On Wednesday, Aptera announced that it has completed a highly efficient three-wheeled solar EV version.
This car, the first in the series, is the first to combine a powertrain and carbon-fiber body with Aptera's in-house designed software and battery pack, according to a company press release.
Aptera production purpose vehicle
Solar panels, a thermal management system aimed at production, and complete outdoor areas will be added as part of the next phase of testing, according to Aptera. The cars will then be tested on a high-speed track to ensure efficiency and performance characteristics, according to the company.
The production target process takes Aptera a step closer to a real car for sale, with the company saying it has more than 50,000 reservations. The $33,200 Launch Edition was unveiled in January 2023 with an acceleration time of 4.0 seconds 0-60 mph, a 42-kwh battery pack that will provide a range of up to 400 miles, and a solar power system that can provide 700 watts ongoing. Power travels 40 miles per day, the company said.
Aptera has previously discussed other versions with a range of 1,000 kilometers when power from the solar system is included, and 0-60 mph times as low as 3.5 seconds. The company also announced its use of the Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) port ahead of the mass migration of US-market EV products last year. In recent months it has also been noted that some design changes are coming to the three-wheeler to make it more efficient and cost-effective.
Aptera earlier this year completed a crowdfunding round and moved forward to seek private equity in its capacity-building approach. In three years, Aptera has raised more than $100 million from more than 17,000 investors across all stages of fundraising. The company said in May, pending the necessary funding, that it hopes to bring the three-wheeler to market “at scale” by 2025.