Aptera Motors has been taking its time to make sure its first solar electric offering is perfect before offering it as a production model. That said, they have been making serious strides lately and just offered the gamma version for a public debut in San Diego. The unveiling of the gamma version is the third from Aptera since it first announced the design back in 2019.

The company has suggested that the three-wheel vehicle might make it into production as soon as next year. Aptera has refined the design and completed the interior on the most recent prototype. The EV’s technical capabilities are still astounding, and the car is able to travel up to 1,000 miles on a single charge, making it one of the most impressive alternative energy-powered cars we have seen.

Let’s take a closer look at Aptera’s futuristic new solar EV prototype that can go up to 1,000 miles per charge!

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Previous Iterations And History Of Aptera’s Solar EV

Aptera Interior in Vida
Aptera Motors Corp

Aptera initially reached out for crowdfunding to restart their development efforts in 2019 after re-forming their once-liquidated company. The California-based startup found real funding for its concept in Series A funding to the tune of $4 million back in early 2021 after revealing its first prototype in late 2020.

Chris Anthony and Steve Fambro, co-owners of Aptera Motors Corp, market the car as “the most highly efficient road vehicle in the world.” The original design, the Apera 2 Series, was a two-seater three-wheeled vehicle that boasted amazing efficiency that saw up to 300 MPG when plugged in at 120-mile intervals. That was not good enough for the company, though, and they decided to revamp the idea to a full EV.

The next redesign saw the Aptera as a battery-powered electric vehicle that tested at up to 1,000 miles and had integrated solar panels that could add up to 40 miles of range per day. This gave the Aptera concept the title of most efficient and longest-range vehicle ever developed with the intention of being mass-produced. For comparison, the longest-range model currently offered by Tesla, the Model S Long Range Plus, can go up to 405 miles and the newest offered Lucid Air is capable of 520 miles.

Further upgrades to the car continued as the company prepared for production launch. In December 2020, the revealed their updated prototype alongside the model and option details. Finally, the company offered pre-orders on the highly anticipated car and in just over a week saw deposits roll in for over 3,000 of the vehicles, which amounted to over $1 million in value. Within just a couple of months, the pre-orders grew exponentially, and the company held deposits for over $2 million in vehicles.

An update to the project in December 2021 noted that the company had over 15,000 reservations, over 8,000 investors, and had begun constructing a new factory space to produce the vehicle and meet the high demand. Employment doubled for the company, and they continued to grow throughout the remainder of the year, with projections to begin production in late 2022 and more details on the best features about the EV were being revealed by the company.

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Current Specifications And Features Of The Aptera Solar EV

Aptera-With-Camp-Kit
Aptera Motors Corp

The production model is one step closer now, as Aptera offered up the Gamma version of the car earlier this month. Although it no longer looks like they will meet their goal of production this year as they were so hopeful for back in February of 2021, the company is confident that the car will be ready sometime in 2023.

Reservations on the site are still open and require just a $100 down payment towards the final cost of the car. Available colors include Luna Silver, Sol White, Noir Black, or a “Custom” color option for an additional $1500, which results in having a representative reach out prior to delivery to clarify the desired design.

Although the car is capable of reaching a range of up to 1,000 miles, purchasers can also opt for cheaper batteries which allow for ranges running with a low of 250 miles for $25,900. For $4,000 more, the battery will allow for 400 miles of range. For $34,600 the battery can reach 600 miles of range, and for the ultimate 1,000 miles, purchasers are looking at $44,900.

Further power options are also customizable in regard to solar. Aptera only includes the roof and dashboard solar, however, there are options to add panels on the hood ($300), rear hatch ($600), and to add all panels for a combined deal at just $900. A front-wheel-drive system is also included in the base price of the car, while an all-wheel-drive system can be had for $2,500 more.

The interior colors of the Aptera are also up to the driver’s choice. Three standard color combinations including white/blue, cream/tan, and black/orange come included in the price, but again, a “Custom” color option is available for an additional $900 and will have a representative reaching out prior to delivery.

If you thought that the custom options and potentially pricey upgrades stopped there, you’re wrong. Aptera is also offering several add-ons as “limited edition upgrades” to the final purchase price that includes “Safety Pilot” which includes Level 2 autonomous driving, lane keeping, adaptive cruise, and emergency braking for $1300 more.

You can also add “Enhanced Audio” for $600 to increase your sound depth and deepen your bass with three extra channels of audio, a “Camping Kit,” which includes an integrated tent and rear awning for $600, a “Pet Kit” which offers a pet divider and accessories for $300, and an “Off-Road Kit” which offers higher ground clearance and tougher wheel covers for those who want to take their Aptera off-road for $1,000.

With all upgrades and custom colors included, the Aptera is currently set to run $54,500 at the high end. Although the vehicle is in pre-production still and details may ultimately change, you can look for most of the offerings on the Gamma version to stay available on the final production version.