Will things work out for Aptera after all?

Aptera raises substantial funds

The Accelerator Program was created to raise funds for the first 2,000 copies of the Aptera. Anyone could invest $10,000 or more through the company’s crowdfunding campaign. The program was launched in January 2023. In the end, it took Aptera nearly a year to raise the required $33 million.

Purchase of tools

With the $33 million raised through the Accelerator Program, Aptera has secured the capital to fund the first stages of production. That marks a pivotal moment for the company. Funds raised through this program are helping to purchase tools in small quantities and build the company’s first production vehicles. These vehicles are used by Aptera for testing and validation.

After Aptera’s production-intent vehicles are validated, the final step is to raise capital to purchase tools and equipment for high-volume production, which is expected to require 10 times less capital than traditional automakers.

46,000 reservation holders

Co-founder and co-CEO of Aptera, Chris Anthony, says, “When we first launched Aptera as a solar mobility company, we were amazed by the overwhelming support from thousands of potential Aptera owners. With over 46,000 reservation holders, we are committed to securing the remaining funds needed for the scalable, large-scale production of our solar EV.”

Aptera Launch Edition

Aptera’s introductory model – the Launch Edition – gets a range of 650 kilometers on a single battery charge. Harnessing the power of the sun, the Launch Edition is equipped with about 700 watts of solar cells, allowing drivers to travel another 65 kilometers per day purely on solar power. With only six major body components, the Aptera is also a lot cheaper to produce. Moreover, less energy is needed to make the car. Again, this is good for the environment.

Battery Technology

The battery technology comes from CTNS, a battery supplier from Korea. From its founding in 2017, this company has successfully implemented High Mix Low Volume projects and has become a dominant player in the robot market, as well as a reliable supplier of battery packs from big names in Korea. CTNS provides a battery pack based on a “proprietary smart manufacturing system” and “battery data management system.

Prices Aptera

The Aptera with all solar panels and two-wheel drive has a price tag of $26,800 for the version with 250 miles of driving range. The 400-mile version costs $30,700, the 600-mile version should cost $35,500 and the 1,000-mile version costs $45,800. Prices for the AWD versions are $29,300 (250 miles), $33,200 (400 miles), $38,000 (600 miles) and $48,300 (1,000 miles), respectively. It is not yet known if the Aptera will come to Europe.