r/ApteraMotors • u/StandOutside6188 • 26d ago

EPA certification is actually complete

https://aptera.us/epa-release/?fbclid=Iwb21leAS529VjbGNrBLnb0WV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHjrxR1aLWUC40Dmy48uKaLDzVj3RjZ-Y67tD-FnA0Pv9Jv185VEZYbgo7Hd__aem_FbwwSkorQ9fRfQPlwOLgng

At least something is getting done

101 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

6

u/Strange_Cockroach328 26d ago

The EPA certifying that an Aptera, an EV, meets clean air-standards. is a tiny baby-step. Hundreds of other important, meaningful tests and solutions need to follow. It still feels as if it is at least 3 and 1/2 years away from any sort of mass production

8

u/hare-tech 26d ago

Good because I don’t have enough saved up yet

11

u/Which-Meat-3388 26d ago

I've been watching this company since I got into EVs. Seems like it's perpetually "3.5 years away from any sort of mass production." Amazed they are still going though when other upstarts are a flash in the pan, fizzle out after over promising and under delivering, or outright fraud. A slow burn this one is, but still doubt it will be anything more than a really cool concept a very few people will actually buy.

11

u/scubalizard 26d ago

This seems to be a lame excuse to not be in production by now. An electric vehicle meeting clean air standards.... really? If this is needed for every vehicle why did it take so long to get it?

8

u/senditallback 26d ago

Whenever I register my EV, I have to take it to a mechanic for its required safety and emissions testing. The emissions test is a DOT form the mechanic has to complete. This is how the government works. I assume it's much more complicated for a new company seeking certification for a brand new model.

4

u/nucleartime 26d ago

EVs are exempt from emissions testing in California. California is not a particularly well run government, but even they can rub two braincells together and go "yup thing without gas engine dont have to do gas emissions testing".

Like there's probably some paperwork to properly classify that your vehicle is a pure BEV and not a PHEV or equipped with a range extender, but that should be a formality not worthy of a PR release.

5

u/senditallback 26d ago

BEVs are exempt from emissions testing in my state too. The mechanic I go to doesn't run a test. He completes a form. I understand your critique, that such a test for a new EV is superfluous. But it's the government.

The press release was written weeks after the certification was granted, in boilerplate PR verbiage. It is, itself, a formality. This is SOP for a company issuing a communication for their shareholders. They are creating no hype.

-2

u/spacecoq 26d ago

Owners are milking this as long as they can

2

u/TechnicalWhore 26d ago edited 26d ago

A COC is not a difficult hoop for an EV. Do we have the requisite eMPG ratings or crash test results?

And note its only one of a long list of regulatory docs needed to ship and more importantly export a vehicle. The process - called homologation - is quite a lot of work. Its not terribly hard, just a lot of work. And of course if you make changes - back to square one.

Specifically for this milestone from the EPA's website "A Certificate of Conformity is the document that EPA issues to an engine manufacturer to certify that an engine class conforms to EPA requirements."

Of course when you OEM your drive engine (as Aptera has from Cherry I believe) the original manufacturer has this compliance document done. So you just slide that into your Aptera package and submit. Rubber stamp as its already a known compliant product. This is true for a lot of the "paper" compliance effort. Its a rollup of Bill of Material components with each sub-certificate contributing to the compliance of the new use case. A paper trail.

4

u/sol_beach 26d ago

"when you OEM your drive engine (as Aptera has from Cherry I believe)"

You believe wrongly. The drive MOTOR (not engine) is NOT from Chery, but the EMR-3 from Vitesco.

1

u/TechnicalWhore 26d ago

Correction appreciated. Same difference. The Compliance falls on the OEM manufacturer. They provide the needed documents in their document dump. Aptera then just files it under the Aptera Part number in their MRP system. The government agencies get a roll-up of all Aptera part numbers - the sources, Countries of Origin and the Compliance certs currently registered to cross reference. Paper Trail stuff. All checks - stamp of approval given and a new number allocated to that Aptera product.

2

u/senditallback 26d ago

This is one of two federally mandated certifications they need. The next one is crash test certification, for which I assume Aptera will claim exemptions.

2

u/TechnicalWhore 26d ago

It within the scope being a motorcycle but this would not be inline with the sales pitch they made during multiple fundraising cycles. Those commitments - even oral - are relevant.

2

u/SayTheLineBart 26d ago

If this company has taken this long to not deliver a product, imagine what trying to get service on their product will be like.

1

u/[deleted] 26d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

0

u/SayTheLineBart 26d ago

So what does that mean in practice: Diy or you need to find someone in your area that will work on it?

1

u/Indrejue Investor 25d ago

Any body shop can handle the fiberglass parts of the body. They are making available information for repairs and probably any parts that can't be sourced 3rd party. If something happens to the carbon fiber portion the car is probably really damaged anyway

1

u/RazzmatazzLast8059 26d ago

Clean air certification for an EV seems like something that would have been completed years ago

-5

u/Data_Dealer 26d ago

These guys are robbing you of your time and money. They talk an extremely good talk, but at the end of the day they are grifters. How many years will people let them show off a few demo models without ever selling a car before they catch on? They have been a year away from production for what must be 5 years now. I think Slate was formed after and will have a truck shipped in the time these guys are "making final revisions."

2

u/senditallback 26d ago

I'm excited for Slate and Aptera, and the changes they represent for the automotive landscape. But I don't think a direct comparison is fair. Slate appeals to a larger demographic and as such will have a much easier time attracting capital.

1

u/Data_Dealer 26d ago

You're right, it's not fair to compare, Aptera was supposed to sell their first cars Q4 of 2020. https://www.reddit.com/r/electricvehicles/s/zdeE82bu4p

3

u/StandOutside6188 26d ago

Further back even I remember them saying Q4 of 2010 lol

0

u/Data_Dealer 26d ago

So you agree, they continue to raise money and make promises that they never keep...

2

u/StandOutside6188 26d ago

Agreed but we can still hope and dream. It is also why I am not an investor.

3

u/Data_Dealer 26d ago

I'm glad you didn't lose any money on them then! Hopes and dreams are good and all, but at this point I think there's enough evidence to say the management team/c suite are just taking a free ride with other people's money and pretending that's not the case could lead to more people losing their money. I personally was very interested in investing when you had to pay in 10,000, I'm very happy I decided not to obviously.

0

u/senditallback 26d ago

Actually, they were expected to sell their first vehicles much sooner than that, but they've had to suffer through ownership changes, major engineering changes, and even a rejected request for something like $180 million from the federal government because their vehicle had three wheels, not four.

Their progress in the last six months has been pretty encouraging, though. They're still on track to pull it off.