Aptera’s Three-Wheeled, Solar-Powered EV Promises Radical Change
First Ride: Three-Wheeled, Solar-Powered Aptera EV Aptera
Aptera, a startup from California, hopes to finally start production of its solar-powered EV later this year with a starting price of $40K.
The three-wheeler achieves a claimed 400-mile range from a relatively small battery thanks to aerodynamic bodywork and a 2200-pound curb weight.
The solar panels covering the Aptera’s exterior add a claimed 40 miles of range per day in sunny states like California.
“Whoa, what’s that?” a voice cried as we whizzed past. “That thing looks like a spaceship,” another voice quipped from the sidewalk as we waited for the light to change.
I was sitting shotgun in the three-wheeled Aptera, becoming one of the first people outside of the startup company to ride in its radical solar-powered EV. The vehicle I was in was a production-validation prototype, with a few notable differences versus the production-spec car I had just seen outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center as part of CES. Most obviously, the cabin was stripped out, bereft of interior trim, with only a set of switches, gauges, and some exposed wires. The sleek fairings for the outboard front wheels were also missing. But under the skin, the chassis, powertrain, and suspension are representative of the car Aptera hopes to finally deliver to customers later this year.
Rethinking EVs
Aptera, based out of Carlsbad, California, near San Diego, has had an arduous journey. First founded in 2006, the original plans for a three-wheeler fizzled out in 2011, and the assets were sold to a Chinese company that also failed to get things off the ground. In 2019, Aptera reemerged, led by the same duo who first started the company and largely utilized crowdfunding to get operations underway. Since then, Aptera has been busy developing a modern version of its original three-wheeler—which is technically classified as an autocycle—and unveiled the production-ready iteration of its EV at CES as it makes a push to acquire the necessary funding to start building roadworthy examples by the end of 2025.
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Aptera
Aptera makes a lot of big claims about its solar-powered EV, which, if true, would represent a seismic shift in how we think about the major issues surrounding EVs, such as range anxiety and concerns over charging infrastructure. While the Aptera packs a relatively puny battery with 42.0 kWh of usable capacity, the company claims an impressive range of 400 miles. The car’s aerodynamic bodywork plays a big role in achieving that figure, with Aptera previously stating that it was aiming for a drag coefficient of 0.13 Cd.
The 400-mile figure is supplemented by solar panels covering the car, a proprietary design which Aptera says it is currently filing several patents for. Aptera claims the electricity harvested by the solar panels provides up to 40 miles of range per day, or up to 10,000 miles per year, in sunny regions. Chris Anthony, one of the company’s co-founders, who I spoke to at CES, said in an area like Car and Driver’s hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan, which tends to get pretty gloomy in the winter, the expectation is 8000 miles per year from solar energy.
Still, since the average American’s commute is around 30 miles, the Aptera’s solar power should be more than enough to propel owners to run daily errands. If parked outside, the car can regain some energy while you’re shopping. “All you’ve got to do is leave this out in the sun,” Anthony explained. “It’s the most ubiquitous charging network in the world.” If Aptera’s numbers are correct, this would vastly reduce owners’ reliance on inconsistent public charging networks. This could also be an EV that actually works for apartment dwellers.
A Brief Ride
Our short ride on the streets of Las Vegas didn’t allow us to evaluate Aptera’s range claims, but we did find that, despite its UFO-like looks, the Aptera largely feels like a normal car once you’re underway. The bare interior meant the prototype was louder inside than the production car would be—the single front-mounted e-motor emitting a whine—but it wasn’t unbearably noisy.
The prototype we rode in had a few differences from the final production vehicle, including the lack of front wheel fairings. Caleb Miller – Car and Driver
The initial Launch Edition models, such as the prototype, will be front-wheel drive with 201 horsepower. An all-wheel-drive version is planned for the future, adding another motor that powers the single rear wheel. While 201 ponies isn’t much—especially in the world of rapid EVs—the Aptera employs carbon fiber to maintain a claimed curb weight of around 2200 pounds. The carbon-fiber body, sitting atop an aluminum chassis, is sourced from CPC Group, an Italian composite manufacturer that produces carbon-fiber parts for the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari.
The low weight meant the Aptera felt spry from the passenger’s seat, zipping forward when the test driver pinned the throttle. We never went especially fast, but the Aptera felt perky enough for city driving. Aptera claims the three-wheeler will scoot to 60 mph in under six seconds. The all-wheel-drive version should drop that sprint to under four seconds. Top speed is listed at 101 mph.
From a driver’s perspective, the outboard front wheels seem like the biggest adjustment. They sit notably wider than the body and aren’t visible from a normal seating position without craning your neck, but Aptera’s test driver said he adjusted quickly. The front wheels are linked to the body via unequal-length control arms with inboard dampers, while the rear wheel features a four-link suspension setup. “The suspension dynamics almost exactly match a VW Golf,” Anthony claimed.
The prototype’s interior was left unfinished, but the solar panels mounted on the upper dashboard will make it to the production car. Caleb Miller – Car and Driver
The ride was certainly on the stiff side, especially considering the smooth Vegas roads. The rear wheel hopped over the few bumps we encountered, but overall the Aptera felt civilized. There weren’t many curvy sections in the hotel-packed Vegas grid, but the Aptera felt stable cornering with only a slight lean. Despite the three-wheeled setup, the EV didn’t feel significantly different than a normal car, at least as a passenger.
Nearing Production
Back at the show, I checked out the production-spec interior. A carbon-fiber chassis isn’t the Aptera’s only similarity with supercars—the eye-catching butterfly doors make it challenging to gracefully slide into the cockpit. Once inside, the cabin looks fairly sparse. The dashboard features two screens: a small digital gauge cluster and a larger display running a straightforward infotainment system.
Aptera
Build quality wasn’t up to the standard of most mass-produced vehicles. The line between the two paint colors on the yoke-style steering wheel, for example, was uneven and the yoke itself was wrapped in an ill-fitting rubbery material. Plastic abounds, although the leatherette on the dashboard felt decent. The cloth seats with mesh inserts were hard and flat, but legroom felt ample, and there was a panoramic front view. A slightly flimsy storage container in the center console hides two USB-C ports. While the cabin isn’t quite on par with the established automakers, we’re willing to give a small company like Aptera some leeway. Hopefully, the final product will be more polished.
Aptera hopes to start production of its 400-mile Launch Edition models by the end of the year before expanding the lineup to include variants with ranges of 250, 600, and 1000 miles. Aptera also plans to let customers save money by reducing the number of solar panels to just the roof, hood, and dashboard—removing the trunk-mounted panels reduces the solar-added range to 22 miles per day.
The company says it has nearly 50,000 pre-orders, but, along with selling to consumers, Aptera envisions selling its three-wheeler to fleet companies too. Anthony suggested uses such as package delivery, parking-meter enforcement, and food-delivery services. “You can charge with a 110-volt extension cord for 150 miles overnight,” he noted. “So you can imagine a big parking lot where they already have a light pole and you can charge what needs to be charged off the light pole, and the rest will recharge from the sun.”
The Aptera isn’t going to be a car for everyone—it only seats two and the teardrop shape is not only attention-grabbing but means the rear storage area, while fairly spacious, has an odd shape. But the Aptera’s targeted price of $40,000 for the Launch Edition—and as low as $28,000 for the eventual 250-mile variant—makes it an intriguing proposition for those who want to avoid relying on public charging networks, have a short daily commute, and don’t need more than two seats.
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