Aptera Summer News

The Aptera 2e is on its way to Argonne National Labs in Chicago for the final stage in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE competition. However, voting for the X PRIZE Fan Favorites is open through August 16. Click here to voice your opinion for the X PRIZE’s Most Practical Vehicle. Did we mention the Aptera 2e gets more than 100 MPGe?

In the Windy City our team of engineers also visited the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry to educate students and teachers about transportation technologies and engineering. The students then applied what they learned to make their own efficient vehicles – and we were impressed with their creativity! Back in California, we officially moved to our new production facility in Oceanside! Read all about Aptera’s summer below.

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Interview with Dave Oakley: Aptera VP of Manufacturing:

Six Sigma Helps Optimize Composite Material of the 2e

s Optimize Composite Material of the 2e

One of the fundamental tenets behind Aptera’s vehicle design has been the use of composite materials, which offer light weight, strength and affordability. Additionally, another goal has been to make the overall body lighter, stronger and more affordable.

“In the beginning we had a very good starting point with materials, which were used for all the pre-production vehicles,” said Dave Oakley, Vice President of Manufacturing at Aptera. “But we had some issues with the cosmetic appearance and part dimensional consistency.”

Oakley and his team decided to improve the materials using Six Sigma, a methodology that utilizes data and statistical analysis to measure and improve operational performance by identifying and eliminating “defects.”

“We applied Six Sigma to optimize the materials we started with, which led us to change those materials to make them more production-worthy,” said Oakley, who saved Callaway Golf millions of dollars by using Six Sigma practices before joining Aptera in 2009. “We now have better consistency from part-to-part, better surface quality and improved chemical stability. We achieved these gains while preserving all the positive qualities like strength and light weight of the previous material.

“The new material is made of sandwich core construction, which is a combination of several dry reinforced materials molded together using a resin. This construction gives us a material with a form similar to an I-beam running the length of the surface,” said Oakley. “The result is a material that is three to four times as strong as steel, yet the body is so lightweight a couple of people can lift it.

“Surface quality is a key factor in automobiles. Every automaker in the world wants the vehicle to have a smooth glasslike surface when it is sitting in the showroom. Our changes improve the surface quality, which makes it easier to finish and improve the cosmetic appearance. We’ve also enhanced the part-to-part consistency. This is a critical element in controlling to cost of a composite body vehicle because it drastically reduces the amount hand-finishing that is required after the part is released from the mold. That was a significant driver of cost and assembly time with our previous material system.

“The coolest part of the Six Sigma process is that we’ve optimized the performance while driving down the cost, so we’re able to get the most out of the materials and produce the 2e more economically.”

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Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

Aptera’s Dave Oakley, Krista Anderson and Richard Fabini were in the Windy City July 23 to deliver some instruction and insight to teachers and students visiting the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (MSI).

The team held two formal sessions – one for teachers and one for students – discussing the technologies that will define the future of transportation, including principles involved in the design and construction of highly efficient vehicles like the Aptera 2e. Their sessions covered the need for efficiency in vehicles, how to achieve it, and then teachers and students had a chance to apply what they learned to make their own efficient vehicles, using concepts such as light weight, aerodynamics and strength.

During the session with roughly 60 students, the Aptera team spent part of the time talking about engineering as a career. “We discussed what college is like, how to get through it and the fun things you can do as an engineer,” said Oakley, Vice President of Manufacturing. “And they asked some great questions about the 2e and its future. We told them, ‘we’re trying to push today’s technology but, it’s you – the next generation of engineers – who will be coming up with the answers as we learn more and more about efficiency and aerodynamics. There’s still a lot to be learned.’”

Afterward, the team took a tour of the MSI. “It was surreal to walk through the museum and see the 2e – an early version of our vehicle – on display, and to see our colleagues on the video in this exhibit,” said Aptera process engineer Krista Anderson. “It was a ‘pinch me’ kind of moment that underscored how others agree we’re on an important mission in the quest for efficient transportation.

Oakley did have one suggestion for the Museum’s staff. “They had a ‘Smart Home’ exhibit, showing a house built with green materials, energy conservation and a windmill for power,” he said. “I told them all they need now is an Aptera in the driveway and the home will be complete.”

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On the Move

Aptera just completed the move into their new home, a 200,000 square-foot facility in Oceanside that’s not far from the company’s former headquarters in Vista. The new locale is large enough to handle production of the 2e and serve as home to all design, research & development and administration personnel.

“We plan to hold an open house at our new digs later this fall,” said Aptera marketing chief Marques McCammon. “Stay tuned for more details.”

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www.aptera.com

The Marketing Team
Aptera Motors Inc.

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