Aptera Has 22,000 Orders

Reborn solar EV startup Aptera says it has more than 22,000 reservations for its 1000-mile electric vehicle.

By making its electric vehicle extremely light weight, adding rooftop solar panels, and fitting it with three low-drag wheels for an ultra-slippery coefficient of drag (Cd) of only 0.13, Aptera claims owners will be able to drive up to 1,000 miles between charges.

“With Aptera’s Never Charge technology, you are driven by the power of the sun,” says co-founder Chris Anthony. “Our built-in solar array keeps your battery pack topped off and anywhere you want to go, you just go.”

Based on the promise of never really needing to plug in, demand for the brand– which first made its debut nearly 15 years ago– is at an all-time high, with those 22,000 orders representing more than $800 million in revenue. “We never could have imagined the outpouring of interest and support that has followed our announcement,” the company said, in a blog post. “We quickly sold out of our Aptera Paradigm and Paradigm+ editions on the first day, and things haven’t slowed down since.”

All that baked-in efficiency allows the base Aptera three-wheeler to go 250 miles of range on a fairly small battery pack, with an MSRP of just $25,900. Buyers can opt for a larger, 400 mile battery pack for $29,800, a 600 mile pack for $34,600, and the 1,000+ mile “never charge” packs for $44,900. All of which, it should be noted, are several thousand dollars less than the average transaction price of a new car in 2021.

If you want to get a sense of how long Aptera’s been in the works, here’s Edmunds’ review of the 2008 version, which only offered 100 miles of range, all the way back in 2009. Check it out, then let us know if you’re on of the 22K reservation holders in the comments.

2008 Aptera Electric Car

SOURCE | IMAGES: APTERA.