Aptera's Solar-Powered Electric Car Shown at CES, Finally Nears Production (motortrend.com) 40
"Engineers have showcased a prototype electric vehicle that can drive for up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) per day using just solar power," reports LiveScience. The production-ready "Aptera Launch Edition" made its first appearance this month at CES 2025, and "also offers up to 400 miles (640 km) of range from a single charge via an electrical output, company representatives said in a statement."
LiveScience describes the vehicle as "lighter and more energy-efficient than conventional EVs, while offering a 50% reduction in aerodynamic resistance," with an energy efficiency rating of 100 Watt-hours per mile (Wh/mile). By contrast, a Tesla Model S (released in 2022) consumes 194 Wh/mile in the city in mild weather and 288 Wh/mile on the highway in mild weather, according to the EV Database. At a maximum range of 440 miles — including 40 miles using solar power and 400 miles using electricity — the Aptera EV may also overtake the current longest-range vehicles in production. The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ has a maximum range of 425 miles (684 km), according to the EV Database, followed by the Lucid Air Grand Touring at 410 miles (660 km).
Aptera says it's raised $135 million "through equity crowdfunding" to fund its pre-production progress. "Since its launch, the Company has accepted $1.7 billion in pre-orders with nearly 50,000 vehicles reserved by future Aptera owners in the U.S. and internationally."
MotorTrend writes that "nearly two decades in the making, the otherworldly three-wheel Aptera is headed to production this year as a $40,000, 400-mile EV that can capture up to 40 miles worth of free solar energy every day. Maybe." The California startup made similar promises in 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2022 and yet it has never delivered a single vehicle. Is anything different this time...?
At CES, co-CEO (and one of Aptera's original founders) Chris Anthony told MotorTrend it will take another $60 million to finish the development work, buy the tooling, and build out the Carlsbad, California, assembly plant. "We're still in fundraising mode and we hope that we inspire some people in this beautiful building (Las Vegas Convention Center) to invest in Aptera," Anthony said. "We're trying to raise $20 million in the first quarter of this year. That will basically kick off all the long-lead items to get into production, but it's a $60 million plan to get into volume production." Anthony said the company has already made one of its largest purchases, the molds for the carbon-fiber sheet-molding composite body structure and the fiberglass sheet-molding composite body panels that will be made in Italy. The next $20 million will cover the tooling for the diecast metal suspension arms and the injection-molded interior components...
It would be relatively easy for Aptera to hand build cars in a garage and announce the start of production, but the plan calls for building up to 80 cars per day per the guidance of engineering consultant and YouTuber Sandy Munro, who is an Aptera investor and adviser. "He really helped shepherd the design from what was an early prototype prove-out design into how to make the most manufacturable vehicle ever," Anthony said. The structure is built from just six parts and the entire car has been designed to be put together in a factory with just 12 stations. But that radical simplicity complicates the job at hand right now. In addition to developing the car, the small engineering team also has to create the machine that makes it. Anthony's plan has the factory ramping up to build 20,000 vehicles a year within nine months of starting production at the end of 2025.
Before that can happen, Aptera needs to clear the same hurdle that tripped it up in 2011 and sent the company stumbling into liquidation — the money. "We would love one investor to be so inspired by what we're doing that they just hand us a $60 million check," Anthony told MotorTrend. "But it could be something that's kind of piecemeal over the next nine months to get that $60 million into the company." Are you convinced?
LiveScience describes the vehicle as "lighter and more energy-efficient than conventional EVs, while offering a 50% reduction in aerodynamic resistance," with an energy efficiency rating of 100 Watt-hours per mile (Wh/mile). By contrast, a Tesla Model S (released in 2022) consumes 194 Wh/mile in the city in mild weather and 288 Wh/mile on the highway in mild weather, according to the EV Database. At a maximum range of 440 miles — including 40 miles using solar power and 400 miles using electricity — the Aptera EV may also overtake the current longest-range vehicles in production. The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ has a maximum range of 425 miles (684 km), according to the EV Database, followed by the Lucid Air Grand Touring at 410 miles (660 km).
Aptera says it's raised $135 million "through equity crowdfunding" to fund its pre-production progress. "Since its launch, the Company has accepted $1.7 billion in pre-orders with nearly 50,000 vehicles reserved by future Aptera owners in the U.S. and internationally."
MotorTrend writes that "nearly two decades in the making, the otherworldly three-wheel Aptera is headed to production this year as a $40,000, 400-mile EV that can capture up to 40 miles worth of free solar energy every day. Maybe." The California startup made similar promises in 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2022 and yet it has never delivered a single vehicle. Is anything different this time...?
At CES, co-CEO (and one of Aptera's original founders) Chris Anthony told MotorTrend it will take another $60 million to finish the development work, buy the tooling, and build out the Carlsbad, California, assembly plant. "We're still in fundraising mode and we hope that we inspire some people in this beautiful building (Las Vegas Convention Center) to invest in Aptera," Anthony said. "We're trying to raise $20 million in the first quarter of this year. That will basically kick off all the long-lead items to get into production, but it's a $60 million plan to get into volume production." Anthony said the company has already made one of its largest purchases, the molds for the carbon-fiber sheet-molding composite body structure and the fiberglass sheet-molding composite body panels that will be made in Italy. The next $20 million will cover the tooling for the diecast metal suspension arms and the injection-molded interior components...
It would be relatively easy for Aptera to hand build cars in a garage and announce the start of production, but the plan calls for building up to 80 cars per day per the guidance of engineering consultant and YouTuber Sandy Munro, who is an Aptera investor and adviser. "He really helped shepherd the design from what was an early prototype prove-out design into how to make the most manufacturable vehicle ever," Anthony said. The structure is built from just six parts and the entire car has been designed to be put together in a factory with just 12 stations. But that radical simplicity complicates the job at hand right now. In addition to developing the car, the small engineering team also has to create the machine that makes it. Anthony's plan has the factory ramping up to build 20,000 vehicles a year within nine months of starting production at the end of 2025.
Before that can happen, Aptera needs to clear the same hurdle that tripped it up in 2011 and sent the company stumbling into liquidation — the money. "We would love one investor to be so inspired by what we're doing that they just hand us a $60 million check," Anthony told MotorTrend. "But it could be something that's kind of piecemeal over the next nine months to get that $60 million into the company." Are you convinced?
After all this TikTok stuff I needed a good laugh (Score:3)
That isn't a car, it's a Bird scooter with a body kit.
Re: (Score:2)
It is a hobbyist kit to build a special-purpose vehicle, just like there are hobby kits to build your own airplane.
I expect it can probably travel a bit farther if the weight of the solar installation is removed, but it is an interesting niche thing.
Maybe someday we can see Ambassador Gibson smash one in the next edition of Mad Max - "The Old Fart Returns", who knows?
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Solar cells are not heavy! The weight is the backing, glass and metal framing. If you've played with solar, you'd know this. My modern roof panels are about 40lbs each and it's again not the cells because I've used cells-- they are super fragile.
This car has custom solar cells they claim to have hardened somehow. The backing is carbon fiber or fiberglass which IS the car itself so only their glass replacement is the significant added weight. I don't expect it to amount to much... I doubt it weighs as much a
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I'm not saying they are heavy, I'm saying they are an unnecessary weight, considering the range extension.
To your question - I have flexible panels that have worked for 6 years now, cheap junk, lots of scratches (I use them as foldable shades on a patio) and no appreciable decrease in power output.
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Where I am with my typical usage I could run on solar only for over most of the year with the occasional charge in the peak of winter.
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It can do better if the panels are on your roof and charge it.
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They've been teasing this concept for many years and have gone bankrupt at least once and "relaunched" the concept a couple more times. It's a 3 wheeled "high tech" tuktuk. I don't see how this makes it as a going concern.
Best,
First look isn't encouraging. (Score:2)
Just looking at it - no cargo capacity, I don't believe the solar charging claims, and when I see three wheels I assume they're skirting safety regulations by registering it as a motorcycle.
All for a base of $40k, which is around what I can get a much better-performing more traditionally-styled EV for.
Re:First look isn't encouraging. (Score:4, Informative)
Just looking at it - no cargo capacity,
You didn't look very hard, then. It has 25 cubic feet of cargo space; enough to fit a bicycle inside the car.
Source: https://aptera.us/how-big-is-a... [aptera.us]
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That's okay, I'll just use my advanced Google-searching skills to find you a demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
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THINK. don't believe. They have photos of a full sized ladder. and bikes. It's a huge trunk that tapers to a point.
sqft is a 2D area measure not 3D volume measure. Did you pass 4th grade math or science?
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>sqft is a 2D area measure not 3D volume measure. Did you pass 4th grade math or science?
I am awed to be in the presence of someone who has never made an error. Oh, wait, you started that sentence without properly capitalization. I guess you were just being a fucktard, then.
It remains largely useless. A large flat triangle, awesome. Useful volume is, much like the units used to measure it, cubic.
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And just to underline my own point, another typo.
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It'll suit my needs just fine. I put most stuff in the passenger seat anyhow... except when I move a ladder, bike, or some wood and this should do the job better than my car.
Well, I stopped making mistakes in 3rd grade.
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An example is I can fit my OSET motorcycle in my tiny Suzuki Jimny but it won't fit in my Tesla which is much bigger, purely because of the shape of the motorcycle and the shape of the
That's not a car (Score:2)
50,000 reserved? LOLs... (Score:3)
The Cybertruck had a 2.5% buy rate from reservations, and that's from fanboys. So 1250 sales at best is realistic. Probably far fewer.
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Cybertruck turned out to be trash and word of mouth spread. Maybe next truck they'll not let Elon actually design it?
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He had his five-year-old kid design it. Hence those amazing lines.
Still prettier and more useful than this Aptera deathtrap.
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The Cybertruck had a 2.5% buy rate from reservations, and that's from fanboys. So 1250 sales at best is realistic. Probably far fewer.
The Cybertruck was polarizing, which meant that there was a high risk of a low reservation conversion rate. The Cybertruck stands in stark contrast to the other Tesla models which all had far higher conversion rates.
The Aptera car is also polarizing, so it's also risky. However, in contrast to the Cybertruck, the Aptera has appealing specs. It's not clear if the car design can achieve those specs or even if the car will ever be built. However, a 40-mile solar charge per day along with a 400-mile range w
LOL three wheel tricycle (Score:1)
Hope it susceeds (Score:2)
The performance specs on the early 3 motor version look impressive, if they are realised in production versions. The efficiency and simplicity does steal a lot from motorcycles.
I suspect sales will be poor in the USA when size seems to be the primary metric of a veh
Airplane without wings (Score:3)
I wonder if they improved upon airplane design because this looks kind of like a dolphin morphed with a small plane. I bet it's got lower drag than a small plane with a nose like that.
For me, I hardly drive 40 miles in a week. I'll rarely need to plug it in with a whole week in the sun! It'll be odd trying to park in the sun instead of the shade.
I ordered one; I'm sold. wonder how long I have to wait... Hopefully when they ramp up production the price drops. If it sucks like the CyberTruck i'll drop my order.
At least insurance for these kind of vehicles is lower than a car... A Model 3 is not too much more but it can't be repaired (Aptera supports right to repair,) doesn't spy on you, charges little for self driving (more limited self driving for $1k,) has future plans for 1000 mile range. I bet this thing super charges in like 10 minutes? It's a much smaller battery... The electrical system looks interesting and very hackable... it looks like they are running Arduinos all over the place. Not sure I like the idea of knocking on the door to have it open.
I hope it has an ability to add a motorcycle trailer! that would handle most everything I need.
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What's the point of,this thing?
My guess? Conspicuous consumption.
Comparison to a Tesla S is just silly (Score:2)
Come on, this is not a vehicle in the same class as a Tesla S. Saying it is lighter and goes farther is meaningless when you have to leave half of the passengers behind.
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"leave half of the passengers behind."
How many Teslas do you see with more than 2 people in?
Feeling Deja Vu (Score:3)
I've seen this song and dance before. It was called Elio Motors [wikipedia.org]. Elio also tried to startup production on an energy-efficient three-wheeled motorcycle back in 2009. Just like Aptera, Elio built prototypes, got crowd funding, and looked exciting. But Elio couldn't get off the ground with mass-production. It just costs a lot of money to go from prototype to mass-production.
I sure wish it could happen. I'd like it to happen. But I doubt it will.
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Apparently last year Arcimoto went under. They said they weren't, but getting sued for not making payments on leased equipment, and having the company phone lines cut off... not great signs.
Shame, if they'd designed it for a full enclosure and had a winter tire option, I'd have liked to try one of their "FUV" models.
At least the FUV looked like a practical vehicle and had a reasonable price point. Well, reasonable for the consumer. Apparently not reasonable for keeping the lights on at the production fa
"Nearing production"??? (Score:2)
At CES, co-CEO (and one of Aptera's original founders) Chris Anthony told MotorTrend it will take another $60 million to finish the development work, buy the tooling, and build out the Carlsbad, California, assembly plant.
They are as close to production as I am to retiring as a multi-millionaire... just need to find someone dumb to give me millions of dollars and I'm all set!
Redesign it (Score:2)
Surely they can design it so it doesn't have that weak looking wheel strut and have it look like a more normal car? Even if it costs a few miles of mileage it's worth it.
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There have been several attempts at solar powered cars but for them the solar daily range has been rather token. The Aptera is the first that offers a fairly reasonable daily solar range.
One look at it and it is clear that outside of California the average American will not ta
Specific use case (Score:2)
This vehicle is good, but only for one specific use case: city commuting, in sunny climates, where your car stand outside all day. And you sreceither single, or have a normal vehicle as well.