- High-efficiency EV startup Aptera Motors hit another milestone toward a production-ready car: the Gamma.
- The Aptera Gamma development prototype debuted at Electrify America’s Fully Charged Live event in San Diego, and shows a solar electric vehicle (SEV) that’s nearly production-ready.
- ‘Delta’ will be the next step for Aptera’s production vehicle, and the company says it will ramp up production next year.
- Aptera Motors claims the production model will start around $25,900, and reservations are open now.
- You can reserve an Aptera vehicle here for $100.
Imagine an electric car you’d never have to actually plug in — at least if you live somewhere sunny.
That’s the premise for California-based Aptera Motors and its flagship vehicle, the latest version of which it revealed at Electrify America’s Fully Charged Live event this week. The “Gamma”, as the company calls this development milestone, envisions a two-passenger solar electric vehicle (SEV) that offers up a minimalist take on the zero-emission driving experience.
With up to 40 miles of driving range captured daily from the onboard solar panels, most Aptera SEV owners may never have to charge up off the normal electrical grid. Mind you, it still can take advantage of DC fast charging. With up to a 100-kWh battery pack on board, this small three-wheeler can charge up to 500 miles per hour, and the car tops out at 1,000 miles of range, or so Aptera claims.
You can reserve an Aptera right now, for between $25,900 and $50,700
The lower end of Aptera’s pricing spectrum brings in a 25-kWh battery pack, capable of up to 250 miles on a charge. From that base model, you can choose from multiple range configurations, solar panel arrangement (roof and dash, hood, rear hatch or all of the above), and whether you want front- or all-wheel drive.
The lower end of the quoted range is 250 miles, while the startup says their car can make the 0-60 sprint in between 3.5 and 5.5 seconds, depending on which model you order. Earlier this year, the Aptera did actually beat a Tesla Model 3 and kept up with an Audi R8 in a short drag race, so there’s something to keep in mind.
To date, more than 32,000 prospective owners put their names down for Aptera’s flagship, as Electrek reports. Nearly one-third of those reservations have rolled in since May of this year. Depending on whether you live in a productive solar area, this car could well be a game changer when Aptera can bring it into production.
When that happens, each Aptera production model will roll out of the startup’s 80,000-square-foot facility just outside Carlsbad, California.
