GabyAptera Motors unveiled a prototype electric vehicle equipped with… at the Consumer Electronics Show CES 2025 in Las Vegas. solar panels on the hood, dashboard, roof, sunroof, and body.
The main advantage of the innovative vehicle is its significantly reduced dependence on charging networks. This three-wheeled car can travel up to 64 kilometers a day, powered solely by sunlight.
What else is known about the new development?
Automakers claim that this is the first solar-powered vehicle ready for production. electric car that doesn’t need to be constantly recharged during everyday trips.
For long journeys or gloomy days, the electric vehicle is equipped with a battery that, according to the company’s engineers, provides a range of 643 km on a single charge.
In addition to technological advantages, the car has obvious aesthetic appeal, the publication reported. Dezeen However, the extravagant design is dictated by ultra-aerodynamic considerations. The three-wheeled, two-seater structure features a teardrop-shaped body that was developed in collaboration with the Italian automotive design studio Pininfarina.
To test the car, Aptera Motors used a wind tunnel in Turin, Italy. Specialists from Pininfarina were present to ensure that the shape of the electric vehicle provided the lowest possible drag coefficient. (This metric is used to quantitatively assess the resistance an object experiences while in motion.)
Ultimately, Aptera Motors announced that this car has the lowest drag coefficient among all production passenger cars. It is said that “in terms of aerodynamics, it is closer to an airplane than to typical cars.”
The body is made primarily from a special type of carbon fiber known as CF-SMC. This material can be molded into complex shapes, allowing automakers to create a lightweight yet strong body using only six main components.
By the way, the CF-SMC material is produced by CPC Group in Modena, Italy, which also serves luxury car and sports car manufacturers such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren.
“This car embodies years of innovation and relentless progress towards energy-efficient mobility,” said Chris Anthony, co-director of Aptera Motors, which was founded in 2006. Notably, this is the company’s second attempt to create a solar electric vehicle. In 2011, work came to a halt as the company went bankrupt. The original founders of Aptera Motors relaunched their venture in 2019.
