Aptera has raised $40 million in commitments for its solar electric vehicle, the company's co-founder Sarah Hardwick announced. The three-wheeled SEV features a lightweight design and 0.13 drag coefficient, enabling 250 miles of range on a small battery pack and up to 1,000 miles with larger packs. The vehicle can add up to 40 miles of daily range through 700 watts of solar panels when parked outside. Starting at $25,000, the Aptera has generated over 22,000 reservations. The funding will support bringing the vehicle to production, a significant challenge for the startup despite strong consumer interest in its efficient design.

Carlsbad-based Aptera preps to launch solar-powered vehicle. Note: The podcast was generated using Google Notebook through press releases, company website, financial data and media reports for a deeper dive into Aptera's operations, financing history, suppliers and more. CARLSBAD - Fortuitous timing and skyrocketing gas prices are the opening salvo for a unique, emissions-free vehicle set to go to market later this year. Carlsbad-based Aptera's three-wheeled, solar-powered vehicle looks straight out of "The Jetsons," featuring an aerodynamic design as if a plane were driving on the road. Legally, the vehicle is not a car, which gives Aptera more freedom from certain regulations and the ability to streamline engineering, production and delivery. Still, co-founders Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony have spent the past four to five years refining the vehicle in painstaking detail to produce a product worthy of their mission. They developed a proprietary technology for the solar panels, which cover the vehicle's hood, instrument panel, roof, and hatch, combined with a robust battery, to give their customers a range of 400 miles per charge and up to 40 miles of solar-powered driving per day. North County Pipeline is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. The company also supports the overall mission of the two co-founders of developing and putting an eco-friendly, energy-efficient vehicle on the road. "It's an anxiety on our side to get things done quicker and get the vehicles out," Anthony said, adding it's also exciting to finally get the vehicle to market. "It's how do we scale from here? We're already working on the next build order and then just starting production toward the end of the year." A key selling point is that customers can just park or drive their car and charge for free. Those marketing tools are especially handy in today's climate, as the war in Iran has skyrocketed gas prices, and California's gas tax will increase by another 2 cents on July 1. Even before the war, Aptera had nearly 50,000 reservations for its $40,000 vehicle, Chris McCammon said. He said in 2020, when preorders opened, the company secured 5,000 based on its concept and design standards. North County Pipeline Covering the latest in North County San Diego, finding big scoops, profiling amazing people and spreading the word about events. Recent Episodes