Aptera update: Vacation instead of ousters?
by Sebastian Blanco on Nov 17th 2009 at 11:50AM 
We're still waiting for an official response from Aptera Motors on the ouster of top company members Steve Fambro, Chris Anthony and others, but Popular Mechanics has been able to get a bit more information about the "boardroom showdown" and it may not be as bad as first rumored.
First, it seems that Fambro has not left. Instead, he is making use of his saved vacation time. As head of the company's advanced concepts group, his job isn't directly tied to delivering Job One, and chief marketing officer Marques McCammon told PM that, "We needed to reduce our burn rate on anything not associated with getting a production vehicle out the door." Fambro remains on the board and will come back to the company next year after the final round of funding closes. He told PM that, "Some folks were let go, and since they hadn't seen me around – they put two and two together and made a fairly large and incorrect assumption." Fambro also made clear that the evolving design of Aptera's first vehicle is all for the best.
Anthony, for his part, was not asked to leave and is instead focusing on his other companies, Epic Boats and battery management systems company Flux Power. So, everyone cool now?
Gallery: Aptera 2e final design renderings
[Source: Popular Mechanics]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Andrew 12:03PM (11/17/2009)
Marques said the same exact thing last year to the Saleen employees. Top Notch Management Crew over there...
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Sigur 2:08PM (11/17/2009)
Management crew? You're telling me theres someone running Aptera? I couldn't tell -it sure doesn't look that way!!!!
Doug 12:14PM (11/17/2009)
I really wish Aptera the best of luck and I'd like to see them be able deliver of the founders' vision regardless of who's left at the company. But really, that PM piece sounds like an attempt at damage control. The title, 'Founders Not "Ousted"—On Vacation' sounds so euphemistic, at first I thought it was a joke.
It's still quite a while till the end of the year. By then Fambro could just as easily say he's changed his mind and left the company. It is of course in his best interest to attempt to calm things down with some positive spin. He'd like to see the company be successful whether he's an active part of it or not.
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Nick From Montreal 1:16PM (11/17/2009)
After Chrysler bit their hand, I just don't see the government lending money to a company who can't even issue a press release to clarify such basic matter.
Companies often die in silent agony. Hopefully, they'll come out soon with something.
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Throwback 1:46PM (11/17/2009)
"First, it seems that Fambro has not left. Instead, he is making use of his saved vacation time"
This line craks me up. Is this like leave with pay? our is he using up his paid time before getting the ax? Sounds like more bad reality TV from California.
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polo 3:45PM (11/17/2009)
It sounds like he's voluntarily taking a leave of absence temporarily so his salary can go towards production.
hsr0601 2:09AM (11/19/2009)
Aptera might be marked as an emblem of dream and ingenuity in youth.
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Dan Frederiksen 12:35PM (11/20/2009)
if everything is cool, then where are the damn cars..
if they aren't being delivered now as they were promised and not even a timeline for when, then does that indicate a problem..
and the absence of public statements..
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