Aptera is still looking for the funds necessary to begin production of its solar electric three-wheeler, which was shown in its production-intent form a few months back. The company recently shared an update on its vehicle in what it called the Delta phase and it also encouraged (more reliable) investors to consider putting their money into Aptera.
The startup will also hold a webinar in January hosted by the company’s founders, Chris Anthony and Steve Fambro, when it hopes to answer as many questions as possible, with the hope that this could boost both potential buyers’ and investors’ confidence.
Design work on the three-wheeler has not been finalized yet. Aptera’s engineers are now deciding on the final details of the vehicle’s structural components. These will be manufactured by the C.P.C. Group in Italy, after the two companies signed an agreement last month – the Italian composite specialist will create components that will then be fixed to the vehicle’s body panels, which will be made from Carbon Fiber Sheet Molding Compound (CF-SMC) and Glass Sheet Molding Compound (SMC), as explained in the video below.
Aptera showed an animation of many of the three-wheeler’s mechanical components and how they come together to create the vehicle’s basic body and running gear. The design appears to be virtually identical to the Gamma prototype that the company showed a few months ago, although we do expect that changes have been made under the skin.
The company still hopes it will be able to begin deliveries in 2023, although it will not be in the first part of the year as was previously announced. It notes that being in the Delta stage, the vehicle still needs to pass its crash tests, systems integration still needs to be done and the design needs to be finalized before the vehicle can be validated and ultimately enter production.
It was announced in October that the solar components that would go into the Aptera vehicle were already in production, although this doesn’t really indicate that the actual vehicle will start rolling off the production line. They even enlisted the help of Sandy Munro to boost the company’s appeal, who recently appeared in a video on the Aptera YouTube channel announcing the startup was “creating a new industry,” referring to the solar electric vehicle niche.
