was shared with U.S. Capital as a part of the agreement. On the issue of driveable, my guess is that "Driveable" means it can still have some developmental parts, not 100% production and we need to look forward to a future PI for a full production component build. You are spot on about another schedule slip. Not unexpected based on Aptera's record of kick the can down the road. I hope not adhesive to fasten electrical parts to the Aptera and direct wire connection to electrical component parts. This last comment a personal bias with no data to back it up as I am not aware of it being done that way in any vehicle. A possible hit on reliability. Enough here to keep the optimist happy, but not sceptics.

Not a fan of the direct wire to board connections shown at link below. This will be a real pain to desolder if a board needs to be replaced. And it sounds like they did it everywhere 😐 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qD8A5WAoYTs.htmlm32s

To answer your question: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qD8A5WAoYTs.htmlsi=WSPfLX5FKuhK-6nB&t=554 An OBC is a device that is used to charge a battery. It converts AC voltage from a charging station into the DC voltage the battery needs. The OBC is incorporated in electric vehicles.

PI2 chassis is going to arrive in "mid summer". No mention of the motors. There's no way that production will start in early 2025.

Might the potential switch away from Elaphe be due to their motors not achieving the efficiency Aptera had hoped for. Might this be thew reason for Aptera looking into a "drive train" for the front two wheels? As such, does that imply 1 motors instead of 2 for those front two? Also, Isn't a drive train theoretically less efficient than direct motors due to energy transfer loss?

The 5 minute and 35 second mark on the video below speaks volumes on how they should care more about protecting their electronics. I was concerned about this when he said it and then randomly watched the video below. I will take 10 extra pounds for it to last 10 extra years. I have been a reservation holder for over a year. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YMoBvX_y3Hk.htmlsi=szgunFKjoIpbE7Xo

Or the circuit board enclosure whether sealed or not allows for easy replacement of the circuit board. Therefore the enclosure could be fashion with industrial grade glue. Remember you need to make circuit board easily replaceable while securing it and the cables from vehicle vibrations.

Mcclaren and Tesla both use Tape in their cars. I Won't be surprised if they used tape for non vital mounting

Need to look at CATL's latest offerings.

Since there are attachment holes on the circuit boards, etc., I suspect bosses will be glued to the surfaces to accept screws or rivets or other fasteners that will then be the removable attachments for the components.

I'm very concerned about the lack of communication about the drive train.

manual wire fitting is not a good news. I thought Aptera had engaged Yazaki for wiring development?

I think PI2 will share the same BinC that PI1 and all the other PI models will have. I don't see why Aptera would go to all the trouble of designing this BinC and press out multiple copies of it, just to start over again and design a Beta-style body. They clearly are waiting on the chassis to include that forst in PI2, and I would sssume they want to ensure that it properly fits the BinC. Now, it's probable that as I originally guessed, it will not include the final.interior and things like the doors and wheel pants that are not necessary. It could even leave off the nose and belly as PI1 currently does. So if that's what you're picturing I agree with you. I'll also note that Steve said "Italian" but not CPC. I think Costamp is producing the frame. That's just a guess, but it would still be coming from Italy. There's also the battery frane, which is already there in California. It possible multiple companies are making the frame, ateast fir now.

The Binc is there 3 months already, they needed 3 months to now do this, come on that's not real progress

Sounds good Steve. Makes you wonder how Polaris got the Slingshot on the road. Okay; It's not nearly as complicated but still.

What you’re seeing is what crowdfunders believe is how you develop and manufacture a consumer product and it’s not. Sorry that this is a repeat of comments of the last 18 months, but maybe this will make more sense now. The sequence is to build mules of the system at the earliest possible date and start testing against your spec.. Evolve the design along with the vendor base long before hard tooling such that when you get to this stage, it’s more of a “grande finale” than a scramble. And you still have to test, test, but that would be more of that durability testing you hear about. The mules should have been built when Gamma was built, run and evolved ever since, at least a year before hard tooling. They cannot make up for this now. You see skin cooling dropped, this “bench top integration” was a ‘21-22 task, and this wiring work you see just getting started was a ‘22 task with the mules to start. It’s why you see the BinC turning into a weak high school science project. The chassis, which dropped shortly after the BinC was shown, was drawn without an eye to manufacturability and nothing was done with it. Now you see a whole new one suddenly appear. On that new one, you couldn’t create a more complex tooling situation for what something actually does if you tried. At the 11th hour. So, what you’re seeing is a scramble to somehow replace 2 years of work not done. Remember “PI’s completed in the first few months of next year” and ask yourself how CA could have possibly made that promise, based on what you’re seeing now and you’ll start to get a feel for just how ill-equipped they are to be a manufacturer. Or how this method of wiring and conformal coating goes along with the “1 every 12 minutes” or how container shipping subassemblies gets you to “break even at 6,000 units/year”. Please compare what you’re going to see with your expectations very carefully over the next 6 months. No product that you own and enjoy was ever developed like this. You can’t leave out all the steps and Hail Mary it at the end. Please watch and listen with eyes wide open. Separate some things. For example, you may like the concept and the founders, but there may be no proof that they can actually execute on becoming a viable manufacturer. To be clear, there are thousands upon thousands of hours of skillful, professionally-executed planning, design, coordination, development, refinement, and especially full-system testing that are missing from this program. You're already seeing what happens when you don't do your homework. They were only able to showcase the air handler which was someone else's work, not theirs. But the Delta design was completed 12/22, right? Reminders: "Crash data by mid-year". That's now. "The Most Efficient Vehicle Validation Possible" Is this what you thought that would look like?

One inverter port = one motor?

After years of promoting the in-wheel motors they are now moving away from them. These guys can't be trusted. They are all over the place. .. all talk no production

How can PI 1 be described as production intent if all it has is wiring?

I'm glad to see this. I'm hoping to get an Aptera in the next few years. (To continue my usual rant on solar panels on a car... sorry to the believers) The disadvantage of "solar mobility" is that your car is going to need a beefed-up air conditioner to deal with it sitting in the sun. In practice, some of the energy gained from the solar panels will be used to cool the car's interior when you first get in a hot car. I'd rather not have solar panels and keep my car in the shade.

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