Maxeon is getting pummeled in the equities market. Is this a problem for Aptera? 

Maxeon HAS BEEN acquired… excessive debt/liquidity problem ‘solved’ by minority shareholder TCL, a Chinese semiconductor maker, covering Maxeon’s obligations in return for controlling interest. They’re also facing challenges in EU to some of their patents, having lost (now appealing) patent infringement case against competitor Aiko. As noted in prior reply (to recent AOC video commenter question), Maxeon’s drop caused initially by loosing US distributor/partner SunPower causing recent disclosure of 40% drop in revenue. FWIW agree 100% with Steve’s conclusion of Maxeon continuing to be an option for Aptera.

Shares of Maxeon Solar Technologies (NASDAQ:MAXN) plummeted 50% in early New York trading on May 30, 2024 after the company's second-quarter revenue forecast fell short of Wall Street expectations. The company has secured financing commitments from its largest shareholder, TCL Zhonghuan, to provide necessary liquidity.

I've been meaning to leave this comment but kept forgetting. In the latest update to the better route planner app, one of the vehicles you can choose is now an Aptera. 🙂

No, Maxeon isn't the only cell for Aptera. In solar racing we're finding others to be quite good. Some were used by top teams at the Australian World Solar Challenge event last October.

Overall, the solar business is due (or is in) a shakeup. The business became completely dependent on government policies, something that can change with elections. Roof-top residential went from a holy grail to the highest cost supplier of sun-generated electricity. Utilities, or their contracted suppliers, really can provide more economic solar electricity than John Q. Public's roof. In our county (California, Central Valley), there are vast areas without enough water to farm, but plenty of flat, sunny, dirt to cover with solar panels. As for Maxeon and the effect on Aptera, I'd agree that Aptera will have options, including whoever might eventually own the Maxeon plants and patents. Maybe they should use some of that startup money to order a year's worth of Maxeon cells to bridge the time that might be needed to change horses if needed.

Steve, Happy 4th, but this is a bummer of a video. I truly hope this current situation with Maxeon doesn't impact Aptera. I don't pretend to understand the stock market or stakeholder equity, but a shareholder lawsuit doesn't sound good.

Any other solar cell that Aptera might be forced to use would take some serious engineering to make work. Especially if it's not a back contact cell.

The following link explains the drop. Another major hurdle is that Maxeon has been unable to secure the DOE loan for their New Mexico project. bgandg.com/MAXN/

Maxeon's investment in the New Mexico plant will require expenditure before generating revenue. Seems to be bad timing for the ridiculous quarterly review. Great time to buy Maxeon stock. Thanks for the tip. 🎉

There is a general rule of thumb in the startup business: Don't do business with other startups, because this multiplies risk.

The solar manufacturers really ramped up production of everything solar prior to 2023. But the world economy basically took a crap in 2023. Plus California's nem 3.0. So no one bought much solar. World wide in 2023. That lead to a glut of everything solar in all the warehouses of the world. I just purchased 60 390watt panels for $112 a panel delivered to my garage. I just bought an 18k inverter that does everything. For $5199. My 5year old inverter 7.6k cost me $7800. I looked into batteries for my house a year and a half ago. 20kw would have cost almost $50,000. I just purchased 71.5kwh worth of batteries $17,153 delivered to my garage. Things are starting to get sold out of the glut. Because of the insanely low prices. But several of the manufacturing plants have been shut down. I even bought enough panels because they are so cheap right now. To use to heat my huge driveway. (Took 11 cement trucks to pour). So I don't have to shovel snow. So right at the moment. It doesn't look all roses for solar manufacturers. But if you're going to instal solar. Right Now is the time to buy equipment.... Plus I will get 30% back on my taxes. Off of all the prices listed above.

Following reorganization, Maxeon may not sell Aptera the highly specialized cells it needs for the price Aptera currently assumes, so the price of an Aptera may rise. I have little faith in the advertised price at this point particularly for initial deliveries. Aptera should offer a variant with no solar. I want the efficiency more than the solar. Even with 40 miles per day of solar range (which I expect rarely if ever), I expect to plug the vehicle in occasionally at least, and at 9 miles/kwh (400 miles from 44kwh), the price of grid power is already ten percent of the price of pumping gas. Solar energy isn't free. If a solar-less variant costs $10k less than the initial delivery vehicle (with a maximum 700 watts of solar) ultimately costs, I'd prefer the solar-less variant.

Like the used BMW Z3 sales guy said to me… “It’s only money”

The Economic Development Department announced on May 1 that Site Selection magazine named the state's agreement with Maxeon as one of the 2023 Top Deals in North America. A spokesperson for the company said Maxeon continues to make progress on the site in the Mesa del Sol neighborhood. They said that surveys, geotechnical investigation, permit reviews and a construction air permit had been completed, and that pending the closing of financing the company plans to break ground in the second half of 2024.

Why dont we ever see the solar output on the display in the car? Can we get some actual data from aptera? Someone just do a video of the output on the screen whilst the car is sitting in the sun?

The market cap is 13.5 higher after hours the the moon Monday I hope it holds its gains I smell an offering if timed properly could kill that debt

60% of the free float is shorted too. I think the price will bounce back in a month or two. Already going back up a little bit right now.

For Aptera, Gen 3 or Gen 7 are Maxeon cells of choice. They both are the same physical foot print. Gen's 5 and 6 are much bigger. Oddly, I don't think there was a Gen 4 cell!

Maxeon is currently embroiled in a money sucking legal battle of copyright infringement with Aiko Energy Netherlands B.V. Once again lawyers win.

Hedge funds are/were shorting Maxeon

Does Aptera have a fall back supplier like the wheel hub motors?

Wouldn't NASDAQ delist companies if they go under $1/share for a month? I'm sure warnings come first, but let's see what's coming next.

Lightyear uses their panels so they must be good 😉. What kind of range do you get with your Lightyear?

(put regular solar panels on your garage -as in a deal on purchase )

at this price each employee could spend 2000 and buy the whole company

I hope someone has insights to explain the Maxeon situation.

I bet the issue is they have too much debt and they have to refinance that debt at higher interest rates

Sorry I can't help you to understand because I don't get it either. They need some genius like Warren Buffet to come in and turn them around.

It's not a good look that multiple suppliers Aptera is working with closely are in such bad shape :-(

It is unfortunate that many businesses like this are so vulnerable, because they are building a very competitive product, which has a solid future. No doubt Aptera does have one or two solar supplier backups, but I agree with you that this shouldn't make much of a real problem either way. It may well be that they were leveraged to build the new manufacturing facility in the U.S. and Wall Street got skittish and overreacted. Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor Co. is a major investor in Maxeon, and they are the 2nd largest solar wafer producer in China. So they will not allow these Maxeon manufacturing facilities to fail.

Ups! Aptera with bankrupt supplies 1. In wheel motors 2. Solar panels 3. Korean hand made battery pack very soon can be Chery Aptera. And whis is not bad exit for Aptera followers,, because Chery have enough money for experiment and stable supplies IMHO

It’s only a problem if Maxeon is on the edge of bankruptcy. Don’t look at the stock price, look at the news about the company. Maxeon has a -99% return not just in the last year, but over the last FIVE years. They’re doing something terribly wrong.

Maxeon might end up on the pink sheets for a long time.

Alternate cells & drivetrain don’t have to be their undoing. But they must get an experienced production design/manufacturing team in there ASAP. Should have been 2 years ago, but their situation is still recoverable. Their practice of revolving door junior types by resume won’t cut it.

This isn’t ideal but likely a non issue.

Look to see what news dropped today?

If it's true that the Red China government is taking controlling interest, then Aptera needs to find a different supplier not controlled by Red China.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eMFJ7a9XK9E.htmlfeature=shared Wonder if aptera could partner with Indigo for the in wheel motors

bottom signal

That sounds an awful lot like ENRON

The 1 rare moment I give your channel a check & the first video I see is yet more sensationalism that got you unsubscribed to begin with. You have to stop dude. This is so sad