While some EV startups target the luxury vehicle market, Aptera Motors has taken a different path—the company set out to build the most efficient EV possible, and it’s now getting very close to production.
At CES 2025, Aptera presented its production-ready solar electric vehicle (sEV), which it says offers “unmatched energy efficiency, freedom from conventional charging, and a truly zero-emission driving experience.”
Aptera says drivers won’t need to plug its vehicle in for most daily driving needs. It’s designed to deliver up to 40 miles of free driving per day powered entirely by sunlight. The company calculates that owners in sunny climates can expect to get over 10,000 miles per year of solar-powered driving. (The car can also of course be charged with a standard J1772 connector.)
The vehicle showed at CES featured Aptera’s complete solar array, consisting of four panels strategically placed on the hood, dash, roof and hatch of the vehicle, as well as its production body structure, built from carbon fiber sheet molding compound (CF-SMC). “This advanced material dramatically reduces complexity, requiring fewer than one tenth the parts of traditional vehicles, resulting in a lightweight yet robust design,” says the company.
“This vehicle embodies years of innovation and relentless pursuit of energy-efficient mobility,” said Aptera Co-CEO Chris Anthony.
Aptera has raised $135 million through equity crowdfunding, and says it has booked nearly 50,000 reservations, representing over $1.7 billion in potential revenue.
Source: Aptera
