Funky three-wheel solar EV almost ready to hit the road
Aptera Motors has revealed its production ready solar-powered electric trike at CES 2025It might look half spaceship and half toy car but a solar-powered electric vehicle is one step closer to production.
Revealing the big news at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 in Las Vegas – along with a production-ready model – the Californian company says its sEV (solar electric vehicle) is almost ready to hit the road.
It looks all but identical (albeit a colour change and extra solar panels) to the circa-$35,000 prototype machine the US start-up touted back in 2020, which was originally expected to be on public roads by 2021.
But you can expect a significantly higher price tag if it ever reaches Aussie shores and you can probably forget about the 1600km driving range originally claimed, too.
Thought to ‘reshape the future of transportation’, Aptera’s yet-to-be-named three-wheeler won’t require plugging in for most daily driving needs, according to the brand, which details a driving range of up to 400 miles (643km), as well as an additional 40 miles (64km) of sunlight-powered driving range per day.
Aptera says in select regions, vehicles equipped with the NACS (North American Charging System) connector can get up to 600 miles of charge in less than 60 minutes.
So, for the majority of users, in ideal conditions, expect no more than around 700km per day; which is still plenty.
Aptera says that equates to more than 10,000 miles (over 16,000km) per year of solar-powered driving in sunny climates, "significantly reducing reliance on grid charging".
That said, the super-light carbon-fibre trike – designed to require fewer than one-tenth the parts of a traditional vehicle – can be juiced up at Tesla supercharging points and will be three times more efficient than most EVs, thanks to four strategically placed solar panels.
It can also hit 0-60mp/h (96km/h) in less than six seconds.
“Today marks a pivotal moment not only for Aptera but for the future of sustainable transportation,” said co-CEO of Aptera Motors.
“This vehicle embodies years of innovation and relentless pursuit of energy-efficient mobility. CES is the perfect stage to share our vision and invite the world to join us in creating a cleaner, solar-powered future.”
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