Small company to unveil its hybrid

On a much smaller scale, Aptera Motors Inc. of Carlsbad, Calif., plans to unveil its three-wheel hybrid/electric vehicle at a semiprivate confab this weekend.

Called the Typ-1 (no, that’s not a typo), the car is the latest advanced-technology vehicle to roll off the drawing board of someone not employed by GM, Toyota or one of the other big auto companies.

Plans call for having the Typ-1 in production by October 2008, with an initial goal of making 10 cars a month at a facility in Carlsbad, said Steve Fambro, founder and chief executive of Aptera.

The price should be below $30,000, Fambro said. The car is designed to seat two adults, with room for a child seat. Trunk space will be ample, he said.

It will be offered in two versions: all-electric with a 120-mile range or a plug-in hybrid. Both will be powered by lithium ion batteries.

Aptera has managed on less than $20 million in start-up capital, but Fambro is looking to raise more. One hurdle should be overcome this weekend when the company gets its website up and no longer has to rely on a MySpace page to get the word out.

-- Martin Zimmerman