Californian car maker Aptera successfully tested its first 'production-intent' three-wheeler vehicle
- This three-wheeler solar EV just completed testing
- It has a solar-powered range of about 40 miles
- The actual range could go up to 1,000 miles on a full charge
Published on Nov 04, 2024 at 3:27 AM (UTC-5)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on Nov 05, 2024 at 3:44 AM (UTC-5)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A company based in San Diego, California, called Aptera Motors, is on track to complete the development of its solar EV that might hit the roads soon.
You read that right — a solar-powered EV (sEV) that will charge ‘naturally.’
Aptera says it’s getting there, and this new not-quite-a-prototype has the ‘production-intent’ label.
The car looks like a spaceship and is a three-wheeler — but all for good reason.
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Aptera Solar EV is a three-wheeler that completed initial tests
The California-based company recently announced that it completed testing its first successful unit for the three-wheeler solar EV.
Dubbed ‘PI2,’ this all-electric spaceship-esque vehicle will feature 40 miles of solar-powered range.
You could essentially be able to travel for ‘free’ if you only drive less than 40 miles every day — all thanks to the power of the sun.
However, if you decide to take longer trips, Aptera boldly claims that the eventual PI2 will feature a range of a whopping 1,000 miles on a full charge.
Although that’s the advertised range of only the top-end variant with the largest battery pack, the other variants shouldn’t be too far off.
An absurdly high 1,000-mile range
To be fair, 1,000 miles isn’t a number to be messing around with — because the most popular EVs today can’t reach that number.
This guy’s Tesla Model 3, the best-selling EV in the US, has a range of 232 miles after three years of use.
While we have seen some individuals or companies attempting to build a vehicle with an absurd range estimate, Aptera’s upcoming car could be the first production vehicle to shake the market.
Take this guy who created a custom Tesla with a 1,600-mile range, for example.
As exciting as Aptera’s newest creation may sound, the solar EV is far from being complete.
For now, the company has completed a simple driving test in which it drove the PI2 without essential body parts.
Hence, it might take a year or two before we finally see this unique-looking vehicle on the roads.
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