The Aptera solar car does not need to be plugged in to charge

Aptera Motors, based in San Diego, CA, has just successfully completed the first low-speed function test of its all-solar electric vehicle (sEV). The PI2 does not need to be plugged in to charge and instead gets its daily power directly from the sun.

The PI2 – Aptera’s ‘Production Intent’ vehicle – was stripped down during the parking test, devoid of parts not required to operate the vehicle at low speed. This included removing the body panels, door panels, windows, solar panels and the high voltage system.

The Aptera is designed as a fully electric, solar-powered vehicle (sEV). Aptera claims it will have an additional range of 40 miles per day, while there is no need to plug in to charge as it draws energy from the sun into its internal batteries. There are options for different sizes of battery packs. One of these offers a range of up to 1,600 km when fully charged. If you have to drive more than 65 km per day or if the weather does not allow your Aptera the daily dose of sunlight, it can be plugged in to charge the battery.

If Batman was actually Orcaman and drove around in an Orcamobile... still the matte black looks quite Dark Knight in a maritime way — If Batman was actually Orcaman and drove around in an Orcamobile… still the matte black looks quite Dark Knight in a maritime way

In January last year, Aptera announced the Launch Edition, which featured approximately 700 watts of solar cells on the composite housing and had a range of 400 miles from a single charge to the 42 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The integrated solar panels naturally continue to charge the batteries as long as it is in the sun.

To put that in perspective: the Tesla Model S long distanceequipped with a 100 kWh battery pack, it has an estimated range of 650 kilometers.

Toyota’s Prius offered solar panels on its vehicles in the past. Previous models had about 180 watts of solar energy to charge the car’s 12-volt system to run accessories in the vehicle – mainly to help with the car’s cabin fans to keep the interior cool. A later version of the Prius would also supply a small amount of power to the drive batteries, giving the car about an additional mile of range per day.

The top of the Aptera is covered with about 3 square meters of solar panels (shown in green), giving it about 700 watts of charge under ideal solar conditions. That amounts to approximately 65 kilometers of driving pleasure per day, just from the sun

The 2020 Hyundai Sonata hybrid also offered a solar roof with a power of about 200 watts, giving a range of about 2 miles per day. Again, the primary purpose was to keep the 12-volt system charged, not targeting the 270-volt system that the electric drive motors use.

‘Green’ doesn’t necessarily mean slow

With a claimed 0-60 mph (96 km/h) time of four seconds and a top speed of 101 mph (162 km/h), it’s no slouch. Although not exactly a rocket shipthat kind of acceleration rivals that of a Chevy Corvette C6 or an Audi RS3. Its speed and efficiency can be attributed to its 201 peak horsepower (150 kW) EMR3 drive unit. The electric powertrain has 228 lb-ft (310 Nm) of torque. When the go-fast pedal is not pressed, the motor has a continuous power of approximately 67 hp (50 kW).

So, how does the Aptera add something extra forty miles range of only 700 watts of solar energy? The lightweight design and ultra-efficient drag coefficient. The 25 kW version weighs just 816 kg, putting it in the same weight class as the small Smart car. Even the large 100 kW battery with a range of 1,600 km weighs only 998 kW, which amounts to a Gen 1 Mazda Miatas weight.

"Lambo" doors are a nice touch, although the drag coefficient increases significantly when the doors are open — “Lambo” doors are a nice touch, although the drag coefficient increases significantly when the doors are open

The Aptera features a six-piece carbon fiber composite body, made in Modena, Italy – the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari, and from which the 360 Modena takes its name. The Aptera’s unique three-wheel design makes it as aerodynamic as possible to use as little energy as possible while driving.

The Aptera has a drag coefficient of 0.13. I’ll write that down again for dramatic effect: the Aptera has a drag coefficient of zero point one three.

Coefficients of drag measure how much resistance an object has to the flow of air or fluid as it moves.

For those who aren’t aerodynamicists, a parachute for jumping out of airplanes has a drag coefficient of about 1.4 to keep you from falling to your death. A semi-truck/large platform for transporting goods across the country has a drag coefficient of about 0.6; you definitely feel it every time you try to pass one on the highway and it blows you sideways because it’s pushing so much air.

A prototype called the EXE181 – built to be the slickest car the world has ever seen – claims a drag coefficient of 0.181.

ThrustSSC, the British jet car that has gripped the current world land speed record since 1997 at 763 miles per hour (1,228 km/h) around a 13-mile circuit in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert (hello, Burning man) – the first and ONLY vehicle to break the sound barrier on land – has a drag coefficient of 0.16.

Bottlenose dolphin or short-beaked dolphin? You decide

That is certainly true. That message is in bold on the Aptera website. And in case you’re wondering: a the drag coefficient of dolphins is around 0.004.

To further reduce vehicle weight, Aptera placed most of the control boards together to reduce the weight of the wiring harnesses and the size of the wire connectors. The car company has gone so far as to remove most of the controller board covers to reduce weight, allowing the Aptera to get the most efficiency out of the solar power. Instead, the control boards are covered with a dust- and waterproof coating.

If you click ‘reserve’ on Aptera’s website at the time of writing, the price of the Launch Edition is listed at US$30,700, with the note ‘price subject to change’. When fully equipped with all the bells and whistles, the Launch Edition will cost $51,500.

The Aptera interior has everything you need and nothing you don't. This minimalist, lightweight approach combined with the yoke steering really gives it an aircraft feel — The Aptera interior has everything you need and nothing you don’t. This minimalist, lightweight approach combined with the yoke steering really gives it an airplane feel

A brief history

Going back to 2008, Aptera produced the world’s first 300 MPG electric-hybrid prototype, the Typ-1h. Aptera also produced an all-electric version with a range of 190 miles, the Typ-1e. The successor to the Typ-1, the 2nd prototype (electric only), was released a year later, switching from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive and adding a few other conveniences and safety features.

The design was so futuristic that it appeared in the 2009 Star Trek reboot. seen driving past Starfleet Academy right before Kirk does the Kobayashi Maru simulation for the third time.

The world wasn’t ready for the Typ-1 or 2e and Aptera Motors ceased operations in 2011 when money ran out. Point. No vehicles were delivered, although $500 reservations were made.

In 2019, original founders Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony had not given up on the dream and took the reins back into their hands and began developing the Launch Edition – the future three-wheeled solar-powered car classified as a motorcycle.

Why PI2? Because PI1 was essentially just a shell of a car used for fitment testing of Aptera’s wiring harness and cable measurements.

Once all testing is completed, Aptera’s target for full production will be 40 vehicles per day from its final assembly plant in Carlsbad, California.

In the low-speed test video below, Steve Fambro, CEO of Aptera, says: “The team has taken it back. They are adding some retrofit items to the high-voltage system that we want to use for high-speed driving.” This is followed by rapid validation tests. We can’t wait.

Aptera — Driving our production intent vehicle

Source: Aptera