AEV quits the JK

[billiebob]

"We wanted to inform you that AEV will soon be making its final production run of Premium/Tubeless Front Bumpers, Rear Bumper and Heat Reduction Hood for JK Wrangler. We anticipate having enough inventory on hand to continue selling these products for the next year +, but once the inventory from this production run has been exhausted, these products will be discontinued. "

Yet Bestop keeps making everything for anything Jeep, including soft tops for the CJ2. I'm feeling the pain for anyone with a JKU BRUTE....

 

[zgfiredude]

I've got my hood and wheels, I'll just be careful with them I guess.....not a surprise in today's wacky world.

 

[Tex68w]

They have done this with other models as well. Hard to invest R&D into new models while still retaining production of older models that sell few and far between. Their bread and butter is whatever the latest and greatest is at any given moment. Once the new hotness wears off they are on to the next.

 

[billiebob]

I've got my hood and wheels, I'll just be careful with them I guess.....not a surprise in today's wacky world.

yep, I have the AEV HighLine on my TJR..... they are plenty beat up....
Not at all related to todays wacky world.... AEV quit the TJ and TJ Brute parts in 2012.

AEV is an engineering firm.... they have zero skills at marketing.

 

[jadmt]

yep, I have the AEV HighLine on my TJR..... they are plenty beat up....
Not at all related to todays wacky world.... AEV quit the TJ and TJ Brute parts in 2012.

AEV is an engineering firm.... they have zero skills at marketing.

and all the hardcore jeeps guys say the opposite ...I think they do pretty well at both. I have had AEV 2",2.5" and 3.5" lifts and front and rear bumpers and every version of jk wheels they sell as well as having two sets of AEV HD ram wheels.

 

[Dan Grec]

"We wanted to inform you that AEV will soon be making its final production run of Premium/Tubeless Front Bumpers, Rear Bumper and Heat Reduction Hood for JK Wrangler. We anticipate having enough inventory on hand to continue selling these products for the next year +, but once the inventory from this production run has been exhausted, these products will be discontinued. "

Yet Bestop keeps making everything for anything Jeep, including soft tops for the CJ2. I'm feeling the pain for anyone with a JKU BRUTE....

Note AEV are working on a kit to mount the new JL/JT front bumper onto the JK.
Dave posted a photo of his Outpost II (A JK) with the JL expedition bumper mounted to it.
I have no idea if they plan for the JL rear bumper to also bolt onto the JK.

Interesting they said nothing about wheels and suspension. I assume they will continue to make those for the JK.

-Dan

 

[billiebob]

AEV makes the best Jeep parts without question and if they were good at marketing they would still be selling JK and TJ kits like everyone else.

Teraflex is the opposite with a fabulous marketing division and not bad products but Teraflex and everyone else do the marketing well and as a result still have people buying their TJ/JK products. The market is there if you do the marketing, selling, advertising well.

 

[billiebob]

Interesting they said nothing about wheels and suspension. I assume they will continue to make those for the JK

I doubt it, JK is dead to AEV just like they killed TJ parts and suspensions 10 years ago.

 

[Herbie]

This is standard engineering practice. End of Life (EOL) notices are the mark of a good company that knows how to manage its resources and inventory.

No company can go forever stocking parts for everything, at least not without infinite warehouse space and resources. Stuff like bumpers and hoods are about as un-friendly to efficient warehousing as it gets, and retaining the tooling, fixturing, etc. is nearly as bad.

 

[vintageracer]

You can be at the forefront of new emerging markets or the middle/tail end of the past and aging markets.

The choice is YOURS!

 

[billiebob]

You can be at the forefront of new emerging markets or the middle/tail end of the past and aging markets.

The choice is YOURS!

so true, if you never want to drive a 5 year old vehicle, AEV is yer kinda company

 

[billiebob]

This is standard engineering practice. End of Life (EOL) notices are the mark of a good company that knows how to manage its resources and inventory.

No company can go forever stocking parts for everything, at least not without infinite warehouse space and resources. Stuff like bumpers and hoods are about as un-friendly to efficient warehousing as it gets, and retaining the tooling, fixturing, etc. is nearly as bad.

Good try but hardly applicable here. AEV is an engineering firm PERIOD.
Everyone else is still selling TJ/JK parts, systems, suspensions, interiors even.
Only AEV quits making the very best products when a vehicle is 5 years old.

That says they are not a company driven by sales or marketing. They are a lean engineering firm.
They do that incrediby well but they quit the market long before the sales are near end of life. AEV flat out does not care if you need parts or want to build another JK/TJ.... they are onto the latest and greatest. If you built an AEV JK last year, thank you but good bye.

Long term I picture AEV disappearing from the retail market and contracting directly with Jeep for product development and in house after market sales.

 

[donmontalvo]

I agree, companies like AEV wouldn't be able to stay in business if they tried to support older models.

I don't hate them for it, but their position is why I went with a 2021 JLUR instead of a Colorado ZR2 Bison.

 

[shays4me]

It's all driven by consumerism and tattooed guys with flat brimmed hats that make most consumers think they need the latest and greatest. Nevermind the TJ is a great platform, or the JK for that matter. It's all about the JL and JT now, everything else is old hat. I don't see this as prevalent with the Land Rover or Land Cruiser community but that's because of the limited supply of those cars here in consumer land and therefore even more limited aftermarket support. The money in aftermarket parts is with the newest Jeep or Ford Bronco right now plain and simple.

 

[1stDeuce]

You also have to remember that most of AEV's sales go to vehicles that are new or nearly new, not old used vehicles. AEV's sales drop off significantly after a platform is replaced because dealers install a good portion of their product on new vehicles. There are SO MANY lift companies offering cheaper lifts and cheaper accessories than AEV can produce that most people opt for something else for their older well used vehicle.