Aptera’s 3-wheel solar EV hits milestone on way toward 2025 commercialization

By Nick Godt Published November 2, 2024

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.