Some 20 years after it was first founded, Aptera has taken its solar-powered electric vehicle out on a proper road trip.
The San Diego start-up says this journey represents a major step in validating its vehicle in real-world conditions. The two-seater - which looks a bit like something that dropped onto the freeway from beyond Earth's orbit - is designed to go up to 40 miles (64 km) per day without needing to plug in to recharge, thanks to solar panels along the roof and hood. For longer rides, the Launch Edition comes with a 400 mile (640 km) battery pack you can juice up with a charger; a massive 1,000 mile (1,610 km) battery option is also to be made available. The company says that their EV can hit a top speed of 100mph.
Those figures are all made possible thanks to the Aptera's lightweight carbon fiber composite body, and its remarkable aerodynamic design which gives it an ultra low drag coefficient.
With this road trip to prove its mettle successfully completed, it is now pretty much ready to start production. The company says it's already racked up 48,000 vehicle reservations, with the Launch Edition coming in at US$40,000 apiece. It plans to begin producing a small number of units this year, and ramp up to building 20,000 cars a year by 2027.
Unsurprisingly, Aptera decided to film its Route 66 milestone and the vehicle is reportedly very close to what the company will build and ship, but - as you will see - the interiors still need a bit more work, with exposed components visible in the footage.