Aptera Motors

Resilient startup Aptera is back with a robust progress update after a busy summer promoting its upcoming solar EV by the same name, ahead of planned production next year. The company has posted not one, but two videos updating its fanbase about its progress, which appears to be coming along quite nicely. Could it be the first to successfully reach scaled solar EV production?

Aptera’s “Gamma” prototype of its solar-powered, three-wheeled electric car is overseas right now, doing aerodynamic testing at Pininfarina’s wind tunnel near Turin, Italy, in the shadow of the Italian Alps.

The company is confident that when results come in, the Aptera will have the lowest aerodynamic drag coefficient of any production passenger car.

Nearly six months into its Accelerator crowdfunding program, solar EV startup Aptera is putting a pause on new investments while it files requested paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As a result, many of the loyal believers that make up the Aptera community and have helped get the company this far will no longer be able to invest unless they meet certain criteria.

Nearly 70 years ago, the idea of a viable solar car concept was introduced to the world in Chicago, Illinois. While these vehicles started small (literally), they have progressed alongside the sustainable technology segment to a point where scalable solar electric vehicles are closer than ever, but there’s still plenty of room for innovation.

In true Aptera fashion, its cofounders shared a video update outlining the company’s progress in bringing a solar EV into scaled production. The webinar which debuted live this morning can be viewed in full below and offers a slew of news surrounding grants, funding, tooling overseas, and solar development. Here’s the latest.

Aptera Motors is back with its second exciting news update this week, announcing it has selected an open-source driver assistance system called “openpilot” as its official system that will be integrated into its production model solar EVs.

Solar electric vehicle start-up Aptera Motors has announced its first fleet order from SustainabilitySooner, Inc. The initial pre-order is for 101 of Aptera’s 400-mile range solar EVs and is expected to deliver millions in future revenue. However, what may be more exciting is the prospect of future fleet orders as SustainabilitySooner looks to eventually operate a fleet of over 100,000 SEVs.

One day after announcing the official award of a $21 million grant in California, Aptera Motors looks to garner additional funds from its Accelerator investment program in exchange for access to the first 2,000 commemorative builds of its Launch Edition solar EVs. There is still plenty of room to invest and snag one of the first 2,000 Apteras built.

Solar electric vehicle startup Aptera Motors shared encouraging news today as it has been awarded a grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to the tune of $21 million. The grant comes as welcomed news for Aptera as it looks to reach scaled production of its namesake solar EV as one of the few startups left trying to successfully scale the sustainable technology for the masses.

Aptera’s new community funding program is just two weeks in, but it has raised $3 million of it’s $20-50 million goal. To incentivize further investment, the company is now offering new pieces of Aptera-branded swag to lead investors.

One week after sharing details of its Launch Edition Solar EV, Aptera Motors has announced a community funding program called Accelerate Aptera, hoping to raise between $20 and $50 million. By investing a predetermined minimum, reservation holders have a better chance at receiving delivery of one of the 2,000 Launch Edition Apteras planned. Better still, the person who invests the most on the leaderboard (yes, there’s a leaderboard) locks in delivery slot #1.

It’s been a real tough month for the few but extremely innovative solar EV companies out here. Having just announced a shifting of its business strategy and a request to suspend all payments to its operating company, Lightyear has officially declared bankruptcy. Sono Motors’ flagship solar EV, the Sion, is staring down a similar barrel, as the startup fights to raise more funds to keep it alive. Meanwhile, Aptera has a production-intent design, but still needs millions of dollars to get it to production.

Just a few days after sharing specifications of its Launch Edition solar EV, Aptera Motors has backtracked on a previous comment stating that its upcoming vehicles will not come with DC fast charging capabilities. Aptera has now let its community of loyal fans know it hears them, vowing to equip all its solar EVs, including the aforementioned Launch Edition, with the capability to charge on Tesla’s supercharger network.

Aptera Motors has inched closer than ever to customer deliveries of its flagship solar EV donning the company name. During a webinar presentation earlier today, the California-based startup unveiled new details its Launch Edition solar EV – a unified configuration that includes all-wheel drive and 400 miles of range, but Aptera still has a few financial and infrastructural hurdles to overcome before it can start delivering these solar EVs to the masses. More below.

Aptera has confirmed that it plans to use Tesla’s charge connector, now known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS), in its upcoming solar electric car.

Solar EV startup Aptera Motors has just announced another major milestone in bringing its long-promised flagship model into production. Solar cell production is now underway with the help of Maxeon Solar Technologies – the newly announced cell supplier to Aptera as part of a “cross-company collaboration.”

Following the teasing of interior images of the gamma version of its upcoming solar electric vehicle (SEV) last month, Aptera officially debuted the full prototype in front of a crowd in San Diego at Fully Charged Live. The gamma version now marks Aptera’s biggest milestone as it approaches SEV production in 2023.

Aptera has reopened investments to the public as it tries to secure more money to bring its 1,000-mile-range solar electric vehicle to production.

Aptera is teasing a new clean interior of for the latest prototype of its solar electric car with up to 1,000 miles of range.

Nancy Pelosi isn’t the only American shaking things up in Taiwan this week. Aptera Cofounder and Co-CEO Chris Anthony is there with Taiwanese energy company Formosa AdvEnergy Technology Corp, on the heels of a new agreement to supply batteries to Aptera’s upcoming solar EVs. Additionally, a report out of local news in Taiwan says AdvEnergy also plans to produce the Aptera SEVs in Taiwan, but we’re skeptical.

Aptera has launched a petition to ask Congress to make Tesla Superchargers and its plug the standard for electric vehicles in the US.