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Pa Cost of CES 2025I rode an electric car that you can’t put on. The Aptera Solar EV is loaded with solar panels and works well, the manufacturer claims it can harvest up to 40 miles of free range each time. day from the largest nuclear nucleus in the sky: the sun. As the stunning-looking EV nears production later this year, I got under the doors of its prototype model’s wings for an early look.
Although the Aptera’s coolest party trick is its solar power, the first thing you notice when you get up close is how unusual the EV coupe’s design is. The manufacturer designed the three wheels to be as aerodynamic and light as possible. Therefore, its carbon fiber body has a dolphin-inspired shape with a bottle nose and a long tail to cut through the air with 70% less drag than a typical small EV. The design limits the EV to just two people, but there’s 32.5 cubic feet of cargo space in the long tail.
Meanwhile, different wheels have narrow, sleek wheels and low-profile tires to reduce road impact. And the whole car is about half as light as a normal car. The Aptera is front-wheel drive, which I’m told supports the weight of the 150 kW (201 hp) electric motor at the front end of the trike for stability and excellent handling.
Take a closer look and you’ll see that almost every surface area has custom-made solar cells – including the windshield, roof, rear hatch and even the dashboard. In total, there are about 700 watts of solar power, which due to the EV’s low power consumption, drag and friction, captures enough energy to drive the EV up to 40 miles per day under the warm, sunny conditions of Southern California. If your journey is about 30 kilometers, you can drive every day without connecting.
Of course, if you park in a cloudy area, have shorter days or less light, the solar output will be reduced, but the Aptera can also be connected to run Level 1, 2 or DC faster. In total, the automaker expects the EV to travel up to 400 miles before needing it again. The most impressive thing is that it does this with a 45 kilowatt-hour battery. A nice bonus to having such a small battery is that the EV can be charged reliably from a standard wall outlet and a quick DC run of up to 400-miles should take less than an hour.
During my test drive around the streets of Las Vegas, heavy traffic prevented us from meeting the full 6-second 0-60 speed, but the Aptera pushed away with a satisfying zip. Driving quality was also excellent thanks to the four-link suspension behind one rear wheel, although the overall experience was not representative of the final result due to the lack of interior and rear front tires.
Eventually, the brand plans to add a cheaper version of the Aptera to the line with a smaller and smaller battery (but the same 40-mile per day solar power), followed by a variant with more cargo space. Meanwhile, Aptera Motors is accepting pre-orders for $40,000 Aptera Solar EVs and expects to make a major shipment later this year.
