Aptera's Solar EV With Up To A 1,000-Mile Range Never Needs Plugged In
California-based Aptera was at CES 2025 to show off its production-ready Apera EV, a concept that was first announced way back 2007. Over the course of that time, Aptera has faced technical problems and delays in getting the car into production stage, but customers and crowdfunders could finally see the EV shipping by the end of the year.
You have to hand it to Aptera for sticking with its vision of revolutionizing electric mobility. Chris Anthony, co-CEO of Aptera, remains upbeat, stating that the company's "production-intent vehicle is a testament to years of innovation and engineering and a tangible solution to reducing carbon emissions and redefining how we think about energy-efficient mobility"
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The car at CES is still as futuristic as before, with a flying car-like body shaped with the help of Pininfarina, claiming a drag coefficiency of a mere 0.13. The production version will probably raise that number, but the EV will still be one of the slipperiest cars in existence. Despite the slender silhouette, there's ample space for two passengers and a quite massive 32.5 cubic feet of space in the trunk/tail.
To provide improved balance and handling, the trike-wheeled setup has front steering, linked directly to a 201 hp 150 kW electric motor. At under 2,000 lbs curb weight, that's more than enough power for a six second dash to 60 mph and a top speed of 101 mph.
Aptera's production-intent electric vehicle has a tiny 45 kWh battery, ideal for a car this size, while enabling it to be quickly recharged from a regular wall outlet if needed. Cruising range is impressive nonetheless: the company claims 400 miles to empty, although the coup de grace has to be the built-in solar panels found on practically every horizontal surface of the main body (even on the dashboard). With the cells rated at 700W of solar collection capacity, the sun can power enough juice for 40 miles per day.
Of course, that's under sunny cloudless skies, but imagine not having to ever plug the car in if you live in a mostly sunny locale.
This variant is open for pre-orders right now for around $40,000 and production is expected (we hope) to begin later this year. Aptera is planning to release different configurations as well—a variant with longer 1,000 range (and perhaps all-wheel drive), a cheaper version with less total range (i.e. smaller battery), and another with larger carbo capacity.
