- Aptera’s solar EV went on a real-world road trip.
- It traveled over 300 miles on a full charge.
- The solar panels on the body generated up to 545 watts of power.
Aptera, the California-based startup that has been working on a solar-powered electric vehicle for more than a decade, has a big update. Its production-intent vehicle just completed a road trip of over 300 miles without having to stop and recharge.
That’s great news for company backers who have invested money in the start-up, hoping the three-wheeled would eventually become a reality. It’s also a sign that Aptera is still kicking despite multiple delays and its reliance on individual investors to keep the lights on.
As a reminder, Aptera’s three-wheeled EV can be covered in solar panels that can, in theory, generate enough electricity to travel 40 miles per day. It has a battery pack like any other EV, and it can also be charged via a NACS port, but the biggest selling point is the efficiency, with Aptera claiming its teardrop-shaped vehicle can achieve up to 10 miles/kilowatt-hour.
Steve Fambro, one of the company’s Co-CEOs, took the production-intent EV on its first public road trip in real-world conditions, departing on a chilly morning from Flagstaff, Arizona, and following a stretch of the historic Route 66 on his way to Imperial Valley in California.
According to Aptera’s blog post, the prototype’s solar panels generated between 300 and 545 watts of power during the trip–that’s despite it being an overcast day. That leads to high hopes that the solar EV would generate enough energy for daily commuting, but a few questions remain unanswered.
Among them, Aptera’s backers need to know that what they’re signing up for is what they will get when it’s time for delivery. The Launch Edition of the solar EV, which is slated to have a selling price of $40,000, is advertised on the company’s website as being capable of 400 miles on a full charge. The production-intent prototype went “over 300 miles,” which is encouraging, but to get to 400 miles in the real world, a significant improvement would have to occur.
For what it’s worth, Aptera’s website also lists an entry-level version with 250 miles of range that will arrive after the Launch Edition. Is that what is being tested in the real world? We don’t know.
Aptera said last month that a full range test will be conducted, driving from a fully charged battery all the way to 0% state of charge. This is meant to “confirm Aptera’s unmatched efficiency and industry-leading range.” We’ll just have to wait and see what the result of that test is.
