With an aerodynamic design and solar panels, the Aptera model promises to run up to 64 km a day with sunlight alone
U.S. startup Aptera Motors has announced the completion of the first vehicle assembled on its new validation line, marking the end of the manual assembly phase and starting the countdown to series production. The three-wheeled model, which uses integrated solar panels to offer up to 64 km of daily range from the Sun, is now entering the crash testing and homologation phase, with the first deliveries to customers scheduled for the end of 2026.
Consisting of 14 workstations, the startup’s new low-volume structure allows the technical team to refine the installation of critical components and adjust the assembly flow. According to the company, vehicles in this phase will undergo rigorous programs, including thermal validation and braking performance. The goal is to ensure that the disruptive design maintains the reliability required before the factory reaches industrial scale.
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The great differential of the Aptera is its aerodynamics, with a coefficient of only 0.13, which allows it to reach a total range of up to 1,600 km in versions with a 100 kWh battery. The model will be sold with prices between US$ 25.900 and US$ 50.700 (about R$ 130 thousand to R$ 255 thousand in direct conversion), depending on the traction and range configuration chosen by the buyer.
In the financial field, the startup already registers almost 50 thousand reservations, totaling a potential revenue of US$ 2 billion. According to Steve Fambro, co-CEO of Aptera, the success of this technical validation is the last step for the vehicle, which can be charged entirely by the sun in ideal conditions, to hit the streets to revolutionize global energy efficiency.
