Aptera (solar electric vehicle). The Aptera is a two-seat, three-wheeled solar electric vehicle under development by the crowd-funded American car manufacturer Aptera Motors. The stated design goal of the car is to be the most energy efficient mass-produced vehicle ever. The design has an aerodynamic shape and uses lightweight carbon fiber and fiberglass composite materials, and built-in solar cells to significantly extend its range. While several prototypes featured in-wheel motors, the production model is designed with a standard three-wheeler front-wheel drive axle.

Prototypes and production 
The company planned delivering production units of the Aptera vehicle in 2021. Four stages of prototypes were planned, with the third stage of prototypes nearing the final production design, and the fourth representing a prototype that's identical to production vehicles.

Aptera announced in June 2022 a detailed plan to scale in-wheel motor production in Slovenia by Elaphe. Due to issues with getting the Aptera in-wheel motor design to production it was replaced in 2024 with a standard front-wheel drive axle design for the production model.

Aptera announced in November 2022 a design change to bodies made of molded carbon fiber. Then in January 2023 it announced a fund drive to raise $50 million. They said they needed at least that amount to start production. The company announced in February that the funds would allow for the "initial phases of production", and the following month said it requires additional funds to produce and deliver vehicles to customers.

Another prototype of the Aptera vehicle was shown at the January 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025). Company representatives said initial customer deliveries are anticipated by the end of 2025. The prototype shown at CES 2025 was "nearly" ready for production.

Components 
Aptera named Maxeon Solar Technologies as the solar cell provider for the vehicle in October 2022. In March 2023, Aptera announced its use of Comma.ai's Openpilot driver assistance system. As of September 2023, Aptera's partner C.P.C. has stamped the first of Aptera's Body in Carbon (BinC) parts from production tools at its Modena, Italy manufacturing facility.

Design 
The 60 kWh battery version is expected to weigh about , much lighter than most electric vehicles. It has a NACS connector, and is able to charge at a rate of between 40 and 60 kW.

Aerodynamics

The Aptera has a claimed coefficient of drag that is very low, at 0.13 as of January 2023. The car was tested at an Italian wind tunnel, the results of which were described by co-CEO Chris Anthony as "pretty pictures".

The Aptera's body shape is similar to earlier design exercises in efficiency, including the "Fusion" human-powered vehicle produced by the Pegasus Research Company in 1984, and the MIT Aztec Solar Car, which won multiple efficiency awards while racing in the American Tour de Sol in 1993.

Notes

References

External links 
 

All-wheel-drive vehicles
Battery electric vehicles
Electric vehicles introduced in the 21st century
Cars introduced in 2019
Electric motorcycles
Electric three-wheel vehicles
Proposed vehicles
Solar-powered vehicles
Vehicles with wheel motors
Open wheel cars