A three-wheeled electric “trike” that claims to have a 1,000-mile battery range is attracting venture capital funding. Aptera, the company behind the electric three-wheeler, has finalized $4 million in Series A funding from investors. Beyond the impressive driving range, Aptera’s EV charges using solar panels. That means the vehicle technically never needs to be plugged in to for charging. Just leave it out in the sun in your driveway or the grocery store parking lot. Aptera says they are using the latest funding to open a new production design facility in San Diego, California.
Weight and Pricing
Aptera’s vehicle is compact and lightweight at just 1,800 pounds. Depending on what battery you order (and how much sun the rooftop panels can attract), the trike could get 1,000 miles of driving range. Most standard EV sedan models top out around 500 miles, giving the Aptera EV some serious consideration.
Prices for the trike are initially listed at $25,900 to $46,900 for the high-efficiency two-seater model. The first deliveries are planned by the end of 2021. The company hopes to sell 10,000 vehicles a year by 2022. Will your future EV be a long-range trike model? Aptera certainly hopes so.
Powerful Solar Panels
This unusual new vehicle is electric only, with a variety of battery packs. The bigger the pack, the longer the range. A 1000.0-kWh battery will give the promised (and industry leading) 1,000 miles. That works out to ten miles per kWh. Competing electric vehicles are closer to four miles per kWh. Smaller (and cheaper) models will also be available. Naturally, their range will be somewhat less than the 1000-mile mark.
Most previous applications of solar panels on EV or hybrid cars were only good for a few hundred watts of power. Some carmakers insist solar power can only operate an exhaust fan to keep the car’s interior cooler on hot days. However, Aptera says its three roof-mounted solar panels can provide 60 miles of battery range.
Source: Aptera
Loading ...