EV drivers may relish that charging networks are climbing over each other to provide needed juice alongside roads and highways.
But they may relish even more not having to make many recharging stops along the way as their EV soaks up the bountiful energy coming straight from the sun.
That’s the bet from Aptera Motors, a crowdfunded, California-based maker of solar-powered electric vehicles.
Aptera says it just completed a successful test drive of PI-2, the first production-intent version of its futuristic-looking two-seater, three-wheel solar electric vehicle. The EV’s latest version was engineered to rigorously test performance metrics such as range, solar charging capability, and efficiency, Aptera says.
“Driving our first production-intent vehicle marks an extraordinary moment in Aptera’s journey,” said Steve Fambro, Aptera’s Co-Founder and co-CEO, in a statement. “It demonstrates real progress toward delivering a vehicle that redefines efficiency, sustainability, and energy independence.”
Aptera says it already has over 50,000 reservations for its EV, which are scheduled to start being delivered in the second quarter of 2025. Last year, it unveiled a $33,200 launch version featuring an under-6-second zero-to-60 mph acceleration time, a battery pack providing a range of 400 miles, and a solar charge range of 40 miles per day.
The Aptera EV also features Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) port to charge its battery.
The company said its production-intent models will continue to evolve over time as they undergo further tests, including key metrics such as solar charging rates and watt-hours per mile.
Other versions of the Aptera EV were said to provide as much as 1,000 miles of range with a zero-to-60 mph acceleration in 3.5 seconds.
Aptera has so far raised over $100 million since launching a crowdfunding program three years ago.
Solar-powered electric vehicles are also being developed by the likes of Germany’s Sono Motors and the Netherlands’ Lightyear, and by big automakers such as Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.