U.S. automotive startup Aptera is wrapping up tests of its first car named the sEV, which stands for Solar Electric Vehicle. Insideevs claims sales will only begin in 2022 as opposed to the earlier promise 2021, with an annual production plan of 20,000 units.
The cars were tested on the Chuckwalla Valley Raceway in
California. There were three alpha prototypes on track and one beta prototype,
which was the closest to production status. It still had a number of elements
to be finalized, like windows, doors, interior trim and some of the bodywork.
The testing crew wanted to see how stable and steerable the vehicle was in a
real-world driving situation.
The Aptera sEV is a two-seater weighing as low as 815 kilos. Its batteries are still very large at 100 kWh max, at its drag
ratio is as low as 0.13Cx. Opting for the largest battery pack gives you up to 1,600 kilometers of range, the company claims. In its entry form,
the sEV has a single electric motor and 136 PS. It sprints 0-97 km/h in 5.5 seconds, offers up to 400 km of range
and costs from US$ 25,900.
The top spec has 204 PS, sprints in 3.5
seconds and covers the aforementioned 1,000 miles before recharging becomes necessary.
It costs US$ 50,700. Optional solar panels can be extended to yield up to 70 km of free range daily.
