California-based EV startup Aptera announced a successful $4 million Series A funding infusion to support the launch of its self-named three-wheel EV, the Aptera. This step is the latest in a series of successful efforts to get the vehicle, which promises up to a 1,000-mile range, into production as an alternative to the Tesla Model 3, Chevy Bolt, and other EVs. Re-established in 2019, the firm was initially launched in 2005 and folded six years later as the initial three-wheeled design failed to take off. The initial failure of Aptera reminded some of an earlier three-wheel failure, the notorious Dale.

Aptera Receives 7,000 Reservations

Aptera Gets Closer To Production Of 1,000-mile Range EV
Aptara

Recently, the automaker announced that it had received more than 7,000 reservations for the two-seat Aptera EV, adding up to more than $250 million in total order value. The new Aptera vehicle is all about efficiency with a 0.15 drag coefficient (a Tesla Model 3 has a 0.23 Cd) and 1,800-pound curb weight. There are four range options:

250 miles: $25,900

400 miles: $29,800

600 miles: $34,600

1,000 miles: $44,900

The standard front-wheel-drive trike looks like a sci-fi movie prop, but promises a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds.  The $2,500 all-wheel-drive option cuts two seconds of that time. Unclear at this point is how the tiny vehicle can include a battery of the size required for the stated ranges.  

Aptera is also marketing the vehicle’s Never Charge Solar feature highlighting that the EV won’t need plug-in charging for most daily use. The standard solar roof can provide up to 16 miles of worth of charging per day. The optional solar roof and rear hatch offer an additional combined charging capacity of 24 miles.

Aptera Gets Closer To Production Of 1,000-mile Range EV
Aptara

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

The company hopes to begin production by the end of the year following a recent move to a new production design facility outside of San Diego. The new campus will house advanced 3D printing, composite technologies, and battery development.

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Collapse Of The Original Aptera

Aptera Gets Closer To Production Of 1,000-mile Range EV
Original 2e Aptara design via greencarreports.com

According to a 2011 Reuters story, the original Aptera enterprise collapsed after failing to secure an $80 million private investment required to support a $180 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy. The company was a victim of bad timing as investors grew wary of cash-heavy EV automotive start-ups. EV battery manufacturer A123 crashed and burned in 2012, and Fiskar Automotive (Henrik Fiskar’s first namesake company) followed a year later.

Still, the EV business looks far more rosy than just ten years ago, even though many of the Aptera's claims can be expected to undergo some close scrutiny.

Sources: Aptera, Green Car Reports, Reuters.

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