US startup Aptera Motors rolls out its first solar vehicle
Aptera is preparing its solar vehicle for series production. An assembly line is already in place. The first vehicle has rolled off the line.
The first solar vehicle from Aptera has rolled off the assembly line.
(Image: Aptera Motors / Screenshot)
Aptera, the solar car startup based in San Diego, California, has rolled out the first production vehicle of its solar-powered car. The company sees this as an opportunity to obtain the necessary regulatory certifications for production and delivery. The manufacturer plans to deliver the first vehicles to customers in 2026. According to Aptera, there are 50,000 pre-orders.
The first assembly line for the Aptera solar car comprises a total of 14 stations and initially serves to validate the manufacturing process. The previous prototype models were still manufactured by hand. Now Aptera wants to have professionalized production. The production process has now been structured with the assembly line and guarantees reproducible manufacturing results. In addition, strict quality control is carried out. This includes, for example, thermal stress tests and brake tests. Aptera now wants to carry out self-certification and obtain EPA safety approval as quickly as possible to bring market-ready vehicles to market.
The company now intends to produce the first vehicles of a small series for testing and optimization work. No solar vehicle will be delivered to customers before this is completed, according to Steve Fambro, Co-CEO of Aptera Motors.
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Aptera plans to further optimize the manufacturing process for each individual vehicle component. Over time, assembly procedures are to become better and faster, and the setup of the assembly stations is to be refined.
New beginning
Aptera, after its initial founding in 2005 as Accelerated Composites, went into insolvency in December 2011. At that time, the company had already burned through approximately 24 million US dollars in venture capital from Google and other investors. In 2019, the restart as Aptera Motors took place via a crowdfunding campaign. The company has since slowly fought its way back up. The hiring of new employees occurred and continues to occur at a reduced pace. Aptera is thus trying to build a functioning team over time.
If all certification and validation goals are met, the delivery of the first vehicles to customers could take place in 2026. Aptera has a total of 50,000 vehicle reservations. The price is said to be around 40,000 dollars. However, it is unclear how many pre-orders will ultimately result in sales.
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The solar-powered vehicle from Aptera is a three-wheeled vehicle powered by an electric motor. The power from the solar cells, which are housed in the front, windshield, roof, and rear in the fully equipped version, is said to provide enough electricity to propel the vehicle 40 miles (almost 65 km). The range with the battery is said to be up to 1000 miles, depending on the equipment. With all-wheel drive, the vehicle is said to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles in 4 seconds, and with purely front-wheel drive, it takes 6 seconds.
(olb)
