Aptera, a startup aiming to bring to market a solar- and battery-powered electric car with “up to 1,000 miles” of range, received $4 million in backing and more than 7,000 preorders.
This is Aptera’s second go. The company was created in 2006 with the aim of bringing to market a super-efficient three-wheeled vehicle.
Unfortunately, the project didn’t work out, but the original founders recently decided to revisit the project after having launched a different successful company in the electrification space.
Last year, Aptera relaunched with the unveiling of a new updated battery- and solar-powered version of its super-efficient three-wheeler design.
It claims a range of up to 1,000 miles and achieves that by making the vehicle extremely lightweight, with three wheels and a drag coefficient (Cd) of only 0.13.
With that kind of efficiency, it can achieve 250 miles of range on a fairly small battery pack, resulting in a vehicle starting at just $25,900.
Buyers can also configure the Aptera with a battery pack that extends the range to 400 miles for $29,800, 600 miles for $34,600, and 1,000 miles for $44,900.
Aptera also offers the choice of a 100 kW front-wheel-drive system or 150 kw all-wheel-drive powertrain.
The other important aspect is the option to add embedded solar cells on the body to add electricity generation. The company believes that it can add between 16 and 40 miles of range per day, depending on the configuration.
Now a few months after the unveiling, Aptera is announcing the closing of a $4 million financing round:
Aptera Motors announces it has closed its round of Series A funding, accepting a total of over $4 million. Aptera’s continued momentum has now garnered it over 7,000 vehicle reservations in just over two months totaling a quarter-billion in orders. The Solar Electric Vehicle (SEV) company is backed by crowdfunders, private investors, and automotive leaders such as Sandy Munro of Munro & Associates, Inc.
$4 million is not a lot in the auto industry, and certainly not enough to bring the vehicle to production, but it is a start.
As noted in the announcement, Aptera also confirmed having received 7,000 preorders, which required a $100 deposit, for the vehicle unveiled in December.
The company also announced that they moved into a new 60,500-square-foot facility in the Sorrento Valley area of San Diego where they plan to continue the development of the electric vehicle.
When unveiling the vehicle, the company said that it planned on starting deliveries in 2021, but the timeline is aggressive.
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Author: Fred Lambert
Source: Electrek
