Solar-electric vehicle requires no charging for daily use

California-based solar electric vehicle maker Aptera Motors demonstrated its first production-intent design vehicle. It said the vehicle will offer up to 40 miles of range daily from its onboard solar cells.

November 5, 2024 Ryan Kennedy

Image: Aptera

Carlsbad, California-based startup Aperta Motors ran a low-speed demonstration of its solar electric vehicle using production-intent components.

The low-weight, aerodynamic and solar cell integrated vehicle is designed to enable regular daily driving with no charging required. Aptera said the vehicle will offer up to 40 miles a day of free power sourced from the sun.

The company has sold nearly 50,000 reservations for Aptera’s Launch Edition vehicle, which supports a 400-mile range and is equipped with 700 W of solar cells. Aptera said the solar cells onboard enable grid-free electricity generation for up to 40 miles of additional range per day. The company targets a full-scale production vehicle with a range of 1,000 miles.

“Driving our first production-intent vehicle marks an extraordinary moment in Aptera’s journey,” said Steve Fambro, Aptera’s co-founder & co-CEO. “It demonstrates real progress toward delivering a vehicle that redefines efficiency, sustainability, and energy independence.”

In October 2022, Aptera said it would partner with major solar module provider Maxeon to source the vehicle’s solar cells. Earlier in 2024, the company announced it would use Vitesco Technologies EMR3 drivetrain as its in-board motor. Apetra uses a proprietary battery pack to power the drivetrain. The vehicle is enclosed by an aerodynamic composite body structure, also known as its Body in Carbon or BinC.

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