Aperta Motors, a startup in Carlsbad, California, has done a slow-speed demonstration of its solar electric vehicle using production-intent components.
Aptera said its lightweight, aerodynamic vehicle, which is integrated with solar cells, is designed for daily driving without charging. It says the vehicle will enable up to 65 km of free solar-powered driving per day.
The company has sold nearly 50,000 reservations for Aptera’s Launch Edition vehicle, which supports a range of 400 miles and is equipped with 700W of solar cells. Aptera said the onboard solar cells enable grid-free electricity generation for an additional range of up to 40 miles per day. The company is aiming for a full production vehicle with a range of 1,000 kilometers.
“Driving our first production vehicle marks an extraordinary moment in Aptera’s journey,” said Steve Fambro, CEO of Aptera. “It demonstrates real progress towards delivering a vehicle that redefines efficiency, sustainability and energy independence.”
In October 2022, Aptera said it did collaborate with supplier of solar panels Maxeon to use the vehicle’s solar cells. Earlier this year, the company said it would use Vitesco Technologies’ EMR3 powertrain as its inboard engine.
Apetra uses its own battery pack to power the drivetrain. The vehicle is surrounded by an aerodynamic structure composite body structurealso known as his Body in Carbon, or BinC.
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