Aptera provided an update this week on its solar-assisted electric vehicle but has yet to provide a firm production timeline. The three-wheeled Aptera vehicle utilizes integrated solar panels to extend the range up to 1,000 miles in some versions, boasting enough power to outpace certain sports cars, according to Aptera.
The vehicle can also be conventionally charged, and Aptera was the first non-Tesla automaker to confirm the use of Tesla’s NACS charging port.
Earlier this year, the company claimed to have 40,000 reservations for the vehicle and designated the first 5,000 as launch editions. These will feature a motor driving each wheel with a total output of 171 hp and a 42 kWh battery providing an estimated range of 400 miles, with additional versions expected later. The company now states that a $10,000 investment will secure one of the first 2,000 build slots.
The exact timing is still unclear, but in its progress report, Aptera stated that over 60% of the “essential equipment and tools” needed to produce the electric vehicle’s carbon-fiber body had been “completed and commissioned.” The equipment, including stamping dies and post-processing tools, has some of the longest lead times and costs of the manufacturing equipment needed, according to Aptera, so it takes precedence.
Aptera claims that tools are already being used to produce parts for pre-production vehicles to be used for testing and validation. This will include fine-tuning of suspension and software, testing of drivetrain durability and efficiency, and tests of airbags and the climate control system, the company said. Crash tests and a production line validation will follow.
Aptera has had multiple false starts. After a previous project a decade ago was canceled, Aptera relaunched in 2020 and claimed its $25,900 three-wheeled vehicle would arrive in 2021. According to its latest report, Aptera seems closer than ever to delivering vehicles to customers.
In this latest update, Aptera also claims in this video that it invented curved solar panels for cars. People behind Sono Motors might argue this, as they made similar claims. Since then, the German company has set aside its solar car project and is now focusing on fleet-centered solar energy technology.
Lightyear, the Netherlands-based Solar-EV startup, also encountered financial issues and halted production of its flagship Lightyear 0, stating instead that it will focus on mass-producing the Lightyear 2. Will Aptera from California fare better?
